Exerchain

Exerchain, an emerging brand in the fitness and wellness space, sought to establish a powerful market presence in Vietnam with the launch of its new product. Recognizing the need for impact from day one, Exerchain partnered with FinT to execute a comprehensive launch strategy centered on strategic influencer collaborations and large-scale user-generated content (UGC) on TikTok. The approach combined mass awareness campaigns with operational readiness through TikTok Shop setup, creating a seamless path from discovery to purchase. By leveraging a multi-tier influencer strategy spanning macro fitness and lifestyle creators alongside mid-tier fitness KOCs, Exerchain successfully built brand visibility and established a foundation for sustained growth in Vietnam’s competitive fitness market.

The Challenge: Launching with Impact in a Competitive Market

Entering the Vietnamese market with a new product presents significant hurdles, particularly in the fitness and wellness category:

• Zero Brand Awareness: As a new entrant, Exerchain had no existing brand recognition or consumer trust in Vietnam.
• Fragmented Audience: The fitness and wellness audience in Vietnam spans multiple segments-from casual gym-goers to dedicated fitness enthusiasts-requiring targeted yet scalable reach.
• Platform Complexity: Launching effectively required not only content creation but also operational infrastructure, including TikTok Shop setup to facilitate direct sales.
• Competitive Noise: The fitness category is crowded with established international and local brands, demanding a launch strategy that could cut through the clutter.

The Strategy: A Dual-Pronged Launch Approach

FinT developed a comprehensive launch strategy that combined mass awareness with operational readiness, ensuring Exerchain could capture attention and convert it into sales seamlessly.

• Pillar 1: Mass Awareness Through Strategic Influencer Collaborations

To build rapid brand visibility, FinT deployed a multi-tier influencer strategy targeting fitness and lifestyle audiences:

2 Macro Fitness/Lifestyle KOLs: Provided broad reach and brand credibility, introducing Exerchain to large, established fitness communities

35 Mid-Tier Fitness KOCs: Delivered authentic, relatable content with higher engagement rates, showcasing real product experiences

This tiered approach ensured:

Breadth: Macro influencers delivered mass visibility across diverse fitness audiences.

Depth: Mid-tier KOCs provided authentic, trust-building content that resonated with niche fitness communities.

• Pillar 2: Mass KOC Booking Content for Running Ads

Beyond organic influencer content, FinT executed a mass KOC booking content strategy designed specifically for ad amplification. This approach:

Generated a library of authentic, high-quality content assets.

Enabled scalable ad campaigns with diverse creative variations.

Reduced reliance on branded content, leveraging peer-driven authenticity for better ad performance.

• Pillar 3: High-Performance Running Advertising (Amplify & Convert)

To ensure the influencer content translated into measurable business results, FinT deployed a rigorous Running Advertising strategy structured around two core objectives:

A. Amplifying Brand Awareness (Top of Funnel)
FinT utilized the mass KOC content library to run large-scale Reach and Video View campaigns across TikTok. By using authentic user-generated content (UGC) rather than studio-produced ads, we achieved:

• Lower Cost Per Mille (CPM): Authentic content resonated as “native” to the platform, reducing bid costs.

• Expanded Share of Voice: Retargeting lookalike audiences based on the macro KOLs’ engaged followers allowed us to dominate the fitness category feed.

B. Driving Conversion (Bottom of Funnel)
To turn awareness into revenue, we implemented Conversion-Driven Ad Sets directly linked to the newly established TikTok Shop and the brand’s e-commerce storefront.

• Dynamic Retargeting: Users who viewed influencer content but did not purchase were retargeted with sequential ads featuring KOC testimonials and limited-time launch offers.

• TikTok Shop Integration: We utilized TikTok Shop to showcase dynamic product page, reducing friction from discovery to checkout.

Pillar 4: TikTok Content Management & TikTok Shop Setup

Recognizing TikTok’s dominance in Vietnam’s social commerce landscape, FinT established:

• TikTok Content Management:A structured content calendar and posting strategy to maintain consistent brand presence, ensuring the advertising engine always had fresh organic content to retarget.
• TikTok Shop Setup:Full operational setup to enable direct purchasing, creating a seamless funnel from content discovery to checkout.

This integration ensured that awareness generated through influencers and amplified by ads could be immediately converted into sales without drop-off.

The Results: A Launch Built for Impact

While specific performance metrics are confidential, the strategic execution delivered measurable outcomes across key launch objectives:

Awareness & Reach

Mass Audience Penetration: The combination of 2 macro KOLs and 35 mid-tier KOCs delivered extensive reach across Vietnam’s fitness and lifestyle communities.

Content Volume: A substantial library of UGC and influencer content was generated, providing ongoing assets for ad amplification.

Advertising Performance

• Scalable ROAS:The running advertising strategy achieved a positive Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) within the first month of launch by efficiently retargeting warm audiences.
• Reduced Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC):By leveraging authentic UGC in ads rather than high-production branded content, we maintained a lower CAC compared to industry benchmarks for new market entries.

Operational Readiness

The brand successfully established its TikTok Shop presence, enabling direct-to-consumer sales from launch day.

Sustainable Content Engine: The content management framework ensured consistent posting and engagement beyond the initial launch period.

Strategic Outcomes

Integrated Funnel: The strategy successfully connected awareness (influencer content) with conversion (TikTok Shop), creating a complete consumer journey.

Scalable Foundation: The mass KOC content library provided a scalable asset base for future ad campaigns and retargeting efforts.

Key Takeaways & Best Practices

The Exerchain Vietnam launch offers valuable insights for brands entering new markets:

Tiered Influencer Strategy Maximizes Impact: Combining macro KOLs for broad awareness with mid-tier KOCs for authenticity creates a balanced, effective influencer mix.

Launch with Operational Readiness: Establishing TikTok Shop before or alongside the influencer campaign ensures that awareness translates directly into sales, not just views.

Content Libraries Enable Scale: Booking mass KOC content specifically for ad use creates a scalable library of authentic assets, reducing production costs and improving ad performance over time.

TikTok is Essential for Vietnam Launches: With TikTok’s dominance in Vietnamese social commerce, a launch strategy without TikTok integration misses a critical conversion channel.

Confidentiality Requires Strategic Framing: For confidential campaigns, focusing on strategic approach and outcomes-rather than specific metrics-still demonstrates value and expertise.

Conclusion

The collaboration between Exerchain and FinT demonstrates the power of a strategically integrated launch approach. By combining tiered influencer partnerships, mass KOC content creation, and TikTok Shop operational readiness, Exerchain successfully entered Vietnam’s competitive fitness market with impact and scalability.