From Vietnam to Japan: Lessons in Marketing, Branding, and Adaptability
Strategic Marketing & E-commerce Expert | AI Digital Innovations | Retention Programming | Results-Driven
Over the past five months, I’ve journeyed through Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan—not just to explore, but to observe how different cultures approach business, customer service, and branding. As someone deeply invested in marketing and consulting, I found that each country offered unique lessons, with experiences ranging from inspiring to cautionary.
Here’s what I learned about how businesses can build trust, maintain loyalty, and create lasting impressions in a global marketplace.
Vietnam: Building Trust Through Customer Care
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In Vietnam, I rented an electric scooter from a young entrepreneur named Stephan, whose business, The Motor Station, stood out in a crowded market. Unlike the petrol-powered bikes prevalent in the area, his company catered to eco-conscious Western travelers by offering electric scooters—easier to navigate for first-timers and aligned with sustainability values.
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ready to ride
What truly set Stephen apart was his exceptional customer service. He spoke about his family in Seattle, connected with customers over shared interests like football, and even directed foreigners to the best ATMs with no fees. When I misplaced my keys at a farmers’ market, he came immediately to help, leveraging his local knowledge to solve the problem seamlessly.
Though his scooters were priced higher than competitors’, his attentiveness built trust and justified the premium. It’s a reminder that in business, exceptional customer care often outweighs cost in customers’ decision-making.
Macro View: A survey found that 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. Furthermore, 95% of consumers say customer service influences their brand loyalty. Businesses that invest in customer care not only increase their value proposition but also build lifelong advocates.
Thailand: The Pitfall of Short-Term Strategies
In contrast, my time in Thailand revealed the risks of prioritizing immediate gains over long-term trust. In the area I stayed, locals would often mislead tourists, claiming temples were closed to divert them to shops or stalls. This tactic may have driven quick sales, but it left visitors feeling deceived.
This experience illustrates the dangers of manipulative marketing. While such strategies may produce short-term revenue, they erode trust and damage brand equity, leaving a lasting negative impression.
Macro View:Studies show that 49% of consumers have left a brand in the past year due to poor customer experience. Short-term strategies that compromise authenticity can harm a business’s reputation and undermine long-term sustainability.
break in case of emergency
Japan: The Quiet Power of Confidence
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In Japan, the approach to marketing was refreshingly understated. From restaurants to nail salons, the unspoken message was clear: We offer the best; take it or leave it. There were no pushy sales tactics or elaborate pitches—just a quiet confidence in the quality of their offerings.
This approach inspired respect. It showed me that when a brand delivers consistent excellence, it doesn’t need to oversell. The product or service speaks for itself, and customers recognize its value without coercion.
Macro View: According to research, 88% of buyers say that experience matters as much as a company’s products or services. Japan’s approach demonstrates how confidence in quality can build trust and loyalty without gimmicks or overselling
Conclusion: Global Lessons for a Connected World
From Vietnam’s personalized service to Japan’s quiet confidence and Thailand’s cautionary tale, these experiences offered a wealth of insights into the art of building relationships with customers. Successful branding and marketing go beyond selling a product—they involve understanding cultural nuances, fostering trust, and delivering authentic value.
As I move forward in my career, I will bring these lessons into my work. Whether consulting on brand strategy, crafting campaigns, or navigating global markets, my global perspective and culturally informed approach are invaluable assets. In an increasingly connected world, these experiences remind us that empathy and adaptability are at the heart of every successful strategy.
by Misty McAfee
With over 1,000 mass shootings in schools, malls, and public spaces across the United States, Congress has done nothing to curb these devastating attacks. They’ve failed to prioritize the physical safety of American families, yet they’ve mobilized with unprecedented speed to target TikTok, claiming it poses a digital threat by potentially sharing data with China. But what about the real and present dangers we face every day? Even more ironic, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg—one of the loudest voices against TikTok—already has all our data and sells it to China. So, what are we really doing here?
TikTok is more than an app; it’s a digital town square where 150 million Americans connect, create, and thrive. For 40% of its users, TikTok is a source of income—whether through side hustles or full-time jobs. It’s a platform where small businesses gain visibility they could never afford through traditional advertising.
