Context
DOCA is a Vietnamese sponge cake brand under ASI Northern Production and Trading Co., Ltd., a company with over 25 years of experience in the confectionery and food manufacturing industry. With products tailored to the taste preferences of Vietnamese consumers and strong market coverage since its launch, DOCA has nevertheless lacked a long-term and sustainable branding strategy aligned with modern consumer trends.
As a strategic branding consultant, SEFA Media proposed positioning DOCA to dominate the confectionery category on e-commerce platforms, while also expanding its presence across the general trade (GT) distribution network nationwide. This initiative was set to roll out at the end of 2023 and during the Lunar New Year 2024.
Objectives
- Conduct in-depth research and build a solid brand foundation
- Increase brand awareness across both online and offline channels
- Drive direct interaction between the business and two key target groups: individual consumers and agents/distributors
Insight
DOCA targets the following customer segment:
- Gender: Both male and female
- Geography: Nationwide, with a strong focus on rural areas, communes/townships
- Ideal Age Range: 25 – 60 years old
- Income: Low to average income
- Spending Capacity: Low to moderate; limited budget
- Behavior & Characteristics: Typically married. Occupations often involve agriculture, factory work, or freelance labor. Price-sensitive, with little emphasis on whether a brand is premium or well-known. Purchase habits driven by routine or product visibility at local stores
The biggest concerns for these customers are price and ease of access through distribution channels.
Consumer Insight:
- Truth: Consumers in rural areas often have limited income and spending capacity. Therefore, price and added value are key considerations when making purchases.
- Tension: Many sponge cake brands are priced relatively high often beyond the customer’s budget. Packaging tends to be overly elaborate, giving the impression of luxury which doesn’t align with the basic dietary needs of typical rural households.
- Motivation: They seek an everyday snack for their family and loved ones nothing overly luxurious, just reasonably priced, simple, and enjoyable for everyone in the household.
Strategy
Brand Positioning – Defining DOCA’s Brand Position and Declaration
Motivation for DOCA to build a strong brand:
- From a market gap: Most competitors position themselves as professional brands with premium, luxurious packaging or vibrant, trendy styles targeting younger consumers. However, very few brands focus on the working-class, rural, down-to-earth audience. Even those that do target the mass market often lack strong media presence or have limited distribution, making them less recognizable.
- DOCA’s product line is specifically designed to cater to the everyday needs of rural consumers who value simplicity and familiarity. These are products meant for the most ordinary moments not luxurious occasions, just a humble snack to ease the hunger after a day of hard work in the fields.
⇒ Therefore, DOCA chooses to position itself as a brand that accompanies the simple, rural Vietnamese people in their daily lives offering no barriers in price or accessibility, just honest food made for honest people.
Support Points – Reasons to Believe
- Familiarity: DOCA delivers familiar and comforting sponge cake flavors that resonate with traditional tastes, enhancing the emotional connection with consumers. Its five core flavors are basic and approachable, making them highly suitable for the rural customer segment. Not only in taste but also in packaging, DOCA opts for simple, modest designs that are neither flashy nor premium. This familiarity is a key reason customers choose DOCA sponge cakes.
- Top Quality: DOCA owns a large-scale manufacturing facility and is directly involved in the entire production process, ensuring product quality and safety. The use of natural ingredients with traceable origins reinforces consumer trust.
- Wide Distribution: DOCA’s marketing strategy centers around becoming a daily companion brand with extensive distribution. This means being present in grocery stores and supermarkets across provinces and rural areas outside of Hanoi. DOCA’s strong presence in local shops helps build trust and makes it easier for customers to access and choose the product.
⇒ POSITIONING: DOCA is a humble, everyday sponge cake brand for everyone and every home.
DOCA – Sponge cakes for every home, Bringing warmth to everyone!
Creative Idea
Tet must have DOCA – DOCA comes home to every family
This Tet, Let’s Come Home and Reunite with DOCA!
A Tet Gift Basket Must Have DOCA, DOCA is always present, in every moment, in every cozy, simple gathering during the Tet holidays.
It’s the sweet and flavorful afternoon snack after school for children. It’s a convenient and delicious energy booster for factory workers during a long shift. It’s a treat enjoyed with tea by farmers taking a break in the field.
=> These are the everyday moments, simple yet warm, that reflect the lives of everyday Vietnamese people.
DOCA is also a Tet gift, a token for friends and loved ones.
