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I. INTRODUCTION T 3
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Brief Description 4

Company summary 4
History 4

Situation Analysis 4

Mission statements 4
Durex’s presence in Vietnam 4
Product description – Durex Invisible 5

II. MARKETING ENVIRONMENT 5

Micro-environment 5

Suppliers 5
Marketing intermediaries: Reseller 6
Physical distribution firm 6
Marketing service agency 6
Competitors 7
Consumers 7
The company 8

Macro-environment 8

Demographic force 8
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Economic force 8
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Technological force G 9
Political force E 9
Cultural force 10
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Natural force 10
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III. SWOT ANALYSIS O 10
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IV. CUSTOMER-DRIVEN MARKETING
M STRATEGY (STDP) 13
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Segmentation 13
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Targeting 21 14

Differentiation 15

Positioning 16

Positioning map 1 16
Positioning map 2 17
Value proposition 17

V. CONCLUSION 18

VI. REFERENCE 18

VII. APPENDICES 21

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INTRODUCTION
Brief Description
1★ Company summary
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Durex is one of the most recognized and a world’s leading condom brand. Dated back to 1915 when London
Rubber Company was founded, LRC products were mainly A condoms and barber supplies. However, DUREX
was not established until 1929 under the influence of London Rubber Company and British Latex Products Ltd.
Being named after its characteristics, “DUREX” is madeG of “DUrability”, “Reliability” and “EXcellence”. In 1999,
when “Seton Scholl London International Group” was E founded, SSL became the owner of “Durex” brand.
Regardless of Durex’s success, the company still faced financial troubles, and in 2010 it was taken over by
Reckitt Benckiser. As of 2019, the C.E.O of DUREX was Rakesh Kapoor. He headed the consumer goods firm
for eight years, and was expected to leave the company\at the end of 2019 (MarketLine 2019).

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2★ History O
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With more than 90 years of experience in Durex, the company proudly claimed its position of being the most
recognized condom brand. During its development, Durex M first introduced its own lubricated condoms in the
1950s. In the 1970s, it became the first condom brandA to advertise globally, acquiring the Global “quality seal”.
After 90 years of its, Durex is still working on “sex that feels good - and does good” (Durex 2020).
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Situation Analysis
1★ Mission Statements
Durex has been working on promoting safer sex to every of its customers. The firm hopes that its buyers will
focus on safety aspects of condom usage, which is to prevent possible threads when having sex. Not only does
the company want a more consistent uses of condoms, Durex is trying to raise public’s knowledge and practices
of safer sex (Durex Network 2020).

2★ Durex’s presence in Vietnam

In 2010, after being sold to Reckitt Benckiser, Durex still did not officially enter Vietnam. Durex was imported
from Thailand, and DKSH became one of the most recognized Durex importers. In 2014, Reckitt Benckiser
officially registered in Ho Chi Minh city, signaled that Durex finally had its legal presence in Vietnam (Masothue
2020).

3★ Product description - Durex Invisible

● Function and feature: 
Durex claims that with its electrical testing systems, its condoms will be sold with excellent quality. All Durex
condoms can contain a volume worth of 40 air litters. This will help users to prevent unintended pregnancy and
the transmission of STDs. Durex Invisible is built with a 45-micron thickness, which is equivalent to 0.045mm. As
stated in Durex’s homepage, Durex Invisible aims for smooth and sensational experience (Durex Vietnam
2020). 

● Market share: 
Durex has always been among the top condom manufacturers in the world. According to stockbroker Taylor
Collinson, it held 42% of the world’s condom market share in 2010. In 2017, W&S, a Vietnamese market
research company conducted an investigation regarding the condom market in Vietnam. With more than 1200
subjects surveyed, W&S found out that roughly 54% uses Durex products, showing that Durex is one of the
leading brands in the Vietnamese market (VinaresearchP2017).

