Network Vietnam
Qualitative market research agency in Vietnam
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Vietnam, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to mobile diaries and shop-alongs, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Vietnam has 102 million people with a median age of 33.4, and 84.2 per cent of them use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south are more than 1,000 kilometres apart and differ in taste, vocabulary and the way people spend. MindMarket has run in-depth interviews there for a European skincare brand.
AT A GLANCE
Vietnam at a glance for researchers
- Population. 102 million people, median age 33.4, 41.1 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). A young country where most people still live outside the big cities.
- Languages. Vietnamese, with accent and everyday words that differ between north, centre and south. Outside young professional circles, few participants are comfortable in English. Our moderators live in Vietnam and work in Vietnamese; your team follows through translation.
- Internet and mobile. 85.6 million internet users, 84.2 per cent of the population, and 137 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026): more connections than people.
- Where fieldwork happens. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, as two separate reads, then Da Nang for the centre and Can Tho for the Mekong Delta when the decision is national.
- Data protection. Vietnam's Law on Personal Data Protection has been in force since 1 January 2026. We ask for consent before every session and explain what is recorded and for what purpose.
- Timing. Tet, the Lunar New Year in January or February, stops fieldwork for at least a week, and the weeks before it are busy for every household. The long weekends of 30 April and 2 September, and heavy rain in the south from May to October, also shape the calendar.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Vietnam?
Vietnam is a young market that changes from one year to the next, and two cities that have never agreed on taste. A study that treats it as one audience reports the average of two different answers.
- Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, studied apart. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City differ in what people buy, how openly they spend and what they call everyday things. We recruit and moderate each city locally, and compare the two with you.
- Who else decides. The median age is 33.4, and many purchases are made in households where several generations live together. We ask at recruitment who else has a say, and include them when the decision is shared.
- Diaries on the phone. With 137 million mobile connections for 102 million people, the phone is the natural research tool. Mobile diaries with photos and short videos show a routine as it happens, between two interviews.
- Groups of people close in age. In a group, younger participants tend to let older ones speak first. Groups of people close in age, and a moderator who asks twice, bring out the view a participant would share with a friend.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Vietnam?
- Recruiters work city by city, in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang, so the north and the south are each screened by people who live there.
- Quotas are set by city first, then by age, income and category use, so that the two cities can be compared.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Vietnam?
Most studies in Vietnam run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with mobile diaries, shop-alongs or ethnographic home visits when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Skincare, health, money and other private subjects | Forms of address; a local moderator sets the right distance |
| Focus groups | Concepts and packaging, run separately in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City | One group for north and south; it hides the difference |
| Mobile diaries | Skincare, meals and shopping, shown in photos and short videos | Short daily tasks; long forms are abandoned |
| Shop-alongs | Wet markets, convenience stores and malls where the choice is made | Traffic and heat; plan one neighbourhood per session |
| Home visits | Cooking, cleaning and family routines | Several generations at home; agree who takes part |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Vietnam
How much does market research cost in Vietnam?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Vietnam added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Covering both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City moves the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Vietnam?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A fieldwork house in Ho Chi Minh City fits a team that brings its own moderator; a regional network fits large tracking studies. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Vietnam that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Should I research Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or both?
Both, when the decision is national. The two cities differ in taste, spending and vocabulary, and a concept that wins in one can fall flat in the other. For a first read on a limited budget, start with the city where your product will launch.
Do sessions in Vietnam need to run in Vietnamese?
Yes. Vietnamese changes its forms of address with the age and standing of the person spoken to, and a moderator who lives in Vietnam uses them to put a participant at ease. English reaches some young professionals and few consumers. Your team follows through translation.
Can interviews in Vietnam run online?
Yes, with urban audiences: 84.2 per cent of the population uses the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), most of them on a phone. Groups, shop-alongs and home visits run in person, as do sessions with people outside the cities.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Vietnam told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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