💡 Why this matters — quick intro for Aussie creators
If you’re an Australian creator keen to land gigs with UK brands, you’ve probably thought: “Why would UK brands care about Zalo?” — fair question. Zalo is Vietnam’s dominant chat app and a major local touchpoint across some Southeast Asian markets. For UK brands that sell into Vietnam or run local campaigns, Zalo isn’t optional — it’s where customers are. Recent reporting shows Zalo being used for large-scale public messaging and platform updates, which underlines its national reach and operational importance (see thanhnien and cafef coverage).
At the same time, many UK labels and DTC brands are adopting digital-first playbooks — think influencer activations, paid social funnels, and hyperlocal drops. Zolo Label’s story (via their press material) is a useful parallel: starting Instagram-first, leaning into influencer activations and paid social, then translating online buzz into an IRL store launch and festival capsules. That same digital-first DNA is what drives brands to use local platforms and local creators for market-fit content.
This guide is a practical playbook for Australian creators who want to: (a) find UK brands that actually need Zalo-based localisation, (b) reach the right person or agency, and (c) pitch localised content that converts. No fluff, just steps you can action this week.
📊 Quick platform comparison — where Zalo fits
🧩 Metric | Zalo | WhatsApp Commerce | |
---|---|---|---|
👥 Local consumer reach | Very high (Vietnam) | High (global) | High in messaging commerce |
📈 Brand adoption for local campaigns | High for Vietnam-specific pushes | Very high for global brand storytelling | Medium — used for CRM/sales |
🛠️ Business tools (official) | Official Accounts & broadcast features | Creator tools, branded content tools | Business API & catalogue |
📬 Best contact route | Local distributor / marketing team / Official Account | Comms/partnerships inbox, DMs | Local sales reps / commerce team |
🎯 Best fit for creators | Local-language creatives, mini-ads, in-app commerce | Global storytelling, reels, UGC | Transactional content, product demos |
The table shows Zalo’s sweet spot: top-tier local reach in Vietnam and useful business features for brands running market-specific campaigns. Instagram remains the go-to for globally visible creative work, while WhatsApp Commerce is stronger where transactional messaging is the focus. If your target is UK brands running campaigns for Vietnamese audiences, Zalo is highly relevant — and knowing who to contact matters more than blasting DMs.
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💡 How to find UK brands that actually use Zalo (or need it)
- Start with the obvious: localisation signals
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Look for UK brands that list Vietnam/SEA shipping, localised pages, or local distributors on their website. Zolo Label’s approach in launching physical retail and festive capsule collections shows how brands scale locally once there’s product-market fit — brands making that leap are the ones investing in local channels.
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Check press releases and local partners
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Brands expanding into Vietnam often announce store launches, partnerships or capsule ranges. Scan trade press, local e‑commerce platforms and the brand’s press room for mentions of Vietnam or SEA distribution.
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Use LinkedIn like a pro
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Search for brand roles: “Marketing Manager Vietnam”, “SEA Partnerships”, “Head of APAC”. Those people are your entry point. If you find local agencies or distributors in Vietnam tied to a UK brand, they’re often the ones who run Zalo Official Accounts.
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Scan local social platforms and marketplaces
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If a UK brand is promoted on Vietnamese marketplaces or local influencers mention the brand on Zalo/Instagram, that’s a clear signal. Zalo’s use for public messaging and updates (reported in local press) suggests big brands and public services use it to reach mass audiences.
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Track agency partners and production houses
- UK brands often hire regional agencies (or global agencies with local teams) to run in-market activations. Agencies like Betasaurus — mentioned in Zolo’s case — show the model: digital-first agencies run paid social, influencers and conversion funnels. Find the agencies and pitch them as well.
📢 How to reach the right person — channels that actually work
- LinkedIn intro + a lightweight outreach pack: 1‑page creative idea and examples of previous localised work. Keep it short.
- Email to regional marketing or partnerships inboxes (found via LinkedIn or the brand’s website). Attach a one-page case study.
- Contact local distributors or PR agencies in Vietnam — they often manage local channel activations including Zalo Official Accounts.
- Engage the brand’s Vietnamese Official Account (if public) with smart commentary — be visible before pitching.
