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Amidst an increasingly competitive advertising landscape in 2024, the Banking sector has successfully carved out its own spotlight through strategic sponsorship of high-engagement events in Music and Sports. This distinct approach is clearly reflected in the YMI TOP 5 ranking of the most prominent banks on social media, where the strong association between banks and these two passion points becomes unmistakable. The key question now is: How have banks effectively leveraged these cultural touchpoints, and what measurable impact have they achieved in terms of brand affinity and audience engagement?
About the YouNet Media Index (YMI): Launched in 2019, the YouNet Media Index (YMI) was developed to establish a new set of standards for measuring and ranking the performance of Brands, Campaigns, and Influencers on social media.
On February 18, 2025, YouNet Media officially announced the Brand of The Year 2024 ranking — honoring the leading brands on social media over the past year. This ranking highlights the TOP 5 outstanding representatives from six key industries, recognizing their remarkable and effective activities throughout the period from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024.
TOP 5 Most Outstanding Banks on Social Media in 2024
Explore the YMI Brand of the Year 2024 Rankings here.
1. Strategic Investment in Music and Sports: How Banks Are Capturing Audience Attention
To stand out and drive community engagement, banks are making bold moves by channeling their investments and sponsorships into two high-impact passion points: Music and Sports. According to YouNet Media’s analysis of 30 commercial joint-stock banks in Vietnam, music-related activities account for 40% of the total, while sports initiatives follow closely at 34%.
This strategic focus is far from random — it’s a calculated effort to connect with younger audiences, a high-potential demographic with significant influence on social media conversations and brand perception.
1.1. Music: How banks capture Gen Z’s attention through Concerts, Music Festivals, and Gameshow sponsorships
Music isn’t just a hobby — it’s an essential part of Gen Z’s lifestyle and a powerful channel for self-expression. According to YouNet Media, music was one of the top five most-discussed topics on social media in 2024. This makes Music Marketing a strategic gateway for brands looking to capture the attention and engagement of this highly influential audience.
Throughout the past year, banks have leaned heavily into music-driven initiatives, with investments focused on concerts, music festivals, and gameshows — accounting for 24%, 24%, and 20% of their total entertainment-focused activities, respectively. These formats not only fuel rich social conversations but also drive community engagement and organic amplification across digital platforms.
Notable collaborations between banks and entertainment shows include Techcombank’s partnership with Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai, VIB’s involvement in Anh Trai Say Hi, and VPBank’s presence in Bài Hát Của Chúng Ta. These alliances have played a key role in strengthening brand affinity and generating widespread social buzz.
TOP 5 significant entertainment shows on Social Media in 2024
The results speak for themselves: following the sponsorship announcement post in June 2024, VIB saw a 64% surge in social discussions, a 67% increase in unique audience engagement, and a 70% rise in positive sentiment — enabling VIB to reclaim its top position from VPBank.
Not far behind, Techcombank made a strong impression as the diamond sponsor of Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai, one of the two most explosive music shows of the year. Thanks to this well-executed investment strategy, Techcombank’s social discussions spiked by 96%, and brand mentions soared by 190%, keeping the bank at the top of the YMI rankings for three consecutive months — September, October, and November 2024.
Beyond their success in game shows, banks also made a mark through large-scale music events that attracted tens of thousands of attendees, fueling an unprecedented wave of excitement around Vietnamese music. Notably, bank-sponsored events accounted for three out of the five most prominent music events of 2024.
1.2 Sports: Building communities and promoting a healthy lifestyle
Sports stands as the second most heavily invested sector for banks, with a strong focus on running events. According to YouNet Media, in 2024, 30 commercial joint-stock banks organized 23 races, both online and offline. Running has become a standout trend, ranking among the top four most popular sports with over 1.8 million discussions on social media.
