VINACHEM

In a speech to a conference on developing trademarks held by Tin Tuc newspaper in collaboration with the ministry in Ha Noi yesterday, general director of the Vietnam News Agency Tran Mai Huong said the trademark building programme played an extremely important role not only for the nation in the context of global integration, but for enterprises, localities and individuals as well.

Hai said in agreement that the main reason for the situation was a lack of experts and professional marketing staff in the trademarks' field.

He said the Government had provided favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to create a firm foothold in both domestic and foreign markets.

"The building of a national trademark corresponding to the country's new position raises its competitiveness and attracts resources for sustainable development and growth," Hai said.

He added that high quality products that met the strict requirements of international markets would help bring the desire to reality. Pham Quang Vu, general director of Bien Hoa Vinacoffee, one of 30 Vietnamese trademark companies chosen in the National Trademark Programme, said his business always wanted to give customers high quality and new tastes.

"A trademark can be considered as a customer's recognition of a product," Vu said.

He added that the quality of several domestic products was as high as imported ones. However, inadequate advertising of their images made it difficult for customers to know this.

Director of VNPT's Information and Public Relation Centre Bui Quoc Viet said enterprises had been given support in developing their trademarks.

"However, advertising has not been regularly and systematically used, which has lowered the competitiveness of domestic goods," Viet said.

The conference was told that in three years, the programme to "Buy Vietnamese goods" had encouraged people to buy more domestic products.

Hai said the most important thing for businesses was to provide goods at reasonable prices, especially in rural and remote areas.

"Fairs and exhibitions can be a useful way of helping enterprises access markets," he added.

(Source: VNS)