- Use agency networks: pitch not just the brand but a “local execution” you can deliver on Zalo — micro-ads, OA posts, short-form native videos.
Pro tip: when you reach out, show you’ve done homework. Mention market moments (e.g., a festival drop or Notting Hill‑style event crossover) and suggest how a Zalo-first mini-campaign would look.
🧩 What to pitch — sample content ideas that land in-market
- Micro-campaign: 3 Zalo OA posts + 4 short localised videos (15–30s) for in-app feeds, timed around a local festival.
- Hyperlocal UGC pack: 5 user-style clips in Vietnamese with English subtitles, ready for cross-posting on Instagram and Zalo.
- Flash-commerce funnel: Zalo broadcast + landing page + influencer unboxing livestream to drive limited drops (maps to the paid-social → influencer → landing model Zolo used).
- In-market testing pilot: 2-week Zalo-only experiment to test creatives and CTAs, with clear KPIs (messages read, clicks to landing page, orders).
Keep the deliverables measurable and local-language friendly. If you can offer Vietnamese scripts or a local MC, you’ll jump ahead of other creators who only offer English.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Can UK brands realistically be reached on Zalo?
💬 Yes — if the brand is targeting Vietnam or has a local distributor. Zalo is widely used for in‑market communication (see reports about Zalo’s mass messaging and platform updates from thanhnien and cafef). Your job is to find the brand’s Vietnam touchpoint — PR, distributor, or regional marketer — and pitch the localised idea.
🛠️ What’s the best outreach message for a UK brand?
💬 Lead with market value. Briefly say who you are, what you’ve done in-market, a 1‑line idea for a Zalo-specific campaign, and a clear next step (call or 10‑minute demo). Attach a tiny portfolio or link to a relevant reel — don’t bury them in attachments.
🧠 How much localisation do brands expect for Zalo?
💬 Brands expect native-level localisation: language, cultural hooks, correct currency and local festival timing. Use short, conversational Vietnamese or partner with a local translator/MC — that’s often the difference between a “nice” pitch and a contract.
💬 Outreach script (fast template you can copy)
Subject: Quick idea to help [Brand] sell in Vietnam — Zalo pilot
Hi [Name],
I’m [Your name], an Australian creator specialising in [niche]. I’ve worked with local teams to create Vietnamese-language UGC and micro-ads that convert (example: [link]).
Quick idea: a 2-week Zalo pilot around [local event/festival] — 3 OA posts + 4 short videos + a single broadcast push to drive drops. I can script and produce Vietnamese versions with English subtitles.
Can we do a 10‑minute call next week to show a sample mock-up?
Cheers,
[Name] | [Phone] | [Link to work]
🧩 Final thoughts
If you want to work with UK brands on Zalo, don’t treat Zalo as “another DM channel.” It’s a local ecosystem: find the regional owner, show market fit, and deliver Vietnamese-friendly ideas. Use LinkedIn to find the regional people, target agencies and distributors, and present a measurable pilot that aligns with the brand’s global strategy (like Zolo’s digital-first approach). And keep your pitches tidy — one clear idea beats a brainstormed essay.
📚 Further Reading
Here are 3 recent articles that give more context to this topic — all selected from verified sources. Feel free to explore 👇
🔸 UK Joins Brazil, Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia in Celebrating Notting Hill Carnival 2025 Alluring Visitors from US, Canada, France and Germany, New Info is Here
🗞️ Source: travelandtourworld – 📅 2025-08-24 07:51:21
🔗 Read Article
🔸 Uzi World Digital Celebrates 6 Years of Excellence in Digital Marketing
🗞️ Source: MENAFN – 📅 2025-08-24 08:12:10
🔗 Read Article
🔸 Africa doesn’t need saving, it needs better storytelling – Ellen Ukpi
🗞️ Source: BusinessDay – 📅 2025-08-24 08:09:08
🔗 Read Article
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📌 Disclaimer
This post blends publicly available info (including brand press material like Zolo Label’s digital-first story) with curated news items and a dash of AI help. It’s intended to guide creators — not legal or contractual advice. Always verify contacts and platform rules before committing. If anything looks off, ping me and I’ll tidy it up.