SYM Motors hands branding duties to Bates Vietnam

The appointment came after a competitive pitch against several other agencies, including BBDO. SYM Motors is a brand for motorbikes, scooters and ATVs from Taiwan.

“SYM celebrates its 20th anniversary in Vietnam in 2013 and this presents a lot of exciting opportunities in terms of branding and consumer engagement,” Tue Nguyen, managing director of Bates Vietnam, said.

Vietnam is one of the biggest motorcycle markets in Southeast Asia. The Ministry of Industry and Trade earlier predicted that the country would have a population of 99.6 million and 33.5 million motorbikes by 2020, which translates into one motorbike for every 2.97 people.

Several automotive brands have shown their confidence towards the market, when they launched expansion plans and promotion campaigns last year in the country.

Italian manufacturer Piaggio also broke ground in April for its second scooter plant in Vinh Phuc Province, with the aim to raise its capacity in the country from 100,000 to 300,000 units annually.

Yamaha announced in August an investment of US$26 million to double its capacity to 1.5 million units per year, to compete with its rival Honda.