Skip to content
Marketing

Briefing

1. Introduction2. Cultural Values3. Demographics4. Buying Habits5. Media Channels6. Brand Stories7. What It Means
SourcesAbout
A podcast studio in Vietnam

Section 5 of 7

Media Channels and Social Platforms

Singapore is fully online and spread across YouTube, LinkedIn and Meta, but sceptical of social selling. Vietnam runs on Facebook, Zalo and TikTok, where people message brands and buy on livestreams.

Next: Brand Stories
Two men in face masks using smartphones on a street in Quy Nhon, Vietnam

Q4

Which media channels and social platforms most shape purchasing decisions?

In Singapore, YouTube, LinkedIn and Meta for reach, with marketplaces closing the sale. In Vietnam, Facebook, Zalo and TikTok, where people message brands and buy on livestreams.

Singapore

Discover on social media, compare on Shopee, trust reviews over influencers.

Vietnam

Message the seller, watch the livestream, buy on Shopee or TikTok Shop.

Who is online

Almost everyone in Singapore is online. Vietnam is close behind, with 79 million social media users and growing.

SingaporeVietnam
Internet users
Singapore: 98.4%5.78m people
Vietnam: 84.2%85.6m people
Social media users
Singapore: 90.6%5.33m, up 3.3% in a year
Vietnam: 77.6%79.0m, up 7.2% in a year
Mobile connections
Singapore: 166%Of population
Vietnam: 134%Of population
DataReportal, Digital 2026, figures for late 2025.

Which platforms reach them

Singapore's reach is spread across YouTube, LinkedIn and Meta. In Vietnam, Facebook, Zalo and TikTok each reach more than 75 million people.

Singapore

Reach, millions, late 2025LinkedIn: registered members; others: advertising reach
  • YouTube5.3m
  • LinkedIn5.1m
  • Facebook3.8m
  • TikTok (18+)3.8m
  • Instagram3.4m
  • LinkedIn has 5.1 million registered members, equal to 87% of the population: the channel for B2B and professional campaigns.

Vietnam

Reach, millions, late 2025Zalo: monthly active users; others: advertising reach
  • Facebook79.0m
  • Zalo78.3m
  • TikTok (18+)76.1m
  • YouTube62.1m
  • Messenger57.8m
  • Zalo, a Vietnamese messaging app, is as big as Facebook: a local channel foreign brands often miss.

What moves a purchase

Singaporeans discover on social media but buy on marketplaces. Vietnamese talk to brands directly and buy while they watch.

Pedestrians crossing a street in a shopping district in Singapore

Singapore

  • Social selling is small: only 16% bought on TikTok Shop, Facebook Marketplace or Instagram Shop in six months.
  • Creators drive discovery: 58% of TikTok shoppers found new products through content creators.
Two men in face masks using smartphones on a street in Quy Nhon, Vietnam

Vietnam

  • Messaging is the storefront: 82.8% prefer messaging to talk to a business, and 61.2% message one every day.
  • Livestreams sell: 35% have joined a livestream shopping event.
  • Facebook at peak season: 63% turned to Facebook and 58% to Messenger while holiday shopping.
  • Mobile only: 92% of online shoppers buy on a smartphone.

Privacy rules for marketers

Both countries require consent before using personal data. Vietnam's new law, in force since January 2026, carries Singapore-sized fines.

Office towers at Raffles Place, Singapore's financial district

Singapore

  • Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA): consent and a clear purpose before collecting or using data.
  • Do Not Call Registry: marketing calls and texts must be checked against it; fines up to S$1 million for an organisation.
  • Data breaches: fines up to 10% of Singapore turnover (above S$10 million), or S$1 million, since October 2022.
Landmark 81 and surrounding high-rises beside the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam

  • Personal Data Protection Law: passed June 2025, in force 1 January 2026; consent remains the basis.
  • Cross-border transfers: fines up to 5% of the previous year’s revenue, which matters for regional CRM and ad platforms.
  • Selling data: fines up to ten times the revenue earned; most other breaches are capped at 3bn ₫ (about US$115,000).
  • Small firms get five years’ grace on some paperwork.