Over the last few years, Techcombank has emerged as one of Vietnam’s most valuable and influential brands, evolving from a leading private bank into the financial core of a broader ecosystem spanning banking, securities, wealth management, insurance, technology, and infrastructure.
The numbers tell part of the story. Since 2020, the bank’s brand value has more than tripled to US$1.6 billion, according to Brand Finance 2025, placing it among Vietnam’s five most valuable brands and among ASEAN’s leading banking brands. Its customer base has doubled from around nine million to over 18 million, while its brand equity, top-of-mind awareness, and Net Promoter Score continue to lead Vietnam’s private banking sector.
Behind much of this transformation is Thai Minh Diem Tu, Chief Marketing Officer at Techcombank, who joined the organisation in 2021 with a mandate to sharpen its strategic narrative and build a brand capable of connecting with the aspirations of modern Vietnamese consumers.
In this edition of Milestones, Tu Thai reflects on the defining moments that shaped Techcombank’s marketing evolution, the philosophy behind its “Be Greater” positioning, and why she believes brands have a responsibility to contribute to national progress as much as business growth.
Creating a unified brand architecture around a shared purpose
For Tu Thai, one of the most significant milestones of her tenure was creating a cohesive brand architecture that could unite every aspect of Techcombank’s business under a single vision.
“One of the most defining milestones was establishing a clear and enterprise-wide brand architecture anchored in our vision, mission, and ‘Be Greater’ promise. This created a consistent foundation across corporate branding, product branding, corporate story, product storytelling, and customer experience, rather than fragmented campaigns,” she explained.
The initiative came at a pivotal time for the bank as it sought to differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive financial services landscape.
“When I joined, it was clear we needed to translate our purpose into a sharper, more differentiated strategic narrative. We defined our vision, ‘Change Banking, Change Lives’, and our mission to lead the digital transformation of Vietnam’s financial industry, with a clear focus on enabling customers to thrive in an increasingly digital economy.”
The result was the creation of Techcombank’s now-familiar “Be Greater” platform.
“We then brought this to life through our ‘Be Greater’ promise — not just a tagline, but a unifying ambition across the organisation. Today, it underpins our product innovation, customer experience and culture, positioning Techcombank as the bank of choice for Vietnam’s most aspirational and future-ready customers.”
Building a brand rooted in Vietnamese aspirations
While many financial institutions focus primarily on product benefits, Tu Thai wanted Techcombank’s positioning to resonate on a deeper emotional level.
“One of the biggest challenges was ensuring that Techcombank’s brand positioning truly reflected the aspirations and cultural DNA of the Vietnamese people. From the beginning, I wanted to build a brand that people could emotionally connect with and genuinely love, not one focused only on selling products.”
This insight became the foundation for the “Be Greater” philosophy.
“Our ‘Be Greater’ positioning was built on a deep understanding of Vietnamese people and their desire for a healthy life, self-development and success on their own terms. That insight became the foundation of our brand strategy and shaped how we approached corporate branding, product marketing and customer experience.”
For Tu Thai, the role of corporate branding extends far beyond communications.
“For us, corporate branding is about building trust, relevance and emotional connection. It meant creating a brand positioning that embraced the DNA and aspirations of the Vietnamese people and contributed positively to the community. I wanted Techcombank’s brand to be seen in a similar way to iconic global brands that have built meaning beyond products themselves.”
The strategy eventually crystallised around three themes.
“This led us to build the ‘Be Greater’ platform around three core pillars — success, healthy living and self-development — which closely align with both Vietnamese aspirations and national development priorities.”
Doubling the customer base through integration, data, and ecosystem thinking
One of the clearest outcomes of Techcombank’s transformation has been the rapid growth of its customer base, which expanded from approximately nine million customers to more than 18 million.
According to Tu Thai, this achievement was never the result of marketing campaigns alone.
“Doubling our customer base in a competitive market requires more than effective campaigns — it demands a disciplined, integrated approach to growth that connects brand, product, and customer experience.”
She points to customer-centricity and digital innovation as foundational drivers.
“At the foundation is an unwavering commitment to putting the customer first and continuously innovating to serve them better. Technology and digitalisation are central to this — enabling us to deliver personalised financial solutions and optimise the customer experience at scale across every touchpoint.”
Equally critical was breaking down organisational silos.
“By working closely together to understand customers, validate our offerings, and optimise every interaction, we ensure that what customers experience — at every touchpoint — reflects the very best of what Techcombank can offer.”
Maintaining consistency across an expanding organisation also became a priority.
“Whether across different entities within the Techcombank Group or from product branding through to individual product campaigns, we maintain a coherent identity and narrative. And within that consistency, we invest in creativity and differentiation to continually build distinctive memory structures with our customers about our brand.”
Yet Tu Thai believes growth requires a full-funnel mindset.