● Brand awareness: 
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One of Durex’s competitors in Vietnam is OK. Having a 25-year experience with the Vietnamese market, OK is
unassisted well-recognized. This is because OK has Ebeen working with NGOs on sex education in Vietnam
since 1994. However, the research conducted by W&S proved that Durex is only 1% less in recognizability
(Vinaresearch 2017). The reasons provided for this recognition were the international factor in its name as well
as its already built quality. Respondents claimed that\they felt Durex was more reliable because it was an
international brand.
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ENVIRONMENT
Micro-environment

1★ Suppliers

Since Durex launched its first condoms, the company has expanded its manufacturing facilities from within
Great Britain to international locations with cheap labor advantage from Asian nations like China, India and
Thailand. Since 2007, Durex put an end to all of its productions within British borders. Until now, Durex still
makes its own condoms in China, India and Thailand, while at the same time orders from Karex - the world’s
largest condom supplier (BBC 2010). Therefore, all Durex products in Vietnam are imported. However, during
this COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in condoms sales and Karex claims that it is possible for a
global condom shortage (Reuters 2020). In addition, temporary lockdowns negatively affected the world's supply
chains. The current situation might lead to an insufficient condom supply for the Vietnamese market.

2★ Marketing Intermediaries: Reseller.

Any Vietnamese would notice that there will always be a “condom” booth in every checkout counter. In the
Vietnam market, Durex condoms are sold to specific consumers via retailers. Some of the retailers are
Vietnam’s biggest grocery distributor firms like Big C and Co.opmart. While Co.opmart only focuses on retailing,
Big C focuses on both retailing and wholesaling for smaller businesses. In addition, smaller convenience store
brands also display condom booths near the counter area. Vietnamese consumers can also get their desired
Durex from various pharmacies. Finally, under the influence of the 4.0 technology era, online trading platforms
bloomed. From well-visited platforms like Tiki, Lazada or Shopee, people can easily place an order for their
desired protections (Shopee mall 2020). P
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DKSH is a Swiss company specialized in market expansion. The firm has strong impacts in Asia-Pacific region.
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With worldwide network and expertise, DKSH will help companies develop in new markets. Position itself among
top Vietnam’s organization, DKSH has a headquarter,E distribution centers and cross docks all over Vietnam
(DKSH 2020). DKSH is considered a DUREX’s wholesaler because it has been importing Durex condoms from
Thailand for multiple years.
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3★ Physical Distribution
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In regards to the Durex Invisible product line, the firm O
chosen for exportation is Ultimate Ventures Sdn Bhd, an
exporter company in Malaysia. The primary competitive advantages this firm offers are packaging, price, quality
approvals, international approvals, origin, guarantee andR prompt delivery (globalsources).
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4★ Marketing Service Agency A
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One of the key factors that leads to Durex’s success in
21Vietnam was its marketing strategy. Isobar Vietnam, a
member of Dentsu Aegis Network group, is the partner of such ingenious advertisements (Advertisingvietnam
2020). Facebook holds a large percentage of Vietnamese social media users (WeAreSocial). This is the reason
why many of Durex’s advertisements are posted on its Facebook fan page. As stated above, it is usually
forbidden to discuss sexual matters publicly in Vietnam. Durex’s partners have done outstanding jobs in fusing
sexual contents and satire together. Many of them were very trendy at the time being.

Constantly providing Facebook users with funny, interesting contents, Durex successfully marked its presence in
many Vietnamese consumers as a condom brand without violating cultural taboos. This is proved by the fact
that in 2019, Facebook page of Durex Vietnam gained a 57% increase in its likes and raised interaction rates by
75% (Facebook 2020). These statistics show that online users felt less shy sharing condom posts because of
the satire factor. This is a much more efficient advertising strategy. Also, in 2019, Durex was awarded the
Golden award by MMA Smarties Vietnam (Digital Media Association) for its incredible advertising on social
networks. This is a prestigious international award in the Digital Media industry (Advertisingvietnam 2020).

