The driving force of Hepmil Vietnam in leading the social commerce revolution in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia’s digital economy is expanding, with gross merchandise value (GMV) projected to reach US$30 billion, marking an 11% year-on-year growth, according to a report by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company.

The region also boasts a high rate of social media usage, with 64.3% of the population active on the platforms, surpassing the global average. This growth drives increased investments by marketers in influencer partnerships and social selling tools. Amid this trend, one company is making notable progress in establishing its presence in the evolving landscape.

Hepmil Vietnam, now the fourth market in Hepmil Media Group, has quickly established itself as a leader in the region. This is thanks to a blend of innovative strategies and a deep understanding of local dynamics.

In just one year, Hepmil Vietnam has achieved remarkable growth and positioned itself as a pioneer in social commerce initiatives within the industry, adopting a full-funnel approach, including affiliate marketing and live-streaming.

So how has the company seen such wide-ranging success?

Central to this success has been the visionary leadership of Niki Nguyen, CEO of Hepmil Vietnam, whose exceptional industry experience and profound knowledge of the Vietnamese market have been instrumental in driving its achievements.

According to Karl Mak, CEO and co-founder of Hepmil Media Group, having local CEOs such as Nguyen spearhead business growth in their domestic markets has been pivotal. Nguyen’s experience with leading multinational corporations, including Lazada, Vingroup, and TikTok, where she served as former country sales lead, has also helped in this exponential growth.

“Her expertise in eCommerce, combined with insights from the entertainment industry, has elevated Hepmil’s brand awareness in Vietnam and strategically positioned it within the marketplace,” Mak said.

In January, Hepmil broke new ground in the live-streaming industry by executing three 14-hour mega live events across Shopee and TikTok Shop. Each session was extended for more than 12 hours and generated over US$1 million in GMV. This initiative marked a significant milestone as Hepmil became the first agency to pull off such an initiative within a single month.

Understanding the need for O2O strategies in driving sales, Hepmil Vietnam also broke new ground within the market by hosting a mega live O2O event at Nguyen Hue Walking Street in November. The TikTok Shop 11.11 mega live event featured high-profile celebrities, artists and singers. It showcased the first transparent live-stream box in Vietnam and successfully garnered over 20 million online viewers, including 20,000 attendees in person and 55,000 viewers on the app.

Beyond its own shores, Hepmil Vietnam has also made its presence felt in international markets as the first agency to produce a mega live-stream in South Korea featuring renowned K-pop star Yubin from Wonder Girls. This was done in collaboration with prominent Vietnamese influencers, including Hari Won, Jolie Phương Trinh, and Misthy, among others. The campaign successfully engaged over 400 Korean brands, achieving an impressive outcome of more than 40 million organic views.

These achievements highlight the visionary leadership of Nguyen and the collaborative spirit of the Hepmil Vietnam team.

“Life is not just about work, but also family and other things,” said Nguyen about taking on the job at Hepmil Vietnam.

Looking forward, Hepmil Vietnam is set to continue its focus on content creation, network expansion, and adapting to emerging trends. The newly expanded team, led by Nguyen, will also explore new growth opportunities.

The company will remain committed to its roots as a multi-platform creative content agency, planning to design and participate in events and workshops to recruit new creators and influencers. Its strategy will involve building relationships with potential partners and vendors while focusing on live-streaming, eCommerce, and brand content to drive future success, explained Nguyen.

“The future of eCommerce in Vietnam will involve social media, innovative content, and technologies. By empowering creators and adapting to the digital landscape, we can drive growth and redefine the consumer experience,” Nguyen said.

Explore Hepmil Vietnam today on its Facebook page to stay ahead in the eCommerce field.

This article was written in collaboration with Hepmil Media.