1. Tết 2026 Trends Overview: Consumers Are Not Cutting Back - They’re Restructuring Spending
New tariff policies, averaging around 20% and even higher for certain transshipment goods, are creating pressure across supply chains and retail pricing. Vietnamese consumers are clearly feeling the economic impact of these changes.
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Instead of reducing Tết spending, consumers are adjusting their spending strategies. Recent market research identifies five dominant consumer behavior segments during Tết 2026:
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Thrivers (20%): Financially stable with savings accumulated; remain confident and willing to spend.
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Unchanged (22%): Maintain similar purchasing patterns compared to previous years.
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Cautious (15%): Continue to purchase but require clear proof of value before committing.
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Rebounders (18%): More optimistic about the future; spend selectively with renewed confidence.
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Strugglers (16%): Prioritize affordability and practicality; actively avoid waste.
Core Insight: Brands are no longer speaking to a single Tết shopper, but to multiple spending mindsets operating in parallel. This shift requires marketers to rethink budget allocation, messaging strategy, and creative formats for Tết 2026 campaigns.
2. Tết Accounts for Nearly 1/5 of Annual FMCG Revenue — A Critical Growth Pillar
One of the biggest misconceptions entering the Tết season is the belief that “Tết performance depends heavily on macroeconomic conditions.” However, FMCG data in Vietnam over the past five years suggests otherwise. Despite disruptions from the pandemic, inflation, and global economic pressures, the Tết season has consistently delivered stable and predictable growth. Between 2021 and 2025, FMCG sales during Tết significantly outperformed the Pre-Tết period, sustaining double-digit growth annually — with 2025 reaching an impressive +16% increase.
Beyond seasonal uplift, Tết plays a structurally important role in annual revenue composition. According to MAT data, Tết consistently contributes between 18.6% and 20.2% of total annual FMCG revenue over five consecutive years. In other words, nearly one out of every five FMCG revenue dollars in Vietnam comes from the Tết season.
This finding underscores a strategic reality: Tết is no longer a standalone seasonal campaign — it is a core growth driver with direct impact on full-year performance. For FMCG brands, underperforming during Tết does not only mean short-term revenue loss; it weakens long-term growth momentum.
3. Tết 2026 digital channel landscape: The game of scale and strategic roles
If Tết is the “golden window” of spending, digital platforms are where Tết 2026 purchase decisions are truly shaped. While Vietnam’s digital ecosystem remains fragmented, it maintains strong consumer penetration across generations:
- YouTube: With over 62.3 million users in Vietnam (61.5% reach), YouTube remains the leading platform for discovery and consideration-driven Tết content.
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Facebook: Reaches 70% of monthly active adults and functions as a community hub and action driver. During Tết 2026, Facebook is particularly effective among Gen X and Boomers, who play a significant role in household spending decisions. It is also the strongest platform for live commerce, rapid conversion, and last-minute promotional amplification.
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TikTok: With 40.9 million adult users (55.6% reach), TikTok continues to lead Tết trends, with 51% of users participating in Tết-related challenges and viral content. It acts as a powerful engine for inspiration-driven and impulse purchasing behavior.
>>> How much should you spend per day on advertising?
Generational differences in consumer behavior during Tết 2026 are increasingly evident. Gen Z and Millennials turn to TikTok and YouTube for inspiration and trends, while Gen X and Boomers rely on Facebook and YouTube for information and final purchase decisions. As social commerce becomes default behavior, consumers can discover, compare, and purchase within a single platform.
A one-size-fits-all content strategy across all channels will inevitably waste budget due to lack of platform optimization. Brands must strategically position YouTube as the content backbone, leverage TikTok to spark trend-driven engagement, and utilize Meta platforms to drive conversion and expand household reach.
4. Key takeaways: The new formula for Tết 2026 campaigns - Personas + Context + AI
For years, Tết marketing in Vietnam followed a familiar formula: reunion-themed storytelling, red-and-gold visuals, and emotional messaging broadcast across all channels. While once effective, Tết 2026 clearly exposes the limitations of generic strategies.
Data reveals growing fatigue among consumers toward repetitive Tết campaigns. Up to 47% of users actively skip ads, and 43% of Vietnamese consumers find Tết advertising intrusive due to Ad blindness. This is no longer a frequency issue — it is a relevance issue.
High reach alone no longer guarantees effectiveness. Tết 2026 campaigns must prioritize:
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Relevance: Deliver the right message aligned with consumer needs and decision stages.
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Context: Appear at the right moment, on the right platform, within the right shopping journey touchpoint.
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Interactivity: Enable participation, not just passive viewing — leveraging personalized and channel-specific creative formats designed for each digital platform.
>>> What is Contextual Intelligence and how does context-based advertising work?
Ultimately, Tết 2026 is no longer a race of “who spends more,” but a strategic challenge of “who understands better.” Brands must recognize that consumers are not cutting spending — they are restructuring it. Tết is not just a sales peak, but a structural revenue pillar. In a fragmented digital ecosystem, effectiveness comes from precision and relevance, not mass exposure.
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