In the year 2000, a new millennium dawned, and with it a new initiative took root in Hanoi. Driven by a passion for the healing power of herbs and a quest to find a chemical-free solution to a personal health scare, Vietnamese husband-and-wife pharmacists Nguyen Huu Thang and Nguyen Thi Huong Lien founded Sao Thai Duong.
Their mission was simple yet profound: to make herbal products accessible to everyone.
Did you know? Viet Nam is home to over 5,000 species and subspecies of medicinal plants!
Today, their vision has blossomed into a thriving business, with a dedicated team of over 1’000 doctors, pharmacists, sales staff and factory and office workers. The company’s impressive turnover of 32 million dollars in 2024 is a testament to its success.
We spoke to Nguyen Thi Huong Lien to find out more.
A powerful portfolio of herb-based products
Nguyen Thi Huong Lien is rightly very proud of the company’s extensive portfolio. It boasts over 200 products, readily available at nearly 80,000 points of sale across Viet Nam, from pharmacies and beauty stores, to supermarkets, and local grocery stores, as well as e-commerce platforms.
It’s a line-up that includes cosmetics, personal care products, dietary supplements for various health conditions, and some 19 herbal medicines.
The driving forces behind Sao Thai Duong’s success
Sao Thai Duong’s success is rooted in its unwavering commitment to promoting health and wellness through quality, innovative and sustainably sourced products.
“Our focus is on meeting our customers’ health needs, all the time considering environmental sustainability and supporting long-term development goals,” Nguyen Thi Huong Lien tells us.
"We have preserved and refined traditional methods of preparation – such as herbal roasting, soaking, and distillation. We honor timeless family remedies based on medicinal herbs. And, at the same time, we have embraced modern Western technologies to enhance the efficacy and value of our local medicinal plants. We conduct extensive preclinical and clinical trials, collaborating with leading universities, academies and hospitals in Viet Nam. And, through continuous innovation and scientific research, we fine-tune and optimize our product formulas to ensure maximum safety."
Nguyen Thi Huong Lien
Sao Thai Duong’s eco-conscious spirit shines through the company’s sourcing practices. It prioritizes organic, sustainable raw materials and invests in cultivation, working closely with local farmers – a partnership that ensures they can produce high-quality materials that meet stringent organic standards, solidifying Sao Thai Duong’s reputation in the realm of natural products.
Beyond its commitment to product excellence, Sao Thai Duong is deeply dedicated to actively supporting Viet Nam’s rural communities. The company helps to build schools and donates herbal products and medicines to those in need, further demonstrating its unwavering commitment to the well-being of others.
The result? Sao Thai Duong has very much become a house-hold name, both at home and abroad.
Sao Thai Duong's branding journey
The brand name SAO THAI DUONG, meaning ‘lucky star’, resonates deeply with Vietnamese customers, and those acquainted with the Vietnamese language. “Every year, we have a star to brighten our lives. Every 10 years or so, we have a ‘lucky star’ (“Thai Duong”),” explains Nguyen Thi Huong Lien. “We wanted our products to bring happiness and luck to everyone, all the time.”
In 2003 Nguyen Huu Thang and Nguyen Thi Huong Lien registered “THAI DUONG” nationally through the Intellectual Property (IP) Office of Viet Nam.
It marked the beginning of a journey that would lead them to numerous international markets.
Harnessing the Madrid System for global growth
Through the IP Office of Viet Nam, Sao Thai Duong discovered the Madrid System – the international trademark system – a mechanism that would help the company expand its product exports globally.
The company put together an international expansion strategy to:
- Meet stringent international product standards. Recognizing the varying standards across countries, Sao Thai Duong enhanced its quality management system, aligning it with US and European standards and best practices.
- Secure global protection of “THAI DUONG”. By filing a single English-language application for an international trademark registration through WIPO’s Madrid System, Sao Thai Duong successfully safeguarded “THÁI DUONG’ in some 55 markets across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania (international trademark registration number 1274317).
- Facilitate smooth introduction of its products into new international markets. The company developed a network of local distributors.
Navigating branding challenges along the way
Sao Thai Duong’s branding journey has not been without challenges; the company has learned valuable branding lessons along the way.
Tip from Sao Thaí Duong: Choose a brand name that is both easy to pronounce and remember, and that reflects the core values of your product.
Nguyen Thi Huong Lien shares, “We realized that the name THAI DUONG was difficult for non-Asian customers to pronounce. We needed an additional brand name for that market, that would be easier to read and to recognize, yet still maintain a connection to our core values.
After trying nearly 30 different names over four months, we settled on ‘NATURE QUEEN’. The term ‘Nature’ relates to the natural herbs we use, while ‘Queen’ signifies quality and value. The name has helped our European customers, for example, to establish the connection between our brand and our products, enabling them to compete more effectively in global markets.”
‘NATURE QUEEN’ was registered through the Madrid System in 2017 (international trademark registration number 1387734).
Challenges in China…
In China, Sao Thai Duong faced a rather unique branding challenge as Nguyen Thi Huong Lien explains.
"Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to secure protection of ‘THAI DUONG’ through our international trademark registration. For the China National Intellectual Property Administration, the word ‘Thai’ implied ‘coming from Thailand’ and could potentially mislead the public."
Sao Thai Duong overcame this challenge by:
- Adding ‘SAO’ to the start of the name;
- Merging the three words “SAO THAI DUONG” into a single term (“SAOTHAIDUONG”); and
- Translating the new name into Chinese.
They managed to keep the same meaning but, of course, had to file a separate application for protection of the new brand name in China.
“It’s a little confusing for our customers to see a slightly different name,” says Nguyen Thi Huong Lien. “We’d much rather have used the same name (‘THAI DUONG’) and protected it through the same international trademark registration but…!”
Impact of the Madrid System on Sao Thai Duong’s global expansion
"The Madrid System has helped us save costs and provided the flexibility to seek trademark protection in multiple countries. I’m truly grateful for the Madrid System. WIPO experts have organized seminars, conducted training courses, and offered guidance that has been invaluable to us. Any business that is looking to expand their business globally should definitely explore the Madrid System!"
Nguyen Thi Huong Lien
Sao Thai Duong's story certainly serves as an inspiration for any business looking to reach foreign markets.
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.