Overall, neutralizing the sensitivity of its products’ characteristic was the right move for Durex. The impacts are
easily spotted by looking at its high recognition index, as well as its large market share in the condom industry.

5★ Competitors
Vietnam’s market has plenty of condom brands. In Vietnam, Merufa is almost the only company that produces
condoms. Merufa's origin was Medical Rubber Enterprise (under the Ministry of Health of Vietnam). Merufa
condoms manufactured under the brand names OK, Trust or Happy. They are mainly cheap, or offered free by
sex education programs.
Being the domestic representative, OK lacks the availability of condom types. Meanwhile, all Okamoto, Sagami
and Durex have a wider range of choices (Invisible, Peak Performance, Performa, etc.). On the other hand, OK
condom has a price advantage (only 9.000 VND/box) due to the government subsidy (USAID 2010).
Durex also has 2 foreign competitors, Okamoto and Sagami. Okamoto is a Japanese brand famous for their
high quality and super thin condoms. With medium price range, Okamoto attracts many buyers in Vietnam but
its marketing campaign, specifically advertising, has not been active in recent years. Sagami is a luxury brand
from Japan that targets a higher price range with a wider range of products.
The local condom brand OK had a higher level of awareness without suggestion in Vietnam. However, proved in
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a report by W&S in 2017, Durex showed complete dominance over the market with the popularity at 54.7% in
total (63.3% by single and 48.0% by married man). A
G However, in Vietnam, condoms for male is the most
There are many other contraception methods in the market.
used type of protection by both single and married men (85% in total) (Vinaresearch 2017). The reason is that
E / easier to use and can prevent STDs.
the method of wearing a condom is more effective, simpler

It can be seen that Durex has placed itself in the middle of all categories. Having cheaper prices compared to
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newly entered competitors and gaining better trustworthiness than already-existed brands, Durex holds a large
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6★ Consumer
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Vietnam’s consumer market is constantly evolving, A driven by changing consumer lifestyles, income, and
behavior. After the war, Vietnam had its own “baby booming” period. Until now, with nearly 100 million,
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Vietnamese population is considered young. In addition, the country is also experiencing fast economic growth.
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As of 2019, MarketLine conducted a research, which portrayed a 6.47% in economic growth. This is higher than
China, Malaysia, and Thailand. The country has experienced a steady progression of disposable income in
recent years, which can be seen in its rapid growth of total consumer expenditure from 80 billion USD to 171
billion USD between 2010 and 2018. This shows that Vietnamese consumers have more money to spend. In
fact, within the first nine months of 2018, the country experienced an 11.3 percent of increased spending.
(Dezan Shira and Associates, 2019). Therefore, Vietnam has young and potential consumers for Durex to
expand. It will not be challenging for the company to find its way to the Vietnamese buyers, especially when its
products are not attacking any of the Vietnamese’s beliefs or values (Vietnambriefing 2019)

In 2020, the 3 main consumption trends in Vietnam are: The awareness of health and hygiene, E-commerce and
Convenience. Moreover, the effect of Covid-19 on 2020 must also be taken into account. Vietnamese
consumers are now more open for online shopping, which is enhanced because of social distancing and the fear
of getting Covid-19. It seems like Durex is on the right track. By promoting safe sex and going online, Durex is
able keep in touch with its consumers and keep its sales figure constant (Nhipcaudautu 2019)

7★ The Company
Owned by one of the world’s largest corporations, Reckitt Benchkiser, Durex has some financial and strategic
advantages. Reckitt Benchkiser has a $59 billion market capital, which compared to one of Durex’s competitors,
is 100 times larger than Sagami’s $5.26 M market capital. It is obvious that Durex does not account for all of
Reckitt Benchkiser’s, but the financial power of the parental firm will help Durex in the long run. In addition,
Durex also inherits from RB’s market share, transportation and world-wide network.

