After Gen Z, Millennials are gravitating toward Threads  

Meta's new social networking app Threads, launched in July 2023, is experiencing accelerated growth in Vietnam. According to Decision Lab's latest "Connected Consumer Report" for Q2 2024, Threads is rapidly expanding its user base beyond Gen Z, with Millennials increasingly adopting the platform.  

In Q2 2024, Threads achieved an overall penetration rate of 10% in Vietnam, a significant 5 percentage point increase from the previous quarter. This growth was driven by strong adoption across age groups:  

• Gen Z penetration increased by 6 percentage points  

• Gen Y saw a remarkable 7 percentage point surge in penetration  

The substantial growth among Millennials is particularly noteworthy, as it indicates Threads is successfully broadening its appeal beyond its initial Gen Z core users.  

In the realm of social media, it is often observed that Gen Z tends to be the first to embrace and adopt new platforms. This trend has been consistently witnessed across various social media apps, such as TikTok and YouTube, where this generation of users eagerly explore and set trends in the digital spaces. Threads' penetration rate in Vietnam shares the same characteristic. As Gen Z begins to populate the platform with content, engage with its features, and share their voices, they inadvertently create a buzz that gradually captures the attention of older generations.  

Furthermore, the expansion of Threads to Gen Y could also be partially attributed to the platform's nature as a micro-blogging site. Millennials, born between 1981 and 1997, were the first to adopt the internet and are very familiar with online blogging platforms. This familiarity makes Threads, with the nature of a text-based social media, becomes easier to adopt.  

As the platform continues its rapid surge, it presents a growing opportunity for brands and marketers looking to connect with digital users. However, the long-term sustainability of Threads' growth remains to be seen. In a context where other platforms are also innovating to retain users, Threads will need to continue evolving its features, user experience, and offerings to provide more incentives and maintain its momentum. The platform's ability to adapt to changing user preferences, address potential challenges, and differentiate itself from competitors will be crucial factors in determining its future success in Vietnam's dynamic social media landscape.  

Download the full Connected Consumer Q2 2024 report now.   

TikTok is becoming increasingly indispensable in Vietnam’s media consumption landscape  

After a slight setback in the previous quarter, TikTok has regained its momentum, achieving an all-time high penetration rate of 68% in Q2 2024. Among the Top 5 social media platforms, TikTok stands out as the sole app to exhibit growth during this period, highlighting its resilience and increasing popularity.  

In the Connected Consumer Q2 2024 report, we have a metric called "Top primary apps," which measures the one social media platform that Vietnamese people consider most essential in their daily lives. According to the data, Facebook, Zalo, and YouTube emerged as the top three platforms that Vietnamese users cannot live without.  

Since Q1 2023, Facebook and YouTube experienced a declining trend in their perceived indispensability among Vietnamese users. Meanwhile, Zalo, a homegrown messaging app, saw a slight increase in its overall chosen rate. Nevertheless, when comparing Q2 2024 to the previous quarter, all three platforms have encountered a decrease in favorability, albeit with some variations across different age groups.  

Amidst these fluctuations, TikTok emerged as the only social media app to consistently increase its indispensability, reaching an impressive 11% in Q2 2024. Moreover, the platform has demonstrated favorability across all generations over the same period. This significant performance solidifies TikTok's growing influence on the Vietnamese media consumption landscape and showcases its ability to thrive in a highly competitive market.  

Download the full Connected Consumer Q2 2024 report now.   

YouTube faces new challenges as Vietnamese digital users are shifting in preference    

In Q2 2024, YouTube experienced a decline in the Vietnamese market, with decreases in both long and short-form video consumption, as well as in the movie, music, and TV show streaming categories. The platform saw a drop in penetration rates ranging from 2 to 5 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, signaling a change in user preferences.  

Notably, YouTube's core strength of music videos and entertaining videos suffered a 4-percentage point decline this quarter, with the penetration rate now standing at 82%. This is particularly alarming for YouTube, as these categories have been among its key drivers of its success in the Vietnamese market.

On a positive note, YouTube remains the platform of choice for mindless browsing, with a 3% increase in preference rate, particularly among Gen Z and Gen Y users. This presents a unique opportunity for brands to connect with their target audience, as users in a mindless browsing state are more open to discovering and engaging with new content and ideas. Brands can capitalise on this by creating compelling, visually appealing, and emotionally resonant content that seamlessly integrates with the user's browsing experience.   

Thue Quist Thomasen, CEO at Decision Lab, shared:  

“The second quarter of 2024 witnessed shifts in the role of social media platforms in the lives of the Vietnamese. While some platforms experienced a clear rise in popularity, capturing the hearts of digital users, others faced challenges in regaining their growth momentum. As consumer behaviour continues to evolve, so does the digital landscape.  

Therefore, to thrive in this dynamic environment, businesses must remain agile and proactive. Closely monitoring user preferences and adapting strategies accordingly is crucial to engage with target audiences and maintain a competitive edge.”  

For more insights from Decision Lab’s Connected Consumer Report, download the full Q2 2024 report for FREE here. To get in touch about our entire suite of agile marketing products, reach out to one of our expert consultants today.