Are You Losing Your Brand Equity?
30/12/2025
When users become mobile-first, “premium” can no longer mean the same thing
According to Accedo, Southeast Asia is one of the most mobile-dependent OTT markets in the world, with more than 80% of OTT content viewed on mobile. Viewing time in the Philippines and Indonesia leads the region, reflecting a “watch anytime – any format – any platform” behavior. This directly impacts what brand value means: Premium no longer refers to expensive content — premium now means the ability to appear in the right moment and the right context; “4K, HDR quality” is no longer a strong differentiator when most users watch on small screens, in short viewing sessions, and when OTT is treated as an everyday utility rather than a “special destination.”
Looking at the Vietnamese market — where young users make up a large share and mobile entertainment behavior mirrors the region — this raises an essential question for brand builders: If consumption behavior has shifted to mobile-first, how should Vietnamese OTT brands shift to avoid drifting away from the market trend?
An OTT brand can be replaced even while it grows
Accedo describes telcos as a dominant force in the Southeast Asian OTT ecosystem: telcos decide which platforms get integrated into data packages, they own the billing relationship with customers, and they serve as the primary acquisition channel — OTT platforms gain subscribers mainly because they are bundled with telco packages. This leads to a form of brand risk that Accedo indirectly highlights — users may continue using the service but fail to remember the brand. This is a form of brand displacement — the OTT brand being replaced by the telco brand in user perception.
In Vietnam, this issue is particularly sensitive: TV360 expands rapidly through Viettel data packages; FPT Play is tied to FPT’s internet infrastructure; MyTV is tied to Vinaphone; and many other platforms are cross-sold or integrated into combo packages by VNPT, MobiFone, and Viettel. The rapid growth of users through telco ecosystems raises a challenge for OTT brands: Does my brand have an independent role, a distinct language, a unique experience… or is it merely another utility inside a telco bundle? If this cannot be answered clearly, OTT brands will grow in users but fail to accumulate brand equity.
A new foundation for brand positioning
Accedo’s report emphasizes strategically meaningful data: Viu leads Indonesia with 9.7 million users thanks to its local-content strategy; Netflix is doubling down on local-language production because “local preference is strong”; and the rise of live streaming and live commerce is blurring the line between entertainment and transactions. These three signals confirm one insight:
“In Southeast Asia, the strongest OTT brands are not those with the most expensive content — but those that speak the cultural language and consumption habits of local audiences.”
For Vietnam, this opens a promising space for repositioning — through platforms tied to Vietnamese entertainment identity (Vietnamese films, comedy, variety shows), platforms built around interactive entertainment (live, gameshows, fan-community), or platforms that integrate entertainment–commerce as live commerce continues to grow.
Accedo’s data may not explicitly reference Vietnam, but the strategic logic is consistent: Local content and live are no longer “features” — they are brand identity assets.
OTT in Vietnam doesn’t lack users — it lacks a brand story
In Vietnam — a market rich in cultural identity, with a large young population and high online video consumption — these forces create a clear requirement: OTT brands should not position themselves by “types of content” but by their role in the digital lives of Vietnamese users. Otherwise, platforms risk falling into the situation Accedo describes across the region:
Services grow, but brands do not grow accordingly.
In a market where user behavior and competition are shifting, Vietnamese OTT brands must ask themselves three key questions:
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Does our brand positioning reflect mobile-first & AVOD behavior? Or are we still speaking to users with the language of “pay TV”?
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Are we building brand equity for ourselves or unintentionally building it for the telco? If distribution overshadows the brand, what must be done?
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Are we leveraging local content and live as core identity assets, or merely as add-on features? According to Accedo, the line between winning and losing OTT platforms lies in their ability to root themselves in local culture.
If business growth accelerates while the brand remains still, a platform may increase subscribers but lose brand equity — and that is the most expensive loss in a market where alternatives are only one tap away.