University of Idaho

Alexis Lpez

Inspiring Sustainable Development Through Small- to Medium-sized Sized Businesses

in Vietnam
Communication Outreach Plan

Rationale
Goals:
As populations continue to expand (1), the needs and wants of modern society are
contributing to environmental degradation of the air, water, and soil due to industrial
processes and waste (2). Global warming due to the release of man-made greenhouse
gases is an important issue, with warnings to reverse this trend or face an uncertain
future coming from experts around the world. Pollution in other forms is also being
generated through inappropriate manufacturing practices and the disposal or release of
hazardous chemicals. The end result of these factors is significant environmental
degradation.
Some of the current environmental problems can be addressed by altering development
activities in ways that support sustainable development. Sustainable development
means providing necessary resources for society to continue to function, while also
preserving natural resources and the environment for the future (3). Overuse, waste and
pollution of natural resources are common in modern societies. Diminishing stocks of
natural resources which are used to create nearly everything we eat, drink and use on
a daily basis present a significant challenge for the future of humankind. Utilizing
sustainable development methods will protect and efficiently use natural resources to
preserve them for future generations.
Since Asia is the fastest growing region in the world (1), and Vietnam typifies this
growth (4), Vietnam is perfectly situated to benefit from sustainable development
initiatives. The entire eastern border of Vietnam borders the South China Sea, so
Vietnam faces substantial impacts from climate change such as floods, droughts,
increased tropical storm activity and sea level rise (5). The natural environment is
becoming increasingly important and valued in Vietnam (9). The short and long-term
goals of this outreach plan will help to capitalize on the increasing value of the natural
environment to Vietnams citizens.
The short-term goals of this project are to increase awareness of sustainable
development, construction, and building practices and increase the desire for
sustainability (e.g. in consumption/lifestyle) amongst Vietnamese citizens. Progress
should be observed in these goals within one year of outreach, but outreach events will
also extend over the next five years to continue build and reinforce awareness and
desire for sustainability. Another long-term goal of this outreach is to convince owners of
small- to medium-sized-sized businesses that sustainability is good for their businesses
and good for the country. The most important long-term goal of this outreach is to
observe increased use of sustainable development principles among small-- to mediumsized-sized Vietnamese businesses over the next five to ten years.
Audience:
Due to a number of factors, the best target audience for sustainable development
outreach and capacity building in Vietnam are small- to medium-sized sized businesses.
In Vietnam, small- and medium-sized businesses are registered companies with fewer
than ten and up to 300 employees who can receive financial and other support from the

government in order to achieve success (13). Large businesses often depend on

government or international private funding. The large size and high revenue of these
businesses, plus a lack of regulation, results in a higher likelihood of engaging in corrupt
business practices (12). Small- to medium-sized businesses also serve as a bridge
between citizens and the larger market. Small- to medium-sized businesses are wellplaced to create jobs and export their goods in the future (21). Many small- to mediumsized businesses can even be run out of an individuals home, providing an opportunity
for sustainable principles to take hold in the home.
The population of Vietnam is 93.5 million people as of 2015 (1), of which 67 percent are
between the ages of 15 and 60 (7). Nearly 80 percent of small- to medium-sized
businesses owners are generally under the age of 40 and have had a business for less
than 10 years. Small- businesses with younger owners are more likely to grow, to sell
online, to use social media for business and to innovate (21). More than 80 percent of
Vietnamese small- business owners use social media for business purposes and
generate revenue from online sales. Vietnamese citizens are very well connected, with
75.3 million active internet and 35 million social media users. Therefore, an effective
means of outreach targeting small- to medium-sized business owners involves the use
of online sources and social media.
The owners of small- to medium-sized businesses can be especially motivated by the
potential cost savings that can result from sustainable development, during both
construction and operations. Smaller businesses are also less prone to corruption due
to their small-er size, lower revenue and limited interaction with the government (12).
Delivering on a modern, sustainable aesthetic and using social media to show off
desirable examples of sustainable development, both within Vietnam and outside the
country, can draw consumers in.
Messages:
The messages presented through this outreach campaign are intended to promote both
the short and long term goals as presented. These key messages are:
Sustainability is a modern, progressive and responsible symbol of luxury and
wealth.
Sustainable development creates new jobs and new products and can take
Vietnam from a developing nation to a developed nation.
Vietnam is developing quickly, but growth is slowing. The middle class is expanding and
has access to so much more than the previous generation. While continuing this
impressive growth, the country can become a world leader in sustainable development
methods and technologies, creating new jobs in Vietnam and new products for the
world. A push toward sustainability will not drive businesses and jobs away, but instead
modernize the environment for business in Vietnam, providing important benefits to
those who participate.
Of course, some may refute the outreach messages as presented above. For example,
some may argue that sustainability is based on old ideas, before cheap electricity and
2