It’s a snack offered to guests visiting during Tet, a taste shared during family reunions.
=> These are the moments filled with love and meaning, capturing the spirit and emotion of Tet.
Activation
Video Marketing
Carrying the message “Tet must have DOCA – DOCA comes home to every family”, DOCA’s Tet Giap Thin 2024 video gently touches the hearts of those far from home, evoking warmth and familiarity like an essential piece of the family reunion table during Tet.
In this video, we didn’t try to create a complicated or elaborate story. Instead, SEFA Media portrays DOCA as naturally present in every heartfelt moment of reunion. Whether it’s simply tucked in luggage on the journey back home, a sincere offering to ancestors, or a mother quietly waiting for her child’s return each image is deeply familiar and full of love, emphasizing the importance of togetherness and family connection during Tet.
This video is a vivid short film capturing the spirit of Tet, where DOCA is more than just a product, it becomes an inseparable part of joyful memories and meaningful moments in every Vietnamese family. SEFA Media hopes to reflect DOCA’s promise of delivering quality and spreading happiness to everyone during this season of reunion.
Digital Marketing
DOCA’s current Digital activities are comprehensively developed and executed by SEFA to achieve the goal of impacting and promoting direct interaction between the business and two target audiences: Retail Customers & Distributors/Agents.
Channels: Website, Facebook:
- DOCA’s brand value is not yet solidified ⇒ Develop a branded content series associated with the theme of Vietnamese life and Tet: Tet key visual used consistently with content series on family reunion, hopes and wishes for the Year of the Dragon, the hustle and bustle of modern life, etc.
- Increase awareness and benefits of the product: 05 DOCA flavors, box sizes suitable for Tet gifts, expand into Tet gift bags and boxes, etc.
- Impact on Distributors, Agents: The campaign also generates content for this audience, receiving high engagement and updating the status of distributors nationwide.
- Buzz-creating mini games
KOC, KOL
DOCA does not focus on sales targets or product reviews for selling purposes, but rather emphasizes messaging—affirming the brand’s simplicity, emotional depth, and connection with “every home”. Therefore, SEFA Media has carefully selected influencers who can naturally convey DOCA’s message and attract audience attention through short-form video platforms.
KOL Phuong Huu Duong
With over 7.2 million subscribers and more than 14 billion views on his YouTube channel, Phuong Huu Duong is one of the most influential KOLs, known for his simple image and content deeply rooted in rural life and ordinary people.
By participating in DOCA’s campaign, Phuong Huu Duong not only introduces the product in a professional way but also creates a sincere and close connection with the audience. The message of DOCA about simplicity, warmth, and depth is naturally and genuinely conveyed by Phuong Huu Duong, helping to enhance brand awareness within the community.
“I love DOCA because it brings back the flavors of my childhood. The cake is soft and fresh, and since it’s made in Vietnam, I’m very confident about its quality. With 5 diverse flavors, those who enjoy the authentic, down-to-earth personality on my channel will definitely love the simplicity and the familiar taste of DOCA’s sponge cake…” – YouTuber Phuong Huu Duong.
KOC – TikToker
Using KOC (Key Opinion Consumers) on the TikTok platform with simple and gentle content is also a smart strategy for DOCA. TikTokers like Hồi ức 1997, Khói bếp và gió, Nắng quê, Ngọc Vi, and others, who create videos about daily life, family meals, and moments of togetherness, align perfectly with DOCA’s overall message of warmth and familiarity. These influencers naturally convey DOCA’s values, helping to enhance the brand’s connection with its audience.
E-Commerce
Business on e-commerce platforms TikTok Shop and Shopee with strategies focusing on Pricing, Products, and the development of an online Livestream system.
Trade Marketing
Organizing and building product category strategies and brand strategies for the entire nationwide distribution network.
Radio Marketing
Radio broadcasting using the voices of artists Vân Dung and Quang Thắng with nationwide coverage.
Kết quả
- Reach – Media Coverage: 6,000,000 people; Engagement: 800,000 interactions; View: 5,000,000 views in 3 months; 2,200 participants in the online mini-game.
- Brand Awareness: Increased by 230% compared to the previous period.
- Stock Distribution: Over 70 major distributors across 40 provinces.
- E-commerce: Sales growth on e-commerce platforms increased by 210%, achieving sales from the first Livestream for a new channel.
