Vietnam Legacy Business Center (VLBC)

Vietnam’s economy is undergoing a strategic transformation - shifting from a production-based model to a value-creation economy driven by brand power. In this context, building strong local brands (e.g., OCOP/OTOP products) has become essential for achieving sustainable growth.

However, family businesses - which make up a significant portion of the economy - face internal challenges, including an estimated 64% conflict rate, low levels of trust, and a lack of structured brand strategies aligned with Vietnamese culture. At the same time, although SMEs account for 90% of all Vietnamese enterprises, most remain unprepared for digital transformation and AI integration, both of which are now critical prerequisites for competitiveness.

Currently, Vietnamese enterprises face two major generational and technological challenges:

The trust gap between leadership generations (F1 and F2)

Divergent mindsets and management styles create barriers to succession and heritage continuity.

The pressure of digital and AI-driven market transformation

The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) requires businesses to adapt swiftly while translating cultural values into management and business strategies suitable for Vietnam’s socio-economic context.

Response

The VLBC pioneers in the development of a comprehensive strategic framework grounded in three strategic pillars that enable organisations to remain resilient and adaptive to change:

Brand Identity – Legacy Soul: This pillar emphasizes the articulation of an enterprise’s core identity through the questions “Who are we?”, “What values do we uphold?”, and “What legacy do we aspire to leave behind?”. A clearly defined and authentic brand identity serves as the guiding compass that unites organizational members across generations

Succession Capability – Legacy Structure: This pillar focuses on establishing transparent governance mechanisms, structured dialogue channels, and leadership development pathways that cultivate successors endowed with integrity, vision, and competence to continue and elevate the legacy.

Technological Power – Legacy Catalyst: By leveraging AI and advanced digital technologies, this pillar optimizes operations, increases productivity, innovates business models, and scales up sustainably, thereby creating enduring legacy value for the future.

Based on the “Brand Tree” Model, VLBC provides accessible, culturally tailored research and training tools that help businesses preserve their identity, strengthen internal capacity and pursue sustainable development amid international integration.

The VLBC has developed a comprehensive solution grounded in the Philosophy of Three Pillars, designed to help Vietnamese enterprises stay resilient amid generational transitions and the turbulence of digital market transformation.

At the core of this system lies the “Brand Tree” Model - a proprietary theoretical and practical framework refined by VLBC over more than 20 years of hands-on experience. The model operates on the principle of organic brand development, encompassing three stages:

Roots: Focusing on core culture and legacy values - the foundation for sustainable differentiation.

Trunk: Building a consistent brand strategy and identity - to ensure disciplined operation and clear strategic direction.

Canopy: Executing initiatives that drive growth and market expansion - reflecting vitality and competitiveness.

VLBC’s uniqueness lies in its Cultural Transcreation methodology - an approach that adapts modern management models, global knowledge, and advanced tools to align deeply with Vietnamese business culture, psychology, and context. Additionally, AI is integrated to personalize strategies, conduct in-depth data analysis, and optimize operational efficiency, ensuring both practical feasibility and long-term sustainability in a real-life context.

Tools and Innovation

Brand Tree E-learning: An online learning platform that enables SMEs to easily access in-depth knowledge about branding.

AI Marketing Agent (vCMO): An AI-driven platform that automates brand strategy following the “Brand Tree” model.

Licensing Model: A franchise strategy that allows VLBC to expand its national reach while maintaining consistent philosophy and training quality.

Pillar 1 – Sustainable Brand Development

Training and Publication

VLBC focuses on equipping the business community with foundational and specialized knowledge through educational programs and intellectual resources:

• “Planting the Brand Tree” Course: A foundational program that helps enterprises build their brands systematically from the roots, based on the “Brand Tree” model. The course is offered in both E-learning and in-person formats.
• Publishing Collaboration: In partnership with the National Political Publishing House, VLBC launched “99 Questions and Answers on Brand Building and Development” - a highly practical, easy-to-apply, and long-lasting resource.
• Digital Knowledge Platform Development: Establishing the “Brand Tree website as an open-access library sharing insights, tools, and resources on brand identity and sustainable development strategy.
• AI Technology Application: Implementing the AI Marketing Agent (AI Brand Tree) - an artificial intelligence platform acting as a Virtual Chief Marketing Officer (vCMO), encoding the entire “Brand Tree” model to deliver personalized, automated marketing strategies for Vietnamese SMEs.

Research and Community Engagement

The VLBC continuously conducts research on Legacy Branding and Succession Management, integrating findings into community-oriented activities:

• Seminars and Thematic Forums:
• “Building Brands for Enterprises” – in collaboration with MCG Talent Gene, VietinBank Tuyen Quang, and the Tuyen Quang Business Association (11/2023).
• SME Business Client Conference – with VietinBank Ba Ria –Vung Tau and MCG Talent Gene (6/2024).
• A2A Circle – How to Navigate & Negotiate for Changes – with Cay Nen and RMIT Vietnam Alumni (8/2024).
• Digital Creativity and Local Value Dialogue Series – with Arena Multimedia (1/2025).
• “National Brand Rising: The Breakthrough Role of Tourism” – co-hosted with VNPR within ITE HCMC 2025, Vietnam’s largest international tourism fair (8–9/2025).
• Academic and Entrepreneurial Partnerships:
• Content partner for HAWEE Connect 2024 (11/2024).
• Co-organiser with Foreign Trade University (FTU) for Creative Camp 2024 – “Igniting Legacy – Sparking Creativity.”