Beyond business, it’s also a tool for mobilization and community care. Jimmy Medina, owner of Tacos Los Huicholes, credits TikTok for sparking his wildfire relief efforts in Los Angeles. “It all started with a TikTok Live,” he said, describing how the platform helped him organize goods and donations for families affected by the recent and ongoing fires. TikTok isn’t just entertainment—it’s a lifeline for connection, compassion, and action.
Here’s where it gets even more troubling: there is no precedent in congressional law for banning what is essentially a public forum. Legal experts have pointed out that this move flies in the face of the First Amendment and the very principles of democracy. The town square—whether physical or virtual—has always been a cornerstone of free speech in America. For Congress to dismantle TikTok is to undermine the First Amendment itself.
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Adding insult to injury, Congress has received hundreds of thousands of calls from constituents opposing the ban, yet they seem more interested in appeasing corporate lobbyists than representing the American people.
This isn’t democracy—it’s corporate influence disguised as national security. It’s a betrayal of everything Americans are taught to believe about their government: that it serves the people, not special interests.
And then, in a move that feels straight out of Gen X culture—an homage to Judd Nelson’s iconic character in The Breakfast Club—TikTok users collectively shrugged and said, “Oh yeah? You’re scared of the Chinese government getting our data? Fine, we’ll give it to them directly.”
Millions have flocked to Red Note, a Chinese app whose name feels like a cheeky nod to the anti-communist fears driving this debate. This collective defiance is as much a statement about solidarity as it is a critique of the government’s misplaced priorities.
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This issue is deeply personal to me. Since joining TikTok in 2019, the platform has transformed how I learn, connect, and grow. Through TikTok, I discovered Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which helped me heal trauma that kept me stuck in unproductive loops for years. I’ve learned practical tips—how to fold a chip bag to keep chips fresh, chop wood efficiently, and incorporate chlorophyll into my water.
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But more than that, TikTok has connected me to a global community. I’ve found people who share my humor, who love deeply, and who care about their families in ways that are both familiar and inspiring.
TikTok isn’t just an app; it’s a lifeline for knowledge, connection, and creativity.
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The truth is, this isn’t about national security. It’s about control.
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TikTok amplifies voices the government and corporations can’t dominate, provides opportunities outside traditional power structures, and gives marginalized groups a platform to speak and be heard. That makes it a threat—not to our safety, but to the status quo.
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By threatening to ban TikTok, Congress has inadvertently sparked a movement. Americans have made it clear: they won’t allow their rights to be trampled in the name of lobbyist dollars. The digital town square is alive and well, and its future depends on the collective will of those who refuse to let it be silenced.
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This isn’t just about an app. It’s about the future of free speech, the limits of government overreach, and the power of people to stand up for their rights—online and off.
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by Misty McAfee
#tiktokrefugees #congress #USgov #genx
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On the Other Side of the World,
I Did Something Permanent.
An unexpected decision in a quiet Vietnamese beach town.
by Misty McAfee
I’ll never understand why, in a restaurant full of empty tables, a large party inevitably picks the table next to a person blissfully typing away in solitude. Maybe they're hoping I’ll overhear the conversation about how the vacay is going, or perhaps they're tired of each other’s vocal fry and think sitting near a Western-looking stranger might somehow elevate the gossip. I imagine they’ve convinced themselves that I’m pleasantly entertained by their banter, instead of silently judging them more harshly than their Aussie minds would expect. There’s an outpouring of laughter, and two women glance hopefully in my direction.
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They have that ‘Did you hear how funny we are?’ look in their Melbourne eyes.
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Yes, I eavesdropped.
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But I didn’t find it amusing, and I refuse to give you a reaction—not even a slight lift from one of my freshly tattooed brows.
Yesterday, I had my lips and eyebrows tattooed at a small shop in An Bang, Vietnam. I’d never considered having this done before—not even a fleeting thought in my vain LA head. But when Sue, the shop owner, mentioned this service while performing my pedicure, I started asking about the price and when it could be done. Sue said she’d send pics of previous clients and how ‘natural’ the procedure looks when it’s finished.