Macro-environment
1★ Demographic force
Vietnam has a relatively large population compared to the country’s size. In 2018, MarketLine concluded that
Vietnamese population was about 95 million. It is also P
projected that the figure will be 97.4 million in 2021.This
characteristic makes Vietnam a huge and embryonic market.
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After decades after the War, Vietnam is developing fast. Based on the data of Euromonitor International from
Gin 2019 was $3.700, meaning that the average income
national statistics, the average gross income of Vietnam
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per person in Vietnam is 8.3 USD / day, about 190,000 VND. In which, healthcare goods were spent over $500
(which is around 12 million VND) per household and it is predicted to reach over 1000 USD (which is around 24
million VND) by the time of 2040. This means that consumers could be more flexible in their spending.
Purchasing inconsequential daily products, especially when it related to entertainment or pleasure, would be
spent more from Vietnamese. Even though a box of\Invisible condom does not have a pricing competitive
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advantage, it does not cost a fortune for consumers to Opurchase. The growing average income is definitely a
good sign for Durex to carry on its pricing strategy. For only 60,000 VND, which is on a par with two bowls of
R quality from an international brand.
Pho, buyers can already have excellent built and reliable
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The Vietnamese government has been working hard to provide essential education to all people. In recent
years, the literacy rate estimated lately at the age of A
15-60 in Vietnam is 97.85%, meaning that Vietnamese
youngsters eventually are well-educated as well as exposed to the knowledge about safe sexuality (Tiền Phong
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News 2019). For teenagers, sex education programs focus on basic understandings and how to protect
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themselves from potential threats. The public acknowledgement of basic but useful initiatives like using
condoms is rising rapidly. This is a perfect environment for Durex to expand its availability to more than just
urban areas.

2★ Economic Force
Due to the pandemic, Vietnam’s economy could not avoid being impacted:
Unemployment rate was 2.2% in 2019 and this figure continued to increase in 2020. In the first 8 months of
2020, 7.8 million Vietnamese lost their jobs. Moreover, Real GDP growth dropped to 2.5% in 2020 after rising by
7.0% in 2019, which would negatively affect the income of Vietnamese and lead to the decrease in expenditure
in 2020 (Passport 2020).

However, as soon as COVID-19 outbreaks in Vietnam, the government cooperating with the health-care
institutions across the whole country immediately conduct strategies to prevent the spread of pandemic, such as
shutting down border, quarantine for outsiders coming to Vietnam and locking down Danang where the second
waves of COVID triggered (Alam 2020). These efforts are taken to ensure that all the economic activities could
bounce back at the fastest pace. Growth of real GDP will bounce back to 7.0% in 2021 and Vietnam’s economy
is projected to grow by 1.8% in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic (Asian Development Bank (ADB) report
2020). However, projected growth of real GDP will bounce back to 7.0% in 2021 and slip to about 5.5% in 2024-
2027.

This problem also impacts on Durex Vietnam’s sales as people would spend more on groceries. However, sex is
considered as an essential part of life under any circumstance. Therefore, Durex Vietnam still focuses on
marketing its products through hilarious contents on social media to boost sales as well as the mood of
Vietnamese during this tough period.

3★ Technological force
The Internet, especially social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. has developed on an
unprecedented scale. According to WeAreSocial, Vietnam has over 62 million people enrolled in social media
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and 58 million people have at least 1 Facebook. Moreover, based on the research from Ipsos/Google SEA
Search User Insights from May 2018, 54% of Vietnamese consumers search online before purchasing at a
A or digital marketing would bring to Durex several
physical store. Thus, branding throughout these platforms
benefits regarding sales and brand identity. Besides, G Durex Vietnam has recently launched marketing
campaigns to boost the sales mainly for Durex Invisible condom. With the data of Internet users in Vietnam,
Durex Invisible might be the primary product of Durex E
whenever customers think of this brand as the efficiency
of digital marketing as well as content marketing.