Community Development and Dialogue Forums

• Established the “VLBC – Planting Brand Seeds” online community, where entrepreneurs and creatives share experiences and knowledge.
• Hosted the “Alongside the Brand” talk show series with Tuoi Tre Newspaper, creating an open platform to discuss brand strategy and modern business trends (10/2024).

Partnerships and Organisational Investments

• Partnering with Arena Multimedia in SHOW IT NOW 2025 (Season 7 – theme: “Re-Imagine”), encouraging young creatives to reinterpret Vietnamese cultural values through contemporary visual expression.
• Implementing the project “Vietnam – Gastronomy Capital of the World 2030” in Da Nang, as part of HorecFex Vietnam 2025, aiming to position Vietnam as a global culinary capital.
• Supporting TASTECRAFT MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 - a creative mixology competition organised by IDOCEAN, celebrating Vietnam’s beverage craftsmanship and promoting non-alcoholic innovation.

Pillar 2 – Successor leadership development

Research and International Collaboration

The VLBC forms strategic partnerships with Hive17 (Singapore) and Talent Connect Plus through the RMIT Family Business Club (FB Club) project, studying and adapting modern succession models from the Family Institute to fit the Vietnamese business and cultural context.

Enterprise Support and Development

The VLBC provides comprehensive strategic consulting services for family businesses and SMEs, focusing on governance solutions, generational transition, and next-generation leadership development. VLBC also invests in and mentors start-up projects led by the first and second generations (F1–F2), empowering family businesses to evolve into enduring “legacy enterprises.”

Pillar 3 – Digital transformation and AI application

Leadership Research and Training

• Conducting research on the Human-first AI Transformation methodology to ensure that technology serves people and preserves organisational culture.
• Partnering with VINASA to launch the “AI Business Transformation for Leaders” program, enabling executives to apply AI effectively in strategic and operational practices.

Knowledge Tools and Publications

• In collaboration with Alpha Books, publishing “No One Can Stop AI”, which was recognized as one of the Top 10 Outstanding Business Books of 2025 and listed among the Top 100 Must-Have Business Books by Doanh Nhan Sai Gon (Saigon Entrepreneurs).

Strategic investment project – “Harbour of Time” 

“Harbour of Time” is a distinctive cultural, culinary and artistic destination in Ho Chi Minh City, envisioned to become a symbol of refined and exclusive Vietnamese gastronomy. 
The project is operated by Tuan & Tu, featuring culinary artisans Giang Ngoc Tu and Le Cong Yen (National Artisan), with Nguyen Tien Huy in charge of brand development and experience design.

Key Activities Include

• “Hoa Đăng” Vegetarian Gala Dinner and themed cultural and historical culinary nights, held periodically.
• Artisan workshops in pottery, embroidery, and calligraphy, offering immersive experiences combining culinary storytelling and vibrant cultural expression.
• Business and art event space: a venue for hosting ten annual programs under the series “Vietnamese Culture and Business Philosophy Exchange”, serving as a knowledge hub within the VLBC ecosystem.

Long-term vision

The VLBC aspires to become Vietnam’s leading training and consulting hub for legacy enterprises - a place that bridges global knowledge with local cultural values. Its long-term goal is to translate complex concepts in branding, management and technology into practical and highly accessible frameworks, while culturally adapting advanced global methodologies to Vietnam’s socio-economic context. This vision aims to cultivate a new generation of resilient, adaptive, and enduring Vietnamese enterprises, equipped to lead both domestically and globally.

 Commitment to scaling and sustainability 

The VLBC is committed to expanding its operational scale and enhancing sustainable value for Vietnam’s business community. The Center continues to develop advanced courses that reinforce its Three-Pillar Philosophy, particularly:

• Successor Leadership – a program addressing generational conflict, trust-building, and transition optimization between F1 and F2 leaders in family businesses.
• AI Business Transformation – a course empowering enterprises to adopt and integrate AI into management and business models, ensuring competitiveness in the digital era.

In development strategy, the VLBC will strengthen its licensing model, a franchise approach that enables the centre to expand its nationwide presence while maintaining the quality and consistency of its training and consulting programs. In the upcoming phase, the VLBC aims to support at least 3% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam in brand building, succession management and digital transformation, thereby making a tangible contribution to enhancing the competitiveness of the Vietnamese economy.

Model innovation and impact enhancement  

To sustain its pioneering position and broaden its influence, the VLBC prioritises in-depth research and the application of emerging technologies. The centre will intensify research into global business models and branding strategies, consolidating best practices to help Vietnamese products and brands expand internationally in a sustainable manner. The objective is to provide a scientific foundation and actionable strategies that empower Vietnamese enterprises to assert their global presence and cultural legacy.

