Over half a million discussions were generated in less than a week, making the tariff policy announced by President Donald Trump one of the most memorable topics on Vietnamese social media in 2025. The topic stirred significant attention during the first half of April due to its potential impacts on the daily lives of Vietnamese citizens. Join Buzzmetrics as we analyze how discussions around the U.S. tariff policy evolved over the first two weeks.
The topic of tariff policy reached its first and highest discussion peak on April 3rd - the day President Donald Trump announced a 46% tariff on Vietnam. Prior to this date, there were only minimal discussions on the topic, mostly consisting of general forecasts. According to Buzzmetrics’ initial report on the tariff policy, as of 12 PM on April 3rd, the topic had generated 30,153 mentions. By the end of the day, total discussions had climbed to 73,032. Throughout the following week, the daily volume of discussions never dropped below 20,000. On April 10th, the topic peaked once again, this time marking the moment when President Trump officially enforced the tariff policy, before later announcing a 90-day delay in its application for Vietnam.
The stock market was undoubtedly the most active sector in response to Trump’s tariff policy. On the morning of April 3rd alone, the VNIndex plunged by 82 points (6.2%), nearing the floor limit - its sharpest drop in the past three months, based on preliminary market data. Many investors expressed concerns over a potential prolonged sell-off, with nearly 2,000 related online discussions. The market remained sluggish until April 10th, when Trump announced a three-month delay in the implementation of the retaliatory tariffs. Several media outlets even used the term “deep purple” (implying limit-down in Vietnamese market slang) to describe the stock market’s condition at that time.
Other sectors such as Agriculture, Electronics, and Textiles also became hot topics of discussion. These industries are directly impacted by tariffs, facing the risk of declining orders, withdrawal of FDI and restructuring of global supply chains, leading to potential consequences for employment and domestic production. Unlike the stock market, even after the retaliatory tariff policy was postponed, a portion of users continued to express concerns about these industries, suggesting that Vietnam must prepare for the most pessimistic scenarios.
Fundamentally, the spread of the tariff policy topic followed a similar trajectory to other trending issues: it was first driven by news outlets and online media (notably VTV24), then gradually expanded to other platforms. In fact, during the first 12 hours, news sources accounted for up to 30% of all topic-related discussions. Over time, while traditional media was no longer the largest discussion channel, it continued to play a key role in shaping and directing public discourse.
Unlike most trending topics that usually generate high engagement on Facebook or TikTok, the tariff debate attracted widespread discussions across both long-standing platforms (such as forums and news sites) and newer ones like Threads, with varied formats of engagement. Buzzmetrics observed that Facebook and TikTok reacted quickly to press coverage, with conversations occurring in real time. Meanwhile, Threads and forums tended to feature more in-depth and forward-looking discussions. In 2025, few topics have triggered cross-platform engagement as intensely as the U.S. tariff policy.
Meanwhile, sentiment analysis from Buzzmetrics shows that on April 3rd (the date the policy was announced), the sentiment score dropped to -0.451, the second-lowest point during the monitoring period. Users expressed confusion over how the U.S. tariff was calculated and showed concern about Vietnam’s economic outlook. In the following days, sentiment slightly improved after General Secretary To Lam met with President Trump to negotiate tariff adjustments. At this point, user sentiment became more optimistic, with hopes that the situation would improve. However, by April 9th - when the policy officially took effect - the sentiment score hit its lowest point at -0.49. Then on April 10th, the sentiment score recovered after President Trump announced a delay in implementing the tariff policy. This marked a turning point in what could be described as an emotional rollercoaster for Vietnamese users, partially reflected in the shifts in social media discussions. By April 15th, the online community in Vietnam appeared to be “breathing a sigh of relief. User sentiment toward key concerns such as “unemployment” and “rising consumer prices” also improved, returning to levels similar to those before the tariff issue emerged.
In the context of increasingly unpredictable developments in infectious diseases, seasonal flu - once thought to be all too familiar - has once again become a focal point on social media. Driven by the effects of global information flow and the rapid spread of content on digital platforms, discussions around seasonal flu not only reflect user concerns but also reveal how communities approach, handle and respond to public health issues.
Data from the past 5 months indicates two notable surges in online discussions surrounding seasonal influenza:
- The first phase observed a moderate increase in conversation volume, primarily driven by public concern over a reported outbreak in China attributed to the HMPV virus. In the absence of clear information regarding the severity and nature of the disease, users expressed confusion and anxiety. However, thanks to the timely dissemination of verified information from health authorities and medical experts, public discourse quickly stabilized.