If she sends the pics, I’ll take a look, but it would be unhinged to permanently tattoo my lips and eyebrows anywhere on earth, much less at some rando spa near the beach in Vietnam.
Two hours later, I texted Sue and reminded her about sending the before-and-after pictures. Within minutes, I’m viewing 12 photos of four women who look similar to me in terms of hair and skin tone.
At first, I’m zooming in on their lips, struggling to see the difference, until I realized she’d only sent the eyebrow photos. They do look natural, I’ll give her that. But there’s another problem I haven’t discussed with Sue. One I can barely admit to myself. Due to congenital scoliosis, my eyebrows aren’t just ‘cousins instead of sisters’—one comes from a waspy family on the East Coast, and the other has deep ties to hillbillies in the remote Appalachian trails. My natural bone structure places one eyebrow closer to the bridge of my nose than its counterpart perched perfectly above my left eyelid.
Can this tattoo artist Sue brings in match my brows and enhance my lips to the perfect shade of peach/pink? Highly doubtful. I’m going to ask how much and then be done with this foolish self-administered prank.
Before the Tattoo Artist arrives...
I decide to get a neck and shoulder massage. This adds another $250,000 VND to my $4.2M VND tab. It turns out the lips are $3M and the brows are $2M, or maybe it’s the other way around. Sue offered a package deal for a cool $4.2M VND. Currently, that’s $172.20 USD, cheaper than the back-alley microblading Groupon my brows endured 4 years ago. That experience left me feeling like Groucho Marx for four days and then like vanishing ink 4 months later.
'This is a dumb move, I think you’re trying to avoid writing. Don’t do this!' some inner critic pleads as a Vietnamese woman digs her elbow between my shoulder blades. ‘Everything always works out for me, especially when I throw caution to the wind and do something truly foolish,’ I remind my critical voice.
A young Vietnamese man dressed in black with Elvis-style coiffed hair requests that I lay face up on one of the massage tables. He applies numbing cream to my lips and places a square of saran wrap over them.
“Ten minutes,” he says.
Surely, he’s going to poke a hole in this wrap so I can mouth-breathe while we wait. He does not, and I’m grateful I spontaneously took a decongestant with my hormone pills this morning. Sue frequently checks on my comfort level. It’s currently low season (fewer tourists) in Vietnam, and Sue appears unduly appreciative of my purchases.
The ‘artist’ removes the saran wrap square and mixes colors. I realize this will be my first tattoo. I’ve managed 53 years without permanently defaming my body. The last 7 years were the easiest to turn down. I’ve had a premonition that Larry David would fall hopelessly in love with me, and we’d both be grateful that at the very least, I was a shiksa with no tattoos. Sorry, Larry, I’ve added another hurdle to our love story.
The buzzing from Elvis’s instrument hums in my ear, and we’re off to the Lisa Rinna races. It feels like my lips fell asleep and someone is continually using a tiny ice pick to wake them back up. Every ‘mistake’ I’ve made soars from ear tube to ear tube as this complete stranger inks my lips. The final result is more coral than I’d instructed, but I’ve been told the color will minimize in three days' time. It seems the asymmetrical issue is also affecting my lips. Sue and I convince tiny Elvis to add a couple of coral dots above my right lip line. Perfect.
I tell them both about my biological defect, and even though there’s a language barrier, I think they understand I’m rubbish. They are literally putting lipstick on a ‘pig’.
The numbing of the brows commences, and before long, we’re back in the mirror judging my skewed features and what miracles The King has managed. It seems we’re almost perfect, and when I suggest a few more lines, he tells me it would not look natural if they were too perfect. Oh, yeah. Like me.
I can feel my puffy lips aching for aloe vera and I ask the waiter for my check. The table of Aussies now openly stare in my direction. Realizing I look like the female version of the Joker, I raise a perfectly inked brow and slurp the last contents of my coconut iced coffee, pleased that sometimes, the boldest choices are the ones you don't have to explain to anyone but yourself.