Simultaneously, VLBC is dedicated to fully integrating AI and new technologies into all aspects of training, consulting and internal management. AI will be leveraged to personalise learning journeys, analyse enterprise data and optimise consulting quality, ensuring that every solution delivered is effective, adaptive, and aligned with the pace of modern market transformation.

Implementation process – Scope – Cost

• 2020: The idea of establishing the Vietnam Legacy Business Center (VLBC) was first conceived.
• 2022: The “Brand Tree” Toolkit, distilled from over 20 years of professional experience, was introduced and widely adopted from late 2022 onward.
• 2025: The brand was strategically redefined, transitioning from “Branding Center” to “Vietnam Legacy Business Center” with the Three-Pillar Model, marking a significant strategic advancement.

Implementation Scope 

Nationwide coverage: The VLBC targets SMEs and family businesses across Vietnam, supporting them in addressing critical challenges related to succession management, digital transformation and sustainable brand development.

Local expansion: To ensure rapid and consistent growth, VLBC employs a strategic licensing model, enabling the centre to expand its operations across all provinces and cities. This approach guarantees that quality standards and proprietary methodologies are implemented uniformly nationwide. 

Social impact

The VLBC is committed to creating tangible and lasting value for the Vietnamese business community through three key directions.

Promoting culture-based brand thinking

Guided by the philosophy “Culture Leads the Economy”, VLBC pioneers a branding approach rooted in cultural identity and legacy values. This not only helps businesses differentiate themselves in the market but also reinforces national pride in entrepreneurship.

Addressing generational transition challenges

Through specialised training and consulting programs, the VLBC supports family businesses in mitigating generational conflicts (F1–F2), strengthening trust and enhancing succession efficiency - an essential step toward preserving the enduring legacy of Vietnamese enterprises.

Educating and inspiring the next generation

VLBC focuses on empowering Gen Z with knowledge in branding, management, and innovation, enabling them to blend global insights with Vietnamese identity, thereby preparing them to inherit and advance the nation’s enterprises in the digital era.

Environmental impact

The VLBC integrates sustainable development (ESG) principles across all its training and consulting activities, helping businesses:

• Build responsible brands that create long-term value for both society and the environment.
• Recognise branding not merely as a business tool but as a driver of sustainable behavior - from energy and material management to the development of green supply chains.

By fostering ESG awareness, VLBC contributes to aligning economic objectives with environmental and community responsibilities.

Economic impact

The VLBC’s initiatives deliver measurable economic value to Vietnamese enterprises, particularly SMEs, which account for more than 90% of the market:

• Enhancing competitiveness: VLBC provides tools and frameworks that enable SMEs to overcome resource constraints, scale up effectively, and pursue sustainable growth.
• Increasing brand valuation: Building brands on deep cultural foundations enhances profit margins and elevates intangible asset valuation
• Optimising costs and financial efficiency: Businesses with strong brands benefit from lower customer acquisition costs (CAC), improved access to capital, and reduced pressures from borrowing rates, thanks to heightened credibility and trust in the marketplace.

Scalability feasibility 

The VLBC possesses strong scalability potential through strategic modeling and an adaptable operational framework

• Licensing Model: Enables VLBC to rapidly expand operations nationwide while maintaining quality assurance and consistency across all training and consulting programs in accordance with national standards.
• “Brand Tree” Model: Designed for simplicity, clarity, and adaptability, this model effectively serves diverse target groups - from students and SMEs to large corporations - demonstrating broad, cross-sector scalability.

Scalable success factors

The core principles underlying VLBC’s success are universal and applicable across various industries:

• The Brand Tree – the Inside-Out Thinking Framework: Builds brands from cultural roots, fostering sustainable development and forming the foundation for national and local brand identities.
• Cultural Transcreation Methodology: Refines modern management frameworks to align with Asian business psychology and culture, which is particularly effective in mitigating generational conflicts and facilitating succession in family businesses.
• Brand-Linked Financial Mindset: Positions the brand as a strategic investment asset that enhances enterprise value and reduces costs (customer acquisition, capital mobilization, marketing), thereby generating measurable Brand ROI.

Dissemination and expansion strategy 

The VLBC amplifies its legacy philosophy through multi-channel collaboration and community development:

• Community and Partnership Development: Expands the “Brand Cultivators Network” with strategic partners such as CSMO and the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) to foster knowledge exchange and entrepreneurial connections.
• Academic and Institutional Collaboration: Partners with VINASA, RMIT, and leading universities to enhance training quality, integrate technological innovation, and broaden academic influence.
• Communication and Philosophy Dissemination: Continues the “Accompanying Brands” talk show series in collaboration with Tuoi Tre Newspaper to share real-world insights and promote sustainable brand thinking within the business community.
• Strategic Consulting and Legacy Investment: Provides specialized consulting services aligned with the Three Pillars - Legacy, Succession, and Technology, supporting F1–F2 generational entrepreneurship projects and nurturing future legacy enterprises.
• Model Ecosystem Development: Invests in exemplary cultural-business projects such as “Harbour of Time”, creating physical spaces for networking, events, and knowledge exchange among Vietnamese entrepreneurs.