“When one door closes, another one opens”. This was certainly true for Vietnamese entrepreneur, Phi Ngoc Chung. He turned a major setback into a life-changing opportunity, building a thriving business that today celebrates the rich flavors and traditions of Vietnamese cuisine.
From market stalls to store shelves: Trung Thanh Food’s Vietnamese fish sauce
In the early 1990s, Phi Ngoc Chung found himself at a daunting crossroads after losing his job through “economic restructuring”. Struggling to make ends meet, he started selling ice-cream on the streets of Hanoi.
One thing led to another, and Phi started distributing traditional fish sauce – a staple ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine – at local markets. The selling process was far from convenient or hygienic; customers had to bring their own containers to be filled at the market.
Phi saw an opportunity. He could bottle and label the fish sauce, making it both more practical and more appealing to consumers. A new venture began, and, in 1995, Trung Thanh Foods was born. By 1998 it was a registered trademark in Viet Nam, and within three years, Trung Thanh Foods was already venturing into the Chinese market, albeit using national means of trademark protection.
An evolving product line that meets shifting customer needs
As time moved on, so too did Trung Thanh Foods product range. Fish sauce led to chili sauce, which led to vinegar, canned vegetables and more. Based on extensive market research, the company has today developed a range of over 200 food products, and Trung Thanh Foods has become one of Viet Nam’s leading manufacturers of spices and food products.
This success is in part built on the company’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs and preferences of its customers.
But what sets its products apart from the competition? Huong Nguyen – Trung Thanh Foods' Chief Strategy Officer – explains:
"We use only authentic natural ingredients from responsible local suppliers. We prioritize safety and quality through modern. Most importantly, our products stay true to traditional Vietnamese flavors while continuously evolving."
Protecting Trung Thanh Foods: From Hanoi to the world
Trung Thanh Foods quickly became a household name in Viet Nam’s domestic food industry and soon set its sights on international markets.
Expanding globally presented a whole new set of trademark protection challenges.
The solution? In 2008, Trung Thanh Foods registered its Vietnamese trademark through WIPO's Madrid System, enabling the company to protect its brand "Trung Thanh" in multiple countries with just one application.
Its target markets were Australia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sudan and the United Kingdom (UK).
The criteria behind this choice? "We knew we had a good chance of exporting our products to these markets, some of which have strong Vietnamese communities. We were particularly successful in Japan and the Republic of Korea, where culinary preferences overlap with ours. It made it easier to introduce Vietnamese seasonings into the local food culture!" says Huong Nguyen.
Expansion into other markets proved more challenging. The company had to re-evaluate.
"We renewed our strategy and updated our brand identity with a new name and new logo. In 2018, we filed a new international trademark registration for “Trung Thanh FOODS”, focusing on markets with the highest potential while eliminating countries where we'd experienced less success."
Huong Nguyen
Staying true to Vietnamese flavor and tradition
“It’s not easy to take those first steps into a different country. It’s not just the physical process of filing for trademark protection; it’s the legal procedures – examination can be especially tough. Our strategy at the beginning was simply to survive. As the legal environment has grown and competition has become more intense, our strategy has become more aggressive,” Huong Nguyen tells us.
Her advice? “Understand your customers. Do your market research. Food seasoning is a key contributor to development of Viet Nam’s culinary culture. We are constantly tracking shifting consumer preferences and refining our approach to better connect with our customers, both at home and abroad. Though we have updated our packaging and logo to be more modern and align with current trends, our products have stayed true to Vietnamese flavor and tradition."
Tapping into diaspora communities proved especially effective:
"Vietnamese consumers abroad helped us build a presence in different countries by introducing our authentic flavors to local consumers." Of course, we are continually researching more potential markets, first checking local trademark registration requirements!"
Huong Nguyen
The Madrid System – a beacon of light on international horizons
Today, Trung Thanh Foods' international trademark registration protects their brand in Australia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the European Union (all 27 countries), and the UK –all managed in one language and one currency.
"The Madrid System has been extremely helpful to us," Mai Truong from Trung Thanh Foods’ intellectual property department, explains. "For a food manufacturing company like ours, it's not just about cost and time savings – it's about operational efficiency. The System simplified our trademark registration process while reducing legal risks and cutting costs in half."
What makes the Madrid System particularly valuable for Trung Thanh Foods is its centralized approach to brand management across borders. As Mai notes, "Its centralized mechanism makes monitoring our trademark portfolio straightforward, and as our business grows, we can easily expand protection into new key markets."
The company has redirected resources previously spent on complex international filings toward core business development. Standardized procedures across territories have eliminated the need to navigate different legal systems for each country, streamlining their global brand protection strategy.
"We would certainly recommend it to other businesses," Mai emphasizes. "It's an invaluable tool for any enterprise looking to protect its trademarks abroad."
Future growth powered by IP protection
The story of Trung Thanh Foods demonstrates how strategic trademark protection through the Madrid System can support international business growth. From a street vendor's makeshift operation to an international brand, the company's journey showcases the power of combining quality products with solid IP protection.
It’s a journey that’s far from over.
Trung Thanh Foods continues to research potential markets, always checking local trademark requirements first – a practice that has served them well as they transformed from local producer to international player.
"With the support of our IP agent and experts from WIPO, we will definitely further develop our brand globally," Mai states confidently.
Find out more about Trung Thanh Food’s international trademark registrations.
More about the Madrid System
The Madrid System is a convenient and cost-effective solution for registering trademarks in up to 130 countries by filing one application and paying one set of fees.
