How Indian Instagram Influencers Find Brand Deals in Vietnam

In the age of social media, boundary lines are blurring, and with them, the opportunities for brand collaborations.

Today, a beverage company based in Vietnam might hire a lifestyle influencer from India to promote its products, and it is happening more than you might think.

But how do Indian influencers find these coveted brand deals in Vietnam?

Let’s dig deeper.

📣 Splashing through the myths

Contrary to the impression you might have about an influencer’s career, it comes with its fair share of hardship.

A Vietnamese company employing an Indian influencer as a brand ambassador offers a remarkable twist on the stereotypes that come with the territory.

The glitzy glamorous lifestyle is just a reward for the hours of hustling behind the scenes.

🏆 The appeal of this emerging market

The Vietnamese influencer marketing scene is still nascent compared to its Indian counterpart.

The country’s rapidly growing economy is creating an emerging market. This economic growth is particularly pronounced in the digital space.

Digital advertising expenditure alone is projected to hit a staggering $2.3 billion by 2025.

There is immense potential for growth. To maximize opportunities for growth, brands are investing in influencer marketing.

This growth is appealing to Indian influencers looking for brand deals.

💵 The money is good

Solid returns on investment are the first thing most brands want to see from their influencer marketing campaigns.

For brands based in Vietnam, hiring Indian influencers is a no-brainer.

According to a 2022 report published by Digital Marketing Vietnam, Indian influencers earn as much as six times the average pay in Vietnam.

For instance, an Indian influencer may charge between $500 and $2,500 per post, while a more established influencer could demand as much as $17,000.

In stark contrast, the average influencer price in Vietnam is approximately $100 for micro-influencers and $1,000 for macro-influencers.

Additionally, while most influencers in Vietnam can only boast 10,000 followers at most, many Indian influencers have tens of thousands, if not millions of followers.

The larger following means more eyes will be on the brand’s product or service, guaranteeing better returns on investment.

💸 The transactions are smooth

There are no restrictions when it comes to payments.

Vietnamese companies can easily transfer dollars to Indian bank accounts, or into Western Union accounts. Indian insurers can then conveniently withdraw the cash from any ATM in India.

Transactions have generally been straightforward, and no restrictions have been reported by either party.

📈 A few figures to illustrate

The rise of Indian influencers in Vietnam is evident in commonly cited statistics.

For instance, in 2023 alone, Indian influencers have driven up to 30% of influencer marketing in Vietnam.

Moreover, India currently ranks third among the top countries sending influencers to Vietnam, behind only Vietnam and Thailand.

The number of Influencers from India is expected to rise by 20% each year until 2025 as more influencers realize the potential of this emerging market and move to Vietnam.

🎭 The Indian influencer profile

So what kind of Indian influencers are making this move to Vietnam?

There is no strict profile, Indian influencers of all types are finding brand deals in Vietnam.

However, social media marketers have noted a trend; Indian influencers with South Asian or Indian appearances are acquiring more brand deals than others.

There is a logical explanation for this.

In Vietnam, Indian culture and people are highly regarded.

Indian cuisine is one of the most popular international cuisines in Vietnam.

As such, brands find that Indian influencers are more relatable for consumers.

Essentially, Indian influencers evoke a sense of familiarity and culture.

🗂️ How they find these deals

The majority of Indian influencers are signed with talent management agencies that operate in Vietnam and India.

For instance, a leading talent agency known as RocNation has offices in Mumbai, India and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The agency specializes in brand partnerships across both countries.

The company has a number of influencers from India on its roster and actively works to procure brand deals for them.

👔 Vietnam talent management agencies hiring Indian influencers

Indian influencers are also finding brand deals in Vietnam on their own, without a talent agency.

Two examples illustrate this point.

The first is influencer Tisha Ashraf who is based in the Indian state of Kerala. Her Instagram page is filled with posts promoting a wide range of brands.

Some of the brands Tisha has promoted include renowned Indian brands such as Lays India and Funky Kookas.

In addition to these prominent brands, Tisha has also collaborated with Vietnamese brands.

For instance, she recently partnered with a Vietnamese language learning platform named Langmaster.

Vietnamese brands are often impressed by her content.

For instance, the CEO of Langmaster stated they found her video “very impressive.” In fact, the company has expressed interest in collaborating with Tisha on more projects in the future.

A second example is influencer Gaurav Chaudhary, also known as TechChap.

Gaurav is primarily focused on technology content, reviewing the latest gadgets and providing tutorials.

Gaurav’s extensive knowledge of technology has earned him close to 3 million followers on Instagram.

Gaurav has also collaborated with numerous brands from Vietnam including Vietjet, which is a Vietnamese budget airline, and Vinfast, which is a major automobile manufacturer in Vietnam.

Gaurav has even been invited to speak at events across Vietnam including the Vietnam Web Summit where he was a keynote speaker.

🌏 Cultural compatibility

Vietnam has a long history of cultural exchanges with India.

For instance, Hinduism is one of the main religions in Vietnam.

Correlatively, many regions of Vietnam feature elaborately designed temples that are faithful imitations of traditional Indian temples.

Indian films and television shows are also widely consumed in Vietnam.

Therefore, Indian influencers find it relatively easy to adapt to the lifestyle of Vietnam.

Moreover, these common cultural foundations mean that they often incur limited costs when trying to establish a lifestyle that matches their audience.

✈️ Travel considerations

Vietnam offers free entry for citizens of many countries, and India is one of them.

Indian citizens can obtain a visa on arrival.

The visa is valid for up to 30 days and allows for single entry.

It takes just a few simple steps to apply online, and the visa is usually processed within 24 to 48 hours.

The visa on arrival is an attractive feature that Indian influencers find appealing.

🏛️ Regulatory compliance

In 2022, the Vietnamese government introduced a decree that regulates the influencer marketing industry.

According to the Decree 13/2022 effective from April 1, 2023, influencers are required to register their accounts with a local telecommunication authority.

Moreover, influencers who fail to register will be banned from social media platforms in Vietnam.

Some Indian influencers have expressed concerns about the new decree.

For instance, influencer Gaurav Chaudhary who has partnered with several Vietnamese brands has stated that the decree could make it more difficult for Indian influencers to find and close brand deals in Vietnam.

Yet, the new framework provides useful information about what is required when working as an influencer in Vietnam.

This is positively disruptive as it helps demystify how Vietnamese brands view Indian influencers.

📅 What to expect in 2025

The Indian influencer marketing industry is projected to be worth around $440 million by 2025, according to a report by Dentsu.

This figure has encouraged more influencers to jump into the fray.

Consequently, the competition will intensify for brand deals in India.

Some influencers will likely seek greener pastures abroad.

Vietnam will likely be a prime target as influencers from India have already made headway into this emerging market.

As the competition heats up, Indian influencers will likely have to innovate to continue securing brand deals in Vietnam.

Instead of simply producing content for brands, Indian influencers may have to create content on behalf of Vietnamese brands.

We will explore how influencers will create content on behalf of brands in a future post.

👋 Conclusion

The demand for brand deals in Vietnam among Indian influencers is only set to rise.

As competition grows in India, more influencers will flock to Vietnam.

Indian influencers have already proven they can easily adapt to Vietnamese culture.

As such, they will likely continue to find opportunities for lucrative brand deals in Vietnam.

BaoLiba will continue to update India influencer marketing trends, feel free to follow us.