Decision Lab’s latest Connected Consumer Report for Q4 2025 reveals that while platform leadership holds, choices of consumers are becoming more intentional. This quarter also features a deep dive into Vietnam’s car ride-hailing category, revealing how customer satisfaction, service quality, and feature ecosystems are emerging as decisive drivers of platform preference and usage.
Platform leadership remains stable in Q4 2025, with Facebook continuing to hold its leading position in Vietnam’s social media landscape, followed closely by Zalo and YouTube. TikTok and Instagram have rebounded to their earlier positions seen in the first half of 2025, while Threads has seen significant growth this quarter, reflecting rising interest in emerging spaces alongside established platforms.
At the same time, generational preferences are beginning to re-diverge. Facebook remains highly attractive to Gen Y, but is showing declining appeal among Gen Z. In contrast, Zalo is gaining importance among younger audiences, overtaking YouTube to enter Gen Z’s top three must-have apps, a shift that may reflect how this generation is increasingly relying on Zalo for more practical communication needs as they transition into the workforce. These shifts suggest that while overall usage remains steady quarter-on-quarter, the “must-have” platform mix is evolving subtly across generations, reinforcing the need for brands to treat each platform as a distinct content environment rather than relying on a single cross-generational playbook.
Download the full Connected Consumer Q4 2025 report.
Consolidated car ride-hailing market reveals distinct strength between Grab and Xanh SM
This quarter highlights a clear shift in momentum at the top of Vietnam’s ride-hailing market. Grab remains the most widely used platform overall with the highest usage penetration, supported by its broad range of services compared with other platforms. Meanwhile, Xanh SM recorded a strong growth of 18% versus Q4 last year, indicating notable momentum and an increasing ability to narrow the gap with the market leader.
In the car segment, Xanh SM Taxi now surpasses GrabCar in recent usage, with 65% of users having used the taxi service in the past three months, compared to 61% for Grab. This growth is driven by Xanh SM Taxi’s strong focus on experience-led factors, including ride comfort, vehicle quality, and service professionalism, which have translated into the highest customer satisfaction levels in the category.
As a result, Xanh SM Taxi also leads in advocacy, recording the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS), indicating that its customers are more likely to continue using the service and recommend it to others.
In comparison, GrabCar’s strengths continue to lie in its multiple in-app features, stable app performance, and competitive pricing for consumers.
In the two-wheeler segment, GrabBike remains the market leader with the highest level of frequent usage. While Xanh SM Bike has yet to close the gap with GrabBike in bike ride-hailing, the platform continues to expand its presence steadily.
In a market long dominated by international platforms, the rise of Xanh SM highlights how a Vietnamese brand can compete effectively on home ground, using service quality and user experience to challenge established global players.
Shopee continues to lead online shopping penetration by a wide margin. With the exception of TikTok Shop’s slight rebound, declining usage across other platforms points to clearer consumer separation between platforms used for purposeful shopping and those used mainly for browsing. Shopee remains the preferred platform for purchase-driven use, with no material narrowing of the gap from competitors.
Download the full Connected Consumer Q4 2025 report.
Mr. Thue Quist Thomasen, CEO of Decision Lab, advises brands to:
“As engagement growth slows, the challenge for brands is no longer about being everywhere, but about being effective where it matters. Platform leadership may be stable, but loyalty is increasingly fragmented and preferences are re-diverging by generation. Brands that win will be those that sharpen their channel strategy, optimise for content relevance, and invest in platforms that drive deeper engagement, not just reach.”
Download the full Connected Consumer Q4 2025 report.