Diversifying trade promotion for stronger market presence

For years, Thai Nguyen has been more than an economic and social hub of the northern midland and mountainous region. It is also known as the “capital” of many signature products with high economic value. To preserve, promote, and expand the reach of these products, the province has placed strong emphasis on trade promotion, creating opportunities for businesses, cooperatives, and ethnic-minority producers to access new markets.

According to Pham Van Tho, Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Industry and Trade, the province implemented more than 50 trade-promotion programs in 2024 and the first nine months of 2025. These activities supported over 1,000 enterprises, cooperatives, and production facilities in connecting supply and demand, seeking partners, and expanding market presence. Around 975 booths were set up to showcase local products, reflecting the scale, investment, and long-term commitment of the province to small-scale producers, particularly OCOP (One Commune One Product) items and agricultural products from highland communities.

Trade-promotion events in Thai Nguyen have been increasingly renewed, aligned with market needs, and expanded in their reach. The Thai Nguyen OCOP Industry and Trade Exhibition and Fair is a standout example, featuring hundreds of booths and the participation of more than 30 provinces and cities. Notably, the event partnered for the first time with Hanoi, the country’s largest economic and commercial center. This collaboration not only enhanced the scale and appeal of the expo but also embodied regional cooperation, opening new avenues for product promotion, cultural exchange, and economic connectivity, helping Thai Nguyen’s specialties reach wider markets.

Other major events such as the “Thai Nguyen festival of agricultural products, OCOP and craft villages associated with tourism” and the “Northeastern region industry and trade fair - Thai Nguyen” attracted more than 30 participating localities. These events have strengthened regional linkages and broadened distribution channels, enabling ethnic-minority products from Thai Nguyen to enter large retail networks nationwide.

Thanks to trade-promotion efforts, many of the province’s key products, from tea, fresh produce, and herbs to processed goods, have gained stronger market presence, elevating local brands and opening new economic opportunities for highland communities.

Leveraging digital transformation to expand long-term market access

A highlight of Thai Nguyen’s recent trade-promotion activities is its pioneering use of e-commerce and digital tools. Instead of relying solely on fairs and exhibitions, the province has actively created new market spaces where ethnic-minority products can directly reach consumers nationwide without geographical barriers.

The Thai Nguyen Department of Industry and Trade has signed memoranda of understanding with major e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and TikTok. The “Thai Nguyen Product Store” on Shopee quickly gathered thousands of OCOP items, local specialty agricultural products, and consumer goods. This is not just a “digital storefront” but a long-term bridge that ensures stable online market access for highland producers.

The province has also launched the “Thai Nguyen - Tu Dai Danh Tra” (Thai Nguyen - Home to four renowned tea-growing districts) campaign on TikTok, harnessing the platform’s media power to promote the province’s culture, people, and signature products. Videos showcasing tea-growing stories, processing techniques, and tourist experiences have breathed new life into the Thai Nguyen tea brand in the digital space. As a result, numerous tea and processed agricultural products have quickly reached consumers nationwide, with order volumes rising sharply.

Livestream programs such as “Cho Phien OCOP Thai Nguyen” (Thai Nguyen OCOP Fair), “Cay Na So” (a program promoting custard apple sales), and “Nong San Thai Nguyen - Tu Hao Hang Viet” (Thai Nguyen’s farm produce - Pride in Vietnamese goods) have attracted millions of views and thousands of orders. The value lies not only in sales but in broader public recognition, helping consumers discover local specialties in an engaging way.

These activities reflect the province’s strong commitment to helping ethnic-minority producers adapt to new business models, an area that remains challenging for small enterprises and cooperatives in highland areas. Instead of “bringing products to the market,” producers now bring their goods directly to consumers through smartphones and computers, a method well suited to modern commercial trends.

The results clearly show that trade promotion has become an effective bridge, enabling ethnic-minority products from Thai Nguyen to gain wider recognition, spread local cultural identity, and foster sustainable highland economic development.

In the context of deepening integration, the province views innovation in trade promotion and enhanced regional collaboration as essential. According to Pham Van Tho, Thai Nguyen’s industry and trade sector has identified several strategic priorities for the coming period:

First, to accelerate e-commerce and digital transformation in trade promotion. The province will continue developing digital storefronts on major e-commerce platforms, expanding livestream programs promoting OCOP and local specialties, and supporting businesses and cooperatives in strengthening digital-business capabilities and online-store management. This long-term approach will help highland products keep pace with new consumer trends.

Second, to develop a modern trade-promotion database, building a comprehensive digital system for key and specialty products. Once information is standardized and transparent, businesses, cooperatives, and distributors will be better equipped to access data and form more efficient supply chains.

Third, to enhance regional linkages to develop production-to-consumption value chains. Thai Nguyen will collaborate with provinces and cities across the region to organize inter-provincial trade-promotion events, specialty product fairs, and large-scale business-matching activities, ensuring stable and sustainable market access for ethnic-minority producers.

Fourth, to make strategic investments in trade-promotion infrastructure, from physical facilities to communication and information systems. A well-coordinated infrastructure system will provide a strong foundation for professional trade promotion activities, improving the effectiveness of product marketing in the new period.

Thai Nguyen is demonstrating that with timely and well-directed support, ethnic-minority products can go far. The province’s trade-promotion efforts not only connect goods with markets but also highlight local culture, bringing the image of Thai Nguyen’s land and people closer to domestic and international audiences. With a consistent orientation toward innovation, regional cooperation, and digital transformation, Thai Nguyen is opening long-term development pathways for highland economies, a necessary and sustainable step in today’s era of integration.