As the Lunar New Year approaches, every year on the 30th night of the lunar calendar, the Táo quân program becomes an indispensable spiritual dish on the New Year’s Eve table of every family. Being one of the most watched TV programs during the Tet holiday in Vietnam, the cost of advertising in the program is certainly not cheap.
According to the price list of TVAd Advertising and Television Services Center (TVAd) under Vietnam Television, the cost of advertising in the Táo Quân 2024 program (Lunar New Year’s Eve of the Đinh Thìn year) is determined as follows: 10 seconds costs 322 million VND; 15 seconds costs 378 million VND; 20 seconds costs 484 million VND; 30 seconds costs 645 million VND.
Therefore, if any brand wants to appear for about 1 minute in the Táo quân 2024 program, they will have to spend at least about 1.2 billion VND (Price does not include VAT). This figure is completely superior to the earning potential per minute of leading businesses on the stock exchange.
According to statistics, the entire Vietnam stock exchange has more than 20 businesses (not including the financial group) that recorded revenues of over 1 billion USD (~ 24,000 billion VND) in 2023. The champion still belongs to the familiar name Petrolimex with a net revenue of more than 274,000 billion VND, equivalent to about 522 million VND per minute. With a system of up to 5,500 gasoline stations nationwide, Petrolimex is the leading distributor and retailer of petroleum in Vietnam, accounting for about 50% of the domestic market share.
Ranked second in the domestic petroleum business market share (18%), PV Oil with 762 affiliated stores generated nearly 103,000 billion VND in revenue in 2023, equivalent to about 195 million VND per minute. Thus, calculating per minute, both of the two largest petroleum retailers in the country still have to “greet defeat” in terms of earnings from advertising in the Táo Quân program.
In the same petroleum industry, the two “giants” Bình Sơn Oil Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR) and PV Gas also earn less money per minute than the Táo Quân program. Managing the Dung Quất Refinery, which accounts for about one-third of the country’s gasoline and oil supply market share, BSR recorded revenue of over 147,000 billion VND in 2023, equivalent to about 280 million VND per minute.
Meanwhile, PV Gas achieved nearly 90,000 billion VND in revenue in the last year, equivalent to about 171 million VND per minute. PV Gas is currently the largest capitalized company in the petroleum industry on the stock exchange. The corporation is the unit that supplies energy fuel sources to produce nearly 11% of the country’s electricity output, 70% of the country’s urea demand, and accounts for about 65 – 70% of the national LPG market share.
Thế Giới Di Động with its “giant” store system that sells everything from phones, electronics to vegetables, meat, fish, etc., also cannot make as much money per minute as the Táo Quân program. In 2023, this business recorded revenue of over 118,000 billion VND, equivalent to about 225 million VND per minute. As of the end of 2023, Thế Giới Di Động had 1,078 TGDĐ stores (including Topzone), 2,190 ĐMX stores, 1,698 BHX stores, 527 An Khang pharmacies, 64 AVA Kids stores, and 38 Erablue stores.
Serving millions of customers each year, the earning potential per minute of the aviation duo Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air cannot be compared to the Táo Quân program. In 2023, Vietnam Airlines achieved revenue of 91,500 billion VND, equivalent to 174 million VND per minute. This figure with Vietjet Air is 62,500 billion VND (~ 119 million VND per minute).
FPT, the leading technology company in Vietnam with thousands of engineers, achieved record revenue in 2023, creating 52,600 billion VND in revenue in 2023, equivalent to about 100 million VND per minute. Leading private corporations in Vietnam such as Vingoup/Vinhomes, Hòa Phát, Masan,… make more money per minute but are still very modest compared to the Táo Quân program.
Generally speaking, 2023 was not an easy year for businesses to make money. Many “giants” on the stock exchange recorded lower revenues compared to the previous year 2022. However, there are still some companies that have strong revenue growth in the past year, such as Vingroup/Vinhomes or the aviation duo Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air.
It is necessary to note that the activities of the aforementioned businesses take place continuously while the Táo Quân program only takes place once a year for a few hours. The fact is that all comparisons are imprecise, but the figure of 1.2 billion VND per minute is still the dream of the “money-making machines” on the stock exchange.
