Register for Vietnam iContent Awards 2025 nominations here.

While social media campaigns in 2024 still heavily relied on KOLs and KOCs, in 2025, content created by ordinary citizens has taken the lead. Clips capturing everyday moments and offering intimate perspectives quickly spread, attracting millions of views and shares. This demonstrates the public's increasing trust in authentic experiences over promotional messages from celebrities.

Several community campaigns clearly illustrate this trend. In Lam Binh (Tuyen Quang), instead of waiting for official promotional campaigns, locals picked up cameras, started YouTube channels, and began livestreaming to tell their stories. Videos showcasing brocade weaving, souvenir sales, or the scenic beauty of mountains and streams were widely shared on various platforms, offering both a rustic charm and a glimpse into daily life.

During the National Day celebrations, social media was flooded with videos produced by young people and the community: from flag-raising ceremonies on the morning of 2/9, images of the red flag with a yellow star fluttering, to cyberspace awash in red. This shared sentiment created a powerful wave, attracting millions of views and comments, demonstrating the unifying power of patriotism when told through everyday perspectives.

The strength of citizen media is also evident in Vietnam Vibes by Vietravel, a contest launched by VnExpress open to all generations, regardless of age or equipment. With just a phone or camera and a keen eye, anyone can tell a story about Vietnam through their personal lens.

After over a month, Vietnam Vibes received hundreds of entries from across the country, overseas Vietnamese communities, and international friends. The content varied, from natural landscapes and urban life to community activities and portraits. Although many submissions were shot on phones, they conveyed genuine emotions and creative perspectives.

The entry "Beauty of Peace" by Dang Van Nguyen submitted to the Vietnam Vibes organizers. Photo: Dang Van Nguyen

The entry "Beauty of Peace" by Dang Van Nguyen submitted to the Vietnam Vibes organizers. Photo: Dang Van Nguyen

Similarly, the organizers of the Vietnam Tourism Impression 2025 contest received numerous entries not from professional crews but from tourists and locals. A phone was enough for them to capture the beach at sunrise, ancient houses in a village, or the friendly smile of a street vendor. This authenticity and intimacy allowed these photos and videos to achieve greater reach than elaborate yet impersonal productions.

In an interview with VnExpress, Le Quang Tu Do, Director General of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, said that the wave of citizen media is on the rise. KOLs and KOCs now play a role in inspiring and encouraging, but the most viral videos are made by ordinary people, achieving significant interaction.

This wave of citizen media not only reflects the growing maturity of social media users, but also opens up opportunities for creative combinations of culture, art, and the digital space, where each individual can become a "storyteller" with a powerful reach.

In addition, media channels of news agencies are growing stronger, becoming KOLs and KOCs themselves. Recently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism launched the "Vietnam Shines" communication campaign on TikTok, which has reached 1.4 billion views, largely thanks to media dissemination.

However, KOLs, KOCs, and influencers are still considered an important force in the context of the digital technology and social media boom. Authorities have repeatedly affirmed their crucial role in shaping social perceptions, leading trends, promoting creativity and advertising, and contributing to spreading Vietnamese values and identity to the world. However, influencers who exploit their fame to break the law, sell counterfeit goods, provide opaque information, or make inappropriate statements or exhibit unacceptable lifestyles should face strict penalties.

In recent weeks, Mua do (Red Rain), the highest-grossing Vietnamese film in history, offered an interesting example. Many viewers were surprised to see famous KOLs appearing as extras - from members of the negotiating team (Huy NL, or Nguyen Lac Huy - Director of Schannel Company), soldiers in battle (Hai Trieu, David Vink), to family members on the home front, seeing off their loved ones to war (Ha Pu). Though brief, these appearances added a touch of novelty, incorporating elements of digital life into cinematic art.

KOL Huy NL (Nguyen Lac Huy), Director of Schannel Company, participates in Vietnam iContent 2025 at the program's launch in Hanoi on 10/9. Photo: Tung Dinh

KOL Huy NL (Nguyen Lac Huy), Director of Schannel Company, participates in Vietnam iContent 2025 at the program's launch in Hanoi on 10/9. Photo: Tung Dinh

Following a successful first season that brought together digital content creators with the government, brands, platforms, and advertising agencies, Vietnam iContent 2025 has even greater expectations: not only to honor outstanding individuals but also to serve as a platform for launching community-benefitting communication campaigns and sharing experiences to prepare for more effective activities in 2026.

Vietnam iContent Awards 2025 is co-organized by the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and VnExpress. The event revolves around the theme "Vietnam Shines," boasting a larger scale and broader vision than the first season, with 10 awards across three categories.

The Digital Creator category includes five awards: Digital Content Creator of the Year; Digital Content Creation Organization of the Year; Promising Digital Content Creator; Inspiring Digital Content Creator; and Most Popular Digital Content Creator.

The Digital Product category has three awards: Inspiring Music; Inspiring Video; and Digital Phenomenon of the Year.

The For the Community category includes two awards: Organization for the Community and Individual for the Community.

The organizers are accepting nominations from 4/9-25/9, with voting taking place from 3/10-24/10, the finals from 30/10 to 18/11, and the awards gala on 29/11 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Overview of the launch ceremony of Vietnam Digital Content Creation Day - Vietnam iContent 2025 on 10/9. Video: Van Ngoc - Yen Chi

Hieu Chau