E62: Keeping soul, changing shape: Vietnam’s evolving identity

About this episode

Ian discusses Vietnam's evolving identity with Vinamilk's creative director, Chieu Pham, exploring the cultural constants amidst rapid change.

Vietnam is changing shape fast — but its soul hasn’t moved an inch. In this episode, Ian sits down with Vinamilk creative director Chieu Pham to unpack the cultural codes that remain constant beneath the country’s rapid transformation. From ancestor worship and family rituals to emotion-driven storytelling and Vietnam’s unique sense of humour, Chieu explains why global brands so often misread the market — and what they must understand to get it right. She shares 15 years of insight across ad ...

People in this episode

Host: Ian Paynton

Guest: Chieu Pham

Topics covered

• Vietnam's identity
• cultural codes
• advertising insights
• ancestor worship
• family rituals
• storytelling
• humor

Keywords

• Vietnam
• cultural identity
• advertising
• family rituals
• ancestor worship
• storytelling
• humor

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vinamilk

Places: Vietnam

More episodes of You Don't Know Vietnam

• E71: Vietnam's young people have never had it better. Or is there something we're missing? · June 9, 2026 · 24 min
• E70: I was the US ambassador to Vietnam. Here’s why I’m betting on its future · May 4, 2026 · 42 min
• E69: Go live or get left behind: inside Vietnam’s e-commerce boom · April 13, 2026 · 39 min
• E68: The 9 cultural truths your brand MUST master to get started in Vietnam · March 31, 2026 · 36 min
• E67: Growing IRONMAN Vietnam: lessons in community, planning and reading the room · March 3, 2026 · 31 min
• E66: Building a life in Vietnam: identity, business, and the search for home · February 10, 2026 · 35 min