Banks have also emerged as pioneers in organizing running events, with Techcombank leading the way by aligning its brand with the sports passion point since 2017. Collaborating with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the Department of Culture and Sports, and the City Athletics Federation, Techcombank launched an internationally scaled marathon with over 5,000 participants. Over seven years, the number of participants has grown 3.5 times, making it the record-breaking race in terms of athlete turnout. In 2024, Techcombank continued to capture community attention with two large-scale events: the Hanoi International Marathon in October and the Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon in December — both moments when the bank consistently led and remained in the TOP 5 most-discussed banks.
VPBank follows closely, building its association with running events since 2018. In March 2024, the bank made a powerful impact with the VPBank VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City, contributing over 300% to the total discussion volume and accounting for 16% of unique participants, securing the #1 spot on the YMI Brand of the Month ranking for March. The VPBank Can Tho Music Night Run 2024 and the VPBank Hanoi International Marathon 2024, held in April, also kept VPBank in the TOP 5 YMI Brand of the Month for that period.
Other notable names include BIDV with its “Tet Am Cho Nguoi Ngheo” Charity Run, launched in 2019, and Vietcombank, co-organizing the 5th Hau Giang International Marathon in 2024 — both contributing to the banking sector’s growing influence on sports and healthy lifestyle promotion.
2. How can Banks optimize their investment strategy in Music and Sports?
2.1 Expanding sponsorship formats to deepen audience connection
To amplify brand visibility and engagement, banks should move beyond large-scale music festivals and long-running gameshows by exploring more versatile, high-frequency formats like music videos (MVs) and branded theme songs. These assets tap directly into the daily content consumption habits of Gen Z and Millennials, creating opportunities for viral spin-offs like MV reaction videos, TikTok dance challenges, and interactive mini-games. In 2024, YouNet Media recorded six bank-produced MVs — including Tiến Tới Ước Mơ (Techcombank), Về Nhà Là Có Tết (OCB), and Be The Sky (MBBank) — all of which generated strong positive sentiment and organic engagement across social platforms.
For sports, banks can broaden their footprint beyond running events by investing in endurance sports like triathlons, swimming, and cycling, or by aligning with trending sports capturing youth attention, such as pickleball. According to YouNet Media, pickleball sparked 75.5K discussions in the first eight months of 2024, driven predominantly by 25–34 (55.15%) and 18–24 (22.32%) — signaling its rising influence among young, active communities. With pickleball tournaments still in their early stages, the Pickleball Thanh Niên Tournament stands out as a rare, high-potential platform for brand partnerships — offering banks a first-mover advantage in shaping the narrative around this emerging sport.
2.2 Consistent communication messaging throughout campaigns
This is a crucial factor for sponsorship activities to be truly effective and leave a lasting impression on the audience. Banks need to maintain a consistent presence and unified message about their products and services over an extended period through game shows, music or sports events. This consistent repetition helps the audience gradually remember and naturally connect with the brand. A prime example is Techcombank’s sponsorship activities across music events like Sóng 24, game show, Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai concert — all promoting the “Automatic Profit” feature. Similarly, VIB consistently positions itself as a “Trendsetter in Cards,” starting from the Masked Singer game show in 2023 to the Anh Trai Say Hi game show and concert in 2024.
2.3 Integrating with Communication Campaigns to Enhance Effectiveness
Sponsorship activities such as game shows or marathon events often generate a significant amount of discussion and public attention—this presents a golden opportunity for banks to launch communication campaigns about their products and services, ultimately increasing conversion rates. By leveraging existing interest, banks can optimize their reach and engagement with targeted customer segments.
Finally, to associate a brand with a passion point, long-term investment is essential. For instance, Techcombank has been affiliated with marathon events for seven years, while VPBank has maintained its sponsorship for five years. Consumers only develop a strong connection with a brand when they recognize its persistence and dedication to sponsorship activities. For event participants, the meaning of the event itself is what they remember most—the brand serves as an underlying message. Therefore, maintaining a long-term presence is crucial for embedding the brand into consumer consciousness, allowing it to become a cherished and valued part of their experience.