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4★ Political force O
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Since 1975, Vietnam has been having a concrete political environment. This helped international brands to
access to Vietnamese market as a safe and stable market. Vietnam is considered a safe place for international
A
investors in terms of political stability. Since the government cares about population, two-child policy in a
household for decades and the demands for contraception T increased gradually in Vietnamese (Vnexpress
2017). This would be an advantage for Durex Vietnam 21 to enter the Vietnam market as the demands for condom
would increase significantly among other contraceptive methods. Moreover, the launch of Durex Invisible
condom in Vietnam during this time is appropriate as the extra thin condom might help the Vietnamese men get
used to wearing condom instead of normal condom with the thickness.

As an international brand, policy for importing and exporting has changed positively for Durex due to the
pandemic. Based on the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the socialist of Vietnam, importing tax has been
modified to reduce from 17,4% to 13,4% around the 5-year-period. This would benefit Durex regarding reduction
for product price during COVID as the brand imports the condoms from its factory in Thailand into Vietnam.

As aforementioned, Vietnam has kept safety for the whole country due to the Covid-19 by closing the airline and
border. However, the country still opens other means of transportation for the foreign brands to deliver their
goods for Vietnam. Therefore, Durex still could manage its quantity of products to serve the Vietnam market by
the policy of Vietnamese government.

5★ Cultural force
Vietnamese culture does not leave much room for public discussion about sex. However, Vietnamese are very
active. In addition, pre-marriage pregnancy is usually not accepted in Vietnam, especially by Generation X and
Y. Therefore, for young Generation Zers to satisfy their personal needs, condoms will play a huge role. The
research conducted by Vinaresearch also showed that using condoms is the most recognized birth control
measure, which is also helpful for Durex. They are targeting a market segment that is already known and
potential. Combining with thriving advertising actions, sales of the company can definitely increase.

6★ Natural force
According to ‘A macro-marketing view of sustainability development in Vietnam’, Vietnam has currently been
facing challenges in energy consumptions, water sources, and greenhouse gasses. Therefore, Vietnamese
customers are more concerned about sustainability in their purchasing behavior. Any brands with a transparent
policy for sustainable development would be on the high agenda of customers. This phenomenon has impacted
significantly on Durex as condoms made by latex or rubber are not biodegradable (Ehiri, John E, Birley & Martin,
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2002), which contaminates the environment in Vietnam when condoms are disposed outside. Specifically, Durex
did not provide any specific instructions or initiatives onAtaking care of used condoms. This led to a situation in
which condoms are inappropriately disposed, which could stay in the environment for decades, harming wild
lives and human’s living quality. During the period from G 2011 to 2020, about 2,147 billion condoms were
consumed in Vietnam and this quantity posed a huge E threat to the environment of Vietnam. Durex should
consider sustainability in its product to satisfy the current demands of Vietnamese people.