- The second phase, which began in early February, marked a more substantial and sustained wave of discussion, lasting at least until February 19. Multiple converging factors simultaneously captured the attention of the online community:
+ The passing of actress Barbie Hsu, reportedly linked to complications from seasonal influenza.
+ Japan reported 9.5 million flu cases.
+ The United States recorded 13,000 flu-related deaths, prompting widespread temporary school closures.
+ Several severe flu cases were also reported domestically.
In addition to content fluctuations, the social media platforms where discussions take place also experienced significant shifts. During the “off-peak” period, Facebook remained the dominant platform in terms of discussion volume. However, entering the “peak” phase, TikTok emerged as a new hotspot, with its share of discussions surging dramatically from 5.6% to 59.8%.
TikTok didn’t just get people’s attention, it also proved how fast content could go viral on the platform: Each post related to seasonal flu on this platform generated an average of 282 discussions, far surpassing Facebook’s average of only 5. In less than three weeks, TikTok videos on the topic accumulated at least 26.4 million views, underscoring the platform’s exceptional reach and influence.
During normal periods, discussions about seasonal flu primarily revolve around questions regarding vaccines, vaccination schedules and clinic locations. However, during peak periods, the scope of discussion significantly broadens.
Users began to focus on symptoms, prevention methods and the veracity of circulated information. Notably, news such as "13,000 deaths in the U.S." caused significant public alarm and raised doubts about the transparency of information sources, suggesting potential exaggeration for attention. These discussion types are rarely observed during low periods, reflecting the community's heightened anxiety and sensitivity to health risks.
Data also indicates varying levels of presence for vaccination brands during the peak period. Long Chau Vaccination consistently appeared in discussions due to its ongoing communication strategy for seasonal flu service packages. However, at the peak, VNVC surpassed it in mentions, primarily driven by its highly shared knowledge-based content and updates on the epidemic situation.
Beyond the two aforementioned centers, other vaccination hubs primarily attracted discussion from the Northern region, indicating a clear geographical segmentation in user interest.
The global economy has just experienced a tumultuous 2023, leading to gold - the safest haven - continuously hitting new highs. On social media in Vietnam, public reactions to the topic also correlate with the price fluctuations.
The global economy has just experienced a tumultuous 2023 marked by soaring inflation, escalating political tensions, and anticipation regarding fiscal policies in major countries, leading to gold - the safest haven asset with the best performance - continuously reaching record highs. On social media in Vietnam, public reactions to the topic also show a certain correlation with price fluctuations. Let's delve into analysis and insights with Buzzmetrics in the following article.
Since early February, Buzzmetrics' observations indicate that discussions on social media regarding gold prices only began to pick up after the Lunar New Year period, coinciding with a time when the short-term trend of gold prices was still uncertain. However, after February 15th, as the upward momentum of gold prices continued and consistently broke records, the volume of discussions also simultaneously trended upwards. However, the discussions truly surged due to specific catalysts, notably:
(1) The emergence of a special occasion: By February 16th, the volume of discussions surpassed the usual levels due to the unusual fluctuations in gold prices and peaked officially on the Day of the God of Wealth (February 19th). This day is considered by Vietnamese people as a time to rush to buy gold to seek good luck for the year. Hence, discussions about gold prices surged due to buying and selling activities. In a humorous sense, discussions about gold prices were even influenced by spiritual factors. However, afterwards, the daily discussions about gold prices returned to pre-Day of the God of Wealth levels until the end of February.
(2) Gold price reaching a notable milestone: On March 2nd, when the price of gold reached the milestone of 80 million VND per tael, users began to reignite their interest in gold prices. Prior to this, gold prices experienced a decline on the Day of the God of Wealth before rebounding for over a week consecutively.
(3) Significant fluctuations between two consecutive days: Despite gold prices continuing to rise throughout the first half of March, social media discussions only surged once again on March 13th - the moment domestic gold prices dropped by 2 million VND after surpassing the 82 million VND per tael mark.
As of March 21st, discussions about gold prices are showing signs of an upcoming increase, following a proposal to abolish the gold bar monopoly - a proposal that caused a plummet in gold bar prices.
In summary, over the past two months, the topic of gold prices has heated up sequentially due to the following news events: (1) The Day of the God of Wealth - (2) Gold reaching a notable milestone (80 million VND per tael) - (3) Significant fluctuations in gold prices between two consecutive days (2 million VND). However, each time reaching a peak, discussions about gold prices quickly cool down the next day, despite the media continuously updating developments regarding gold prices.