modern conveniences like air conditioning were available. While this comment is
completely true, but it also should be reframed to explain that traditional building
methods were meant to provide comfort, and that these same methods can be used
today to enable people to connect with nature and improve comfort while reducing noise
and costs. Another argument against the above messages is that a push toward
sustainability will drive businesses and jobs away from Vietnam. However, incorporating
sustainability into businesses has been shown to create jobs in a new green industry
with the potential for innovation (22), and will also reduce operating costs.
Given the likely arguments against the outreach, and the goals and messages of this
outreach the following are messages to be presented in this outreach campaign:
Sustainable living is the new, smart luxury,
Embrace sustainable development for Vietnams future,
Smart sustainability means new jobs, cost-effective businesses and continued
growth for Vietnam.
This outreach campaign will require appropriate visual images to help to convey the
key messages. Images of certified sustainable (e.g. LEED, Energy Star) luxurious
townhomes will help to cast sustainably build properties as a symbol of wealth, taste
and quality. Townhomes are the major type of home built in Vietnam. These images
should resonate with the Vietnamese citizens desire to emulate developed nations
and live in luxury. Similarly, images of certified sustainable small- and medium-sized
sized businesses will demonstrate the curb appeal of sustainable building, as well as
the potential to use show off sustainable design to impress potential customers. A
final useful image will be a newspaper headline from the U.S. or Europe showing that
sustainable features are becoming a sought-after commodity in luxury homes (23).
This outreach campaign needs good spokespeople to stand behind the ideas and
provide content for updates in public outreach. A high ranking government official,
such as the prime minister, would be a good spokesperson to show support for
sustainable development, as citizens strongly consider and act on his advice. Another
valuable spokesperson would be a respected figure in society, such as the
internationally-trained professor and mathematician Ngo Bao Chau, who gained the
respect of Vietnamese citizens young and old when he became the youngest professor
in Vietnam. An additional, valuable spokesperson would be a young celebrity who is
currently adored by the public. This person can help to further spread the messages of
the outreach to fans, but may need to change during the time of this outreach. Lastly, a
small- business owner could serve as a spokesperson to show how the use of
sustainable principles has helped them in their business.
Media:
In Vietnam, the appropriate first steps in reaching out to the media should be directed to
the Vietnamese Government Information Department. As Vietnam is a communist
country, all media messages must be approved before a media campaign can begin.
The Information Department is responsible for approving public messages and sending
them to the media for dissemination. After working with the Information Department, the
campaign will work with a media promotion company to develop press conferences,
3

press releases, outreach newsletters, and a social media presence with appropriate
advertising. Press conferences should be conducted at least once a year to keep
presenting sustainability in the news. Press release materials should be created and
disseminated once a quarter for three years. These press releases should be presented
to the state-run Vietnam Television channels (i.e. VTV 1 to VTV 6) and to the Thanh
Nhien, Tuoi Tre newspapers, as well as to the allied entities such as the 100 Resilient
Cities program, the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition program, and the
Asia Pacific Economic Council. All of these outlets would be paid to present the
information on their websites. The content would also be used to create quarterly
newsletters to be supplied to local Chambers of Commerce. A social media presence
will be an extremely important component of this campaign. As Facebook is the
preferred social media outlet in Vietnam, a Facebook page would be created and
populated with news reports from inside and outside the country about individuals,
businesses and programs that support sustainability. In addition, reach could be
expanded by paying for advertisements on Facebook which would allow targeting to
small- and medium-sized business owners as well as their customers.
Budget/Production:
Cost