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SWOT ANALYSIS
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Strength
Strong parent company:
After being bought by Reckitt Benckiser, Durex has
been constantly growing. Durex is benefitted from
RB’s large world network, financially and
strategically. (Reckitt Benchkiser 2020).
History and Experience:
After 90 years of presence in the industry, Durex has average daily income, Durex’s prices could
a deep understanding about the market. It has been
applying scientific technology on its production and
research. Durex’s condoms are famous for reliability
and built quality. Durex is expected to deal with
problems and threats from other competitors as well
as the market's constantly changing needs (Durex
2020).
Large market share:
After 90 years, Durex is now the world’s leading in its
segment. This means that the company already got
advantages in recognition and dominance. It will be
easier for Durex to launch new products, which could
be condoms or lubricants. Large market share can
help new products to rapidly be on shelves for sales.
Even though the brand entered the Vietnam market
after O.K, the level of brand recognition of Durex in P
Vietnam occupies 54.7% compared with 30.4% of A
O.K condom (Vinaresearch 2017).
Marketing strategy:
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Pricing:
Durex does not have an absolute competitive price.
Even though Durex provides different prices for box
of 3 and box of 10, both are expensive compared to
Vietnam’s average daily income. To buy a box of 10
Durex Invisible, consumers would need to pay
225.000 VND. Meanwhile, the World Bank indicated
that a Vietnamese earns about $8.3/day, which is
around 200.000 VND. Many people can afford Durex,
but consider the fact that its price is higher than
negatively affect its sales. 
No headquarters in Vietnam:
Having no headquarters and customer service center
in Vietnam, Durex cannot directly perform customer
services or help in related matters. Meanwhile, its
competitors like Sagami have 2 Customer Care
Centers in Vietnam, making it easier for customers to
reach out to.
Taste:
Despite having a non-latex product line, most of
Durex products, including Durex Invisible, contain
one drawback: intense rubber smell. The reason
behind this characteristic is due to the condoms’
material. Catching rubbery, irritating smell during
Gsexual intercourse will undoubtedly affect users’
experiences, which could drive them away from using
E Durex latex products.
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Marketing and PR activities are focused regionally. OEnvironmental sustainability
Durex invested in creating advertisements that suit
R Since most of the world’s condoms, including Durex,
specific cultures with specific characteristics. For
instance, in Vietnam, Durex focuses on content postsM
are made from latex, it is dangerous if not being
disposed properly. It will take years for rubber to
on social media (Facebook). Its contents on A
decompose completely. Meanwhile, Durex does not
Facebook are a mixture of sex and satire and has
been effective due to the rise in likes and interaction T
have any specific instructions or actions that can be
considered environmentally friendly for its products.
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rates.
More and more Vietnamese care more about
environmental sustainability. Durex needs to care
more about environmental effects of its condoms.
Strong market research and development:
Durex yearly focuses on research about the gender
with the estimated participants over 5000 people
(2014) at all ages around the world. The company
has shown that it cares about what consumers want
and Durex recognized that buyers’ needs changed
over time. Therefore, Durex has the ability to
understand their wants and to adapt, to change
actively. This will help the company to generate and
satisfy loyal consumers, which will keep the company
on top of other manufacturers.

Distribution
Strength in distribution is a key element to Durex’s
success through various channels. Consumers can
easily find Durex products regardless of the stores
they go in. With approximately 95% of distribution
level, Durex can directly improve the accessibility of
buyers to its products.

Opportunity Threats

Increased awareness of safe sexuality:  P Various competitors:

Vietnamese are getting aware of having sex safely as ADiversified competitors, products from Japan
well as the family planning. Durex could invest more G(Sagami, Okinawa), Thailand (OneTouch), local
into marketing campaigns and quality of products to brands (OK). Even though Durex, especially Durex
approach these potential markets (Bhasin 2020) E Invisible is thinner than OK and cheaper than
Japanese condoms, it does not have any absolute
\competitive advantage. This could leave Durex out of
the race if consumers look at specific aspects when
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Open-minded society in Vietnam: Othey select condoms. 
In the past, Vietnam culture used to be strict and R
narrow-minded when it comes to sexual issues.M
However, these days, the young generation has
become more open with sexual conversations, AAuthenticity:
especially in terms of contraception or gender-related T
There are many businesses producing fake products
topics. In addition, a freer lifestyle is emerging from 21
the younger generations. This would be a good that mimic famous brands, like Durex. With too little
condition for Durex to launch marketing campaigns to understanding about the products, customers cannot
precisely differentiate the authentic. Furthermore, an
boost the sales.
unbelievable incident happened in 2020. Up to
324,000 products (equivalent to 360kg) of used
condoms that have been recycled for consumption in
the market have been discovered and seized in Binh
Duong (Tuoitre 2020). This would make people more
Customer’s shopping behavior:  skeptical when buying condoms, especially from
With the existence of online shopping platforms such famous but also usually-faked like Durex.
as Shopee, Tiki and the outbreak of COVID-19,
people tend to stay at home and avoid going out for
shopping. With the strength of content marketing, the
brand might focus more on content on social media
to attract the attention from the consumers. Durex
already has a good group of employees to design
enjoyable and creative content (Google 2020).