Gold prices are a topic primarily discussed by users (including regular users, investors, and analysts), while the media represents the second largest discussion force with almost continuous posting frequency, closely following the daily fluctuations in gold prices. Alongside the sharp rise in gold prices, while many users express joy over profitable investments, numerous individuals who do not yet own gold or are considering acquiring more pose a significant question: Should they buy gold at present? This is also the dominant discussion topic, accounting for 47% of the total discussions related to gold prices during this period.
(1) To buy or sell gold: The largest analytical topic, involving participation from several financial experts. These experts not only analyze whether one should buy or sell gold but also provide education about gold and investment. According to Buzzmetrics' evaluation, the general consensus among these experts is that it is not advisable to invest in gold at this time. Further details will be explored in the following section.
(2) Explaining the current situation: Providing insights into why gold prices globally have experienced such significant fluctuations and why there is such a large disparity between the price of gold in Vietnam and the global price. By March, the price of gold in Vietnam and globally had diverged by 20 million VND.
(3) Government impact: With gold prices skyrocketing, public opinion is raising questions about the role of the government in regulation. The decision of the State Bank to abandon the monopoly on gold bar prices has sparked even livelier discussions. Public discourse is focused on analyzing the correlation between government policies and the gold price situation.
(4) Predictions of gold price movement: A topic involving participation from both analytical experts and regular users. Both experts and ordinary users predict that gold prices will continue to rise if considering the long term. Even when gold prices decrease on a given day, users still believe they will rise again in the future. Predictions of gold price decreases usually take into account short-term future scenarios or considerations of government policies.
When considering specific growth levels, international experts believe that gold could reach 110 million VND within the next 12-18 months. There are several reasons cited by experts, including inflation, the US dollar, geopolitical factors, and economic conditions. Domestic experts also share the view that gold prices will increase, but not to the extent of 110 million VND. In the upcoming period, gold could potentially reach 85 million VND. The reason given by experts is that gold in Vietnam is not heavily influenced by microeconomic conditions but rather by government policies, especially the topic of gold bar monopoly that has been mentioned. Experts also do not rule out the possibility of gold prices sharply decreasing if Decree 24 is adjusted. Gold dropping to 60 or 70 million VND per tael is a possibility.
In general, Buzzmetrics' survey of gold prices on social media indicates:
(1) Alongside the fluctuation of gold prices, the volume of discussions on social media also experiences corresponding fluctuations.
(2) Faced with the continuous record-breaking performance of gold, users often pose questions about whether to buy or sell gold, predicting the movement of gold prices. This indicates users' interest in the topic of gold prices.
(3) Both users and expert analysts share the common belief that gold will increase in value in the long term. However, experts also add that government adjustments will help significantly decrease gold prices and narrow the gap compared to global gold prices. In the upcoming period, Decree 24 and other government adjustments will be the focal point of discussions on gold prices on social media.
Social Listening is a form of market research based on social media discussions, helping to analyze brand health, campaigns, special events, and more...
Along with the development of social networks, Social Listening is also growing in application capabilities. If in the past, Social Listening was only about collecting social media data, today data collection is only a part of Social Listening. Measuring buzz volume or sentiment is no longer the only function of Social Listening. In the context of this article, let's look at old questions through a new lens: What is social listening and what role does it play in social media marketing?
Social Listening is a form of market research that analyzes online user discussions across social media platforms. It involves the collection and analysis of conversations from various online platforms, including social media, forums, blogs, news sites, and review websites. Unlike traditional research methods, Social Listening works primarily with unstructured data, offering businesses real-time feedback from diverse users across different online platforms.
Typically, a Social Listening process follows these steps:
- Step 1: Build an analysis plan
Researchers begin by defining the context and research objectives, then set the key questions to be addressed.
- Step 2: Data collection
Using Social Listening tools, researchers gather data based on keywords from all social platforms, ensuring an accurate and comprehensive understanding of trends and industry data.
- Step 3: Data filtering and analysis
After collecting data, researchers filter out irrelevant or misleading information to ensure accuracy. Data is processed through AI systems and human verification to find potential insights.
- Step 4: Data visualization and reporting
Finally, the results are compiled into a complete report with visualized data for easier understanding and decision-making.
Social Listening data sources are not limited to major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Threads. They also cover any medium that allows multi-way interaction, including forums, e-newspapers (comment sections), blogs, and e-commerce review sections.
(A) API Data Collection
This method connects Social Listening tools to the APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) of social networks to retrieve posts containing specific keywords.
- Advantages: Allows access to all data from the network, including personal pages.
- Disadvantages: API reliability may fluctuate, leading to incomplete or inconsistent data over time.
(B) Site Data Collection
This method involves accessing listed sites to collect data without disrupting the websites, either by manual or automatic data gathering processes.