“Brand-building captures the top of the funnel — but sustainable growth requires a full-funnel strategy that converts awareness into lasting customer relationships.”
She also highlights the role of Techcombank’s broader ecosystem, which now includes Techcombank Securities (TCBS), Techcom Life, Techcom General Insurance, Masterise Group, and OneMount.
“This interconnected network of touchpoints allows us to understand customers far more holistically, engage them at the moments that matter most, and seamlessly deliver the right financial solution at the right time — turning the ecosystem’s scale into a genuine marketing and relationship-deepening advantage.”
Turning campaigns into experiences: The Techcombank Marathon story
For Tu Thai, successful marketing is built through integrated experiences rather than isolated channels.
“A strong brand is never built by a single campaign, and a great campaign is never built on just a few key touchpoints. What we believe in is a truly holistic approach — where every element of a campaign works together to create one unified, immersive experience for the audience.”
Among the strongest examples of this philosophy is the Techcombank Marathon, which has become one of Vietnam’s largest sporting events.
“The Techcombank Marathon — our flagship running platform spanning both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City — is perhaps the clearest expression of this philosophy in action.”
The event now attracts more than 36,000 runners from over 80 countries and continues to grow year after year. But for Techcombank, the marathon extends far beyond race day.
“Each year, we refresh our master brand assets — a new campaign key visual and hero film — that articulate Techcombank’s point of view on healthy living, personal achievement, and what it means to ‘Be Greater.'”
The campaign combines multiple channels, technologies, and storytelling approaches to create a connected experience.
“On social, our AI-powered personalisation experience became one of the campaign’s most talked-about moments: runners could upload a single photo and receive a fully personalised AI-generated video recreating their running journey — battling fatigue, pushing through doubt, and crossing the finish line — set against Hanoi’s thousand-year-old landmarks.”
More than 70,000 personalised videos were generated, while influencer content, livestreams, and community storytelling helped amplify participation.
Beyond engagement, the initiative also delivered social impact.
“Through a Virtual Run challenge, more than 22,000 runners logged nearly 966,000 km collectively to raise funds for community causes — generating over VND11 billion, including VND4.2 billion for the ‘Loving Touch Fund’ supporting disadvantaged children.”
For Tu Thai, this demonstrates how modern campaigns can simultaneously deliver reach, emotional connection, and purpose.
From serving customers to serving the nation
As Techcombank expands beyond traditional banking, its brand narrative is evolving as well.
“The honest answer is that our narrative has fundamentally shifted — not just in scope, but in ambition.”
She describes a transition from being recognised primarily as a bank to becoming part of a broader ecosystem contributing to Vietnam’s development.
“When I joined Techcombank, the story was about being the best bank in Vietnam. A bank that understood its customers deeply, delivered exceptional financial services, and led the industry in digital transformation. But the story today is meaningfully different.”
“Techcombank is no longer just a bank. We are the financial core of a broader integrated ecosystem — one that now spans banking, securities, wealth management, and insurance.”
The shift has prompted a broader reframing of the brand’s purpose.
“The evolution is perhaps best captured in the shift from ‘serving customers’ to ‘serving the nation.'”
According to Tu Thai, Techcombank and its partners are increasingly participating in areas central to Vietnam’s future development.
“For our brand, this means ‘Change Banking, Change Lives’ now carries a much larger meaning than it did five years ago. It is no longer just about changing the banking experience for individual customers. It is about changing what is possible for Vietnam as a nation — and positioning Techcombank and its ecosystem as a private sector force that is genuinely committed to Vietnam’s next chapter of growth.”
Building brands from the heart
Throughout her career, Tu Thai’s approach to marketing has remained guided by a simple principle.
“My personal philosophy is that everything must come from the heart.”
She believes authentic emotional connections remain the foundation of enduring brands.
“That is how we create real emotional connections with customers and build brands that people genuinely trust and love. I always tell my team that if we approach our work with genuine passion and purpose, we will succeed.”
That philosophy is perhaps most visible in Techcombank’s healthy living platform, “Run for a Greater Vietnam,” an initiative that reflects her personal passion for marathon running.
“Running gives me peace, focus and balance, and I wanted to build something that could inspire healthier lifestyles and bring communities together.”
Ultimately, she believes the strongest brands are those that reflect the identity and ambitions of the people they serve.
“For me, the strongest brands are those that reflect the cultural DNA of the country and enable the aspirations of the people. In Vietnam, this is the desire for autonomy and success on their own terms.”
“That is why we have focused on building a purpose-led brand that goes beyond products to create emotional connection, contribute positively to society and empower everyone to achieve their own greatness.”
As Techcombank enters its next chapter, that commitment to helping customers — and increasingly the nation itself — “Be Greater” continues to shape both its brand story and its broader ambitions.
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