Extraordinary Endeavors in Turbulent Times: Asian Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact during COVID-19

ASIA BUSINESS COUNCIL HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2 3 DatVietVAC Group Holdings (Vietnam) Extraordinary Endeavors in Turbulent Times While VieON does offer non-Vietnamese content and acquires blockbuster titles from other markets such as China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Thanh believes that “emotional engagement comes from seeing people who look like you on TV.” As an example, the mini-drama Khong The Roi Mat (Can’t Take My Eyes Off [You]) , which was part of the content lineup for the launch of VieON in the summer of 2020, has amassed over 5.5 million views for a single episode to date. The drama featured VieON’s brand ambassadors: Jack J97, one of the most talked-about singers in Vietnam, and co-star Thuy Ngan, one of Vietnam’s top actresses. Another good example is the Sóng Show, which has been a top-rated show in Vietnam for the past few years and has become part of the Lunar New Year Tradition. Sóng means “Waves,” and the annual Sóng Show is meant to be a celebration of everything culture-related that has made waves in Vietnam in the past year. During the pandemic, DatVietVAC produced a summer variation of the Sóng Show – the first time the show was produced for an occasion other than Lunar New Year, resulting in quite a bit of anticipation for the program. In fact, DatVietVAC has a track record of pioneering entertainment shows, including Chung Sức ( Family Feud ) and Vietnam Idol decades ago, and Ơn Giời Cậu Đây Rồi ( Thank God You Are Here ), Người Ấy Là Ai ( Who Is Single Vietnam ) and Siêu Trí Tuệ ( The Brain Vietnam ), which not only set new records for trending content and concurrent users (CCU) on YouTube, but also became the source and origin of expressions that went viral and became catchphrases for a whole generation of Vietnamese. A Truly Groundbreaking Show on Rap Music Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that DatVietVAC was able to initiate another cultural phenomenon in 2020 that transformed the standing and influence of rap music in the country. First released on August 1, Rap Việt was the most-viewed program of the year in Vietnam, reaching 2 billion views on VieON, Không Thể Rời Mắt was part of the content lineup for the launch of VieON