Covid-19:
With Covid-19 constantly threatening people’s safety,
many people will not risk their lives to go out.
Meanwhile, staying indoor could be boring. Sex
during quarantine could show up more frequent.
Karex, the world’s largest condom producer, also
projected a shortage in condoms due to Covid-19.

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CUSTOMER-DRIVEN
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(STDP)
Segmentation
Behavioral Psychological Demographic Geographic

Benefit sought: Safety

Low to middle income

Loyal - Customers select a well-
The known brand and as a habit will Sex life: Simple,
Nationwide
regular mainly buy from it regular safe sex Mostly acquired
middle to high
education level
Usage situation: Daily use,
holiday use

The Middle to high income Mostly urban

areas
thinnes Benefit sought: Safety +
maximize sensitivity
s Mostly acquired
SexP life: Sex middle to high
with better and education level
Loyal - Customers first compare A
realistic feelings
the same type of product among G
brands, then choose the one that
fits their standards E

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Usage situation: Daily use, O
holiday use R
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Benefit sought: Safety + non-
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latex taste

Middle to high income

Loyal - Customers find their
The Sex life:
preferred flavor then compare Mostly urban
Prioritize oral
flavor products among brands to find the Mostly acquired areas
sex
suitable one middle to high
education level

Usage situation: Daily use,

holiday use

Benefit sought: Safety + extreme

pleasure

Middle to high income

Non-loyal - Customers seek
The Sex life: Find
different experiences from various Mostly urban
new ways to
extra brands, hence the instability in Mostly acquired areas
have sex
their buying pattern middle to high
education level

Usage situation: Special

occasion

Targeting A
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According to a 2017 research conducted in Vietnam, 68.8% of men felt that using condoms significantly reduced
the quality of the sex (Vinaresearch 2017). This showed that the potential from thinness product line was
undeniably high, and the release of Durex Invisible into\the Vietnam market was inevitable. Durex Invisible aims
for customers from the “thinness” segment, as they are looking for the utmost feeling of sexual sensation without
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O guaranteeing to maximize both the feels and the
having the thought of actually wearing a layer of condom,
safety (Durex Vietnam 2020).
R
Understanding the customers’ needs and wants, Durex Mapplied the segmented marketing strategy, creating
campaigns and advertisements that immediately catch the interest of the targeted public while at the same time
A way to capture customers’ attention. Being released
not being too offensive or sensitive - its uniquely iconic
recently, the promotion of Durex Invisible in Vietnam market has been done rapidly by vast varieties of ways,
T
mostly through advertising on well-known social media platforms and through public display at “approximately
90-95% stores throughout Vietnam” according to DP in 21
a 2018 online newspaper.

Take an example from one of Durex’s advertisement posted on

Facebook. Acknowledging the worldwide booming uptrend of a
free indie online game titled “Among us”, especially in Vietnam,
Durex released this advertisement on its authentic Vietnam
Facebook page. “Among us” was created in 2018, but not until
Covid-19 took place did it become a globally recognized. With
just subtle changes in the design of the character, customers
can immediately understand the “invisible” metaphor conveying
through one simple picture without having to read any kind of
texts.