- Advantages: Ensures 100% of data on the site is collected.
- Disadvantages: Certain issues, like site changes or blocking, may cause temporary data shortages.
When conducting research via Social Listening, marketers should focus on key metrics to gain a comprehensive view of the research landscape and measure the effectiveness of their Social Media Marketing strategies:
- Buzz Volume: The number of discussions (posts, comments, or shares) about a specific topic.
- Share of Voice (SOV): Compares the discussion volume of a brand against competitors.
- Audience Scale: The number of individuals participating in discussions about a topic.
- Sentiment Score: Indicates users' emotions toward a topic, calculated by comparing positive and negative discussions.
Initially, Social Listening was seen by many marketers as a purely measurement tool, providing basic metrics about campaigns or brands in comparison with competitors (such as discussion volume, participant count, sentiment scores, etc.). However, over time, social media has expanded significantly in scale. Users have become more familiar with Digital Transformation, sharing more than ever, and social media trends are emerging increasingly. As a result, the scope of social media data has broadened, offering a wealth of potential information to support Social Media Marketing strategies. Consequently, Social Listening has also evolved to gather data across various platforms and meet diverse research needs from marketers.
For each research focus, marketers can apply Social Listening to a range of different areas. Typically, marketers can use Social Listening for three main research directions: (1) Insight Understanding, (2) Campaign Tracking, (3) Crisis Management.
This research can provide a comprehensive overview of a specific industry, including e-commerce performance, brand image identification, and opportunities for differentiation. It also outlines the target audience's profile, capturing public attitudes and usage toward products/brands/industries.
a. Industry Competitive Landscape:
For instance, the chart below shows the most-discussed functional food brands over a certain period. From this, brands can identify their competitors, understand their position in the competitive landscape, and aim for top-of-mind awareness among consumers. Moreover, by quoting user discussions, researchers can pinpoint issues regarding public perception of both the brand and its competitors. This allows the brand to compare, recognize problems, and take corrective action if needed.
→ Read more: Exploring Insights in the Functional Food Industry: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Era
b. Brand Image and Differentiation:
An example of Buzzmetrics research on leading diaper brands paints a detailed picture of brand differentiation. Compared to other brands, Molfix’s product performs exceptionally well in absorbency. However, aspects like softness and thinness received negative feedback. Molfix’s branding team can also monitor current customer perceptions of competitors and identify areas for improvement.
c. Usage and Attitude Research (UnA):
UnA research focuses on consumer discussions and plays a key role in unveiling the consumer landscape of an industry. It addresses key questions like:
- Users' interest levels in the product/brand on social media
- Awareness, usage, and consumer behavior displayed on social platforms
- Motivations and barriers to product/brand consumption
- General satisfaction/dissatisfaction with current products/services
- Users’ needs, unmet demands, or general expectations
d. Target Audience Segmentation:
In some cases, brands aim to understand consumers not just from a product buyer perspective but from a broader context that includes their lifestyle and habits. Social Listening can support brands in achieving this.
For instance, analyzing the most-discussed topics within Gen Alpha revealed that "love" was the top theme, surpassing even "education" and "games." This insight shows that to engage Gen Alpha, brands should consider using "love" as a central theme to attract attention and foster interaction.
→ Read more: Gen Alpha: What Sets the Next Generation of Consumers Apart?
Notably, social media is segmented by interests. Therefore, identifying user groups and their main concerns is crucial in segmenting the social media audience. Pinpointing key interests and insights will help brands align their marketing tactics with user interests. As a result, branded content and messaging are more likely to appear in users' feeds, capturing attention, generating engagement, fostering recall and affinity, or even leading to user-generated content (UGC) related to the brand.
Social Listening supports marketers in planning, creating content, and adjusting strategies in real time throughout all phases of a campaign. It helps track brand sentiment and ensures campaigns align with audience expectations.
Today, even a small complaint on Facebook can cause significant damage to a brand. As consumers become increasingly familiar with social media, the likelihood of crises occurring rises. Our Social Listening data shows that while the number of crises has decreased as brands take a more proactive role in crisis management, the average scale of a crisis has grown significantly.
Crises may seem to occur randomly and can impact any brand for seemingly arbitrary reasons. This makes social media crises difficult to track and challenging for brands to respond to. However, through Social Listening, not only can crises be monitored, but their patterns can also be identified, allowing brands to develop strategic response plans.
By analyzing user discussions on social media and providing actionable insights to brands, Social Listening plays a critical role in shaping communication strategies. The most common applications of Social Listening include gathering insights, tracking campaign performance, and managing crises.
To learn more about metrics, marketers can refer to here