Number of
items/uses

Total Cost

$1,500

$1,500

$250

$250

$500

$500

Hiring/recruiting spokespeople

$2,000

$8,000

Preparing press-releases (once per

quarter for 3 years)

$1,500

12

$18,000

Press conferences including materials

(once a year for 3 years)

$2,000

$6,000

Preparing outreach newsletters (once

per quarter for 3 years)

$100

12

$1,200

Paying for online advertisements and

content (once per quarter for 3 years)

$1,000

12

$12,000

$100

12

$1,200

$1,000

12

$12,000

Outreach-related items
Computers and software for two
employees
Consumables (printing, paper)
Permit from Information Department

Preparing a Facebook page

Advertising on Facebook (once per
quarter for 3 years)

Total

$60,650

Timeline:
Schedule
Fundingapproval
Hiringmediaoutreachcompany
Recruitingspokespeople
PermitfromInformation
Department
Preparingpressreleases
Pressconferences
Preparingoutreachnewsletters
(onceperquarterfor3years)
Onlineadvertisementsandcontent
(onceperquarterfor3years)
PreparingaFacebookpage
AdvertisingonFacebook(onceper
quarterfor3years)

Year1
Q1
Q2
6months

Year2
Q3

Year3

Year4

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

1month
2weeks 1week
1week

1week

1week

1week

1week
1week

1week

1week

1week

1week
1week

1week

1week

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

1week
1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

1week

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

3days

Q3

Q4

2weeks
1month

Assessment:
Objective
Press releases produced
according to schedule

Points (1-10)

Quality of press releases

Press releases reaching one
VTV channel, two
newspapers and all online
outlets
Quality of press conferences
Press conferences appearing
on VTV and in newspapers
Quality of newsletters
Clicks on online content
Quality of Facebook page
Clicks on Facebook
advertising
Pre-campaign survey:
knowledge of and action
incorporating sustainable
development principals in
target audiences
Post-campaign survey:
knowledge of and action
incorporating sustainable
development principals in
target audiences

References:
1 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division
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pdf
2 OECD. (2005), OECD Environmental Data: Compendium 2004, OECD Publishing,
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3 GH, Brundtland, and World Commission on Environment and Development (1987).
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4 Schwab, Klaus; Sala i Martin, Xavier; World Economic Forum (2014). The Global
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5 Nguyen Huu Ninh (2014) Policy for Environmentally Sustainable Development:
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http://www.pwc.com/vn/en/publications/2015/doing_business_guide_20151007.p
df
8 The World Bank, Retrieved from:
http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/vietnam/projects
9 The Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2014). Decision 403/QD-TTg On Approval of the
National Action Plan on Green growth in Vietnam for the Period of 2014-2020.
10 United Nations Development Program (2008), Support to the Preparation of National
Millennium Development Goals Reports 2008 and 2010. Retrieved from:
http://www.vn.undp.org/content/vietnam/en/home/operations/projects/closedprojects/poverty-reduction/Support-to-the-Preparation-of-NationalMillennium.html
11 The World Bank and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Vietnam (2016).
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Survey of Trust in Advertising. Retrieved from:
http://www.nielsen.com/id/en/press-room/2015/WORD-OF-MOUTHRECOMMENDATIONS-REMAIN-THE-MOST-CREDIBLE.html
17 Nguyen, Pham Tranh Anh (2015), Developing Advertising Strategy by
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http://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/90559/Nguyen_Anh.pdf?sequence
=1
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am_Policy_Review_Report_Final.pdf
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Vietnam Report.
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Street Journal