Figure 1: Durex Invisible Facebook

advertisement (Durex Vietnam)

Differentiation

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Constantly being the world’s leading condom manufacturer,
Durex has found ways to differentiate itself from other
companies. The primary difference between the firm and R its
counterparts was the branding strategy. Durex has been M
dominating social media advertisement. Not only does
Durex create quality content, but it also produces A
constantly up-to-date trends. For instance, during the 2018
U-23 AFC Championship when Vietnam was the runner up,
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21
Durex instantly released posts with the heroic goalkeeper’s
name “Tien Dung” as a metaphor for its reliability. By doing
so, Durex steadily won Vietnamese consumers’ hearts and
constantly created interaction with the brand and the
community. This strategy allowed them to be a part of the
Vietnamese community. In addition, Durex seems to know
that Vietnamese consumers usually associate dominating
brand’s names with specific products. Take the brand “Ong
Tho” for example, it is frequently used to refer to
condensed milk products because of its dominating market
share. Durex can be seen setting vision for the same goal:
getting “Durex” as a reference for condom products. 
Durex understands that people have different fetishes. It is easy to different Durex condoms for specific needs in
any convenient store or supermarket. The variety, abundance and accessibility make Durex stand out.
Figure 2: Durex Invisible Facebook advertisement (Durex
Vietnam)

Positioning
1★ Positioning Map 1

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A consumer gave feedback on Durex Invisible, stating that they were not a fan of Durex. However, the product
did provide safety and extra intimacy (RHBris12 2020). Durex is said to be suitable for middle-income people
who do not have much experience. Meanwhile, its competitors like OKAMOTO and Sagami placed their
products at a higher price by satisfying the customers’ needs better (Nguyen 2019). Vietnamese people know
OK as a brand for low-income families with its only purpose is to provide safety.
Comparing the price among brands in the Vietnam market, in this case Shopee, one Sagami condom originally
costs about 45,000VND, while for an Okamoto 0.01 PU the price is around 40,000VND. On the other hand, one
spends approximately 13,000VND for a Durex Invisible condom whereas an OK costs 2,500 VND.

2★ Positioning Map 2 P
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The above brands all have standard products which are basic condoms, flavored condoms, special marks and
lubricant. However, besides those products, Durex has expanded its product line to sex toys, making Durex’s
position in the product line much higher than the others.

Durex had the highest level of consumption, amounting to 57.4%, followed by OK, taking up to 30.4% in total.
Sagami then came in third with just 3.3% while Okamoto was not significant (Vinaresearch 2017).

3★ Value Proposition
Durex chooses the “More for more” proposition strategy, especially Durex Invisible. It offers customers a
much more realistic experience, in return putting it at a P
rather high price yet still affordable for most people,
which then results in a much higher consumption rate. A

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CONCLUSION
Durex is certainly doing well in Vietnam. Utilizing its exclusive advantages, Durex shows that the company is
achieving success by the large market share. Having the financial, strategic and global networking support from
the parental company, Reckitt Benckiser, Durex does not seem to be encountering many problems. Not only
does it have various types of condoms for specific fetishes, it also focuses on what Vietnamese consumers want
the most: thickness and safety. Indeed, the firm targets the right categories, but the factor contributing the most
to its success was advertising and PR. Constantly releasing exclusive contents that are culturally specific, Durex
successfully emerged itself to the Vietnamese social media community and therefore boost the brand’s
recognition, redefining the idea of condom in Vietnamese consumers: from just condoms to Durex.
Focusing on consumer values, Durex offers better products with extra prices. Despite so, a box of Durex
Invisible (of 3 or 10) is rather affordable according to their rising income. In addition, the abundance and
availability of Durex all over Vietnam’s stores and market are also how Durex is winning this market. With a 95%
coverage, consumers can get Durex anytime and anywhere. Yet again, there is always room for improvement.
Consumers now care more about the future, while Durex has not proposed any initiatives regarding
appropriately disposing and processing used condoms. Unprocessed condoms in nature will take years to
decompose, and illegally reusing used condoms is in fact a major matter in Vietnam. Both of these could
damage the brand’s credibility; therefore, Durex should take them into account as soon as possible in order to
remain a strong company in such a dynamic market like Vietnam.

------------------------------------------------------------- VI.
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APPENDICES

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Appendices 3: Vinaresearch 2017

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Appendices 7: Durex Invisible Facebook

advertisement (Durex Vietnam 2020)

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Appendices 8: Durex Invisible Facebook
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