Recently, students of the NTT Institute of International Education (NIIE) had the opportunity to participate in the workshop “Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)” led by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Linh Dan, MBA, a marketing expert with more than 33 years of industry experience.
The workshop speaker, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Linh Dan, MBA, has held numerous senior positions such as Deputy General Director at Vinpearl, CSMO at Liberty, Senior Director at Six Senses Con Dao, and is also a graduate of the National University of Singapore (NUS) as well as an entrepreneur–lecturer. With extensive hands-on experience across international corporations and domestic enterprises, she brought students a practical, vivid, and highly accessible perspective on the “communication language” of modern brands.
The workshop was designed to help students fully grasp IMC—an important cornerstone of all communication strategies. According to MSc. Linh Dan, IMC is like allowing the brand’s eight “voices” (Advertising, Digital, PR, Social Media, Sales Promotion, Direct Marketing, Personal Selling, Experiential Marketing) to tell the same story together. When these messages are aligned, the brand not only strengthens its identity but also creates deeper emotional resonance with customers.
During the session, the speaker guided students through IMC from a practical viewpoint rather than dry theory. Each communication tool was analyzed through well-known case studies—from multi-channel advertising campaigns and creative PR activities to how brands in Vietnam utilize TikTok, Facebook, or KOL/KOC in their digital strategies. Thanks to her relatable explanations, students could easily understand the “art of coordination” between channels—the key to success in modern communications.
One of the most engaging parts for students was the framework for building a communication strategy: defining objectives, analyzing customer insights, selecting platforms, developing content pillars, and measuring performance (reach, engagement, CTR, conversion, etc.). This knowledge is not only useful for coursework but also highly valuable for those pursuing a professional career in Marketing—especially in Social Media, Digital, and Brand Communication.
At the end of the session, students participated in a mini-activity: choosing a Vietnamese brand and proposing a communication channel improvement strategy. This hands-on exercise allowed them to immediately apply what they had learned, sharpening analytical thinking and campaign implementation skills. The classroom atmosphere became lively with many creative and breakthrough ideas.
The workshop concluded with overwhelmingly positive feedback from students. Many shared that the session helped them “connect the dots” between fundamental concepts that previously felt fragmented, while giving them a clearer understanding of the Marketing profession—a field that requires a harmonious blend of creativity, data, and strategy.
