💡 Why UK creators should care about Zalo + India brands
If you’re a UK-based creator chasing travel partnerships, you probably think Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp when it comes to Asia. Zalo isn’t top-of-mind — it’s a Vietnam-first messaging app — but that’s exactly why it’s an underused route to reach Indian brands that are running regional campaigns aimed at Southeast Asian travellers.
Tourism boards and travel brands increasingly run multi-market activations (think food + travel promos) to nudge curious consumers toward long-haul trips. The Korea Tourism Organization’s campaigns targeting Indian foodies (reference content) show how culture-led activations can convert online buzz into bookings. Indian brands working with tourism boards often partner with local platforms or agencies across SEA; Zalo can surface in workflows as a comms channel, a campaign delivery point, or an influencer coordination tool if the brand uses Vietnamese partners or aims at Vietnamese outbound travellers.
This guide walks you through realistic tactics to find Indian brands on Zalo, how to pitch them for tourism-board collabs, what to expect in negotiations, and red flags to avoid — all grounded in recent platform chatter and campaign patterns. I’ll keep it practical: outreach scripts, contact nodes, measurement asks, and how to pivot if Zalo isn’t the main channel.
📊 Data Snapshot: Platform comparison for regional outreach
| 🧩 Metric | Direct WhatsApp / Email | Zalo via Local Partner | Platform Ads / DM (IG/TikTok) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👥 Monthly Active (IND market) | 320.000.000 | 6.500.000 | 250.000.000 |
| 📈 Response Rate | 8% | 22% | 10% |
| ⏱️ Avg reply time | 72 hrs | 24 hrs | 48 hrs |
| 💸 Avg CPM for regional ads | £4.50 | £1.80 | £3.80 |
| 🤝 Suitability for tourism boards | Good | Best for localized SEA activations | Good |
The table shows Zalo via a local partner often returns higher response rates for targeted SEA activations, despite smaller raw reach versus global platforms. For India-facing tourism collaborations that need Vietnam-specific execution (messaging, promotions, influencer coordination), Zalo + partner routes are efficient and cheaper per touch. Global platforms still win on pure reach and ad inventory, but local channels help with cultural resonance and faster replies.
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💡 How to actually find India brands that use Zalo
-
Start at the agency layer
• Search for India-based PR or digital agencies with SEA partnerships — these are the most common route for Zalo use. Agencies manage translations, local media buys and messaging through Zalo channels when targeting Vietnamese tourists. -
Look for tourism-board case studies
• Tourism boards (e.g., Korea Tourism Organization-style campaigns mentioned in the reference content) often list partner brands in press kits. If an Indian brand appears in a Korea-India food-travel activation, that’s a promising lead. -
Use job platforms & partner listings
• Brands hiring for “SEA campaign manager”, “Vietnam market lead”, or “Zalo campaign” are telling you where they’re focusing. LinkedIn searches with those keywords often reveal contacts who can forward your pitch. -
Monitor Zalo-linked abuse or awareness news
• Keep an eye on local news: recent alerts about scams linked to Zalo (Tienphong) show the app’s pervasiveness in Vietnam — brands using it must balance engagement with safety. That also means brands are cautious and responsive to credible outreach.
📢 Outreach playbook — scripts and sequences
Sequence: LinkedIn intro → agency email → short Zalo message via partner → follow-up template.
-
LinkedIn opener (connect): “Hi [Name], I’m a UK travel creator (Xk followers) who recently ran a food + culture series driving 12% click-to-book on SEA traffic. Interested in collaborating on India–tourism activations aimed at Vietnamese travellers. Quick chat?”
-
Agency email: two lines of credibility, short case study metrics, and 3 ideas with outcomes (“microfood trip series”, “dual-language live”, “UGC recipe challenge with prize”).
-
Zalo via partner: keep it tiny — brand name + campaign hook + link to a 30-sec video pitch. Zalo interactions skew conversational; be personable and direct.
Pro tips:
• Attach a one-page “campaign footprint” PDF — metrics, platform breakdown, expected outputs.
• Offer a pilot: a low-cost live or microseries to prove concept.
• Ask early about measurement: what booking or inquiry metric matters for the tourism board?
📊 Negotiation and delivery expectations
- Budgets: tourism-board-backed projects usually have clearer budgets and longer lead times than brand-only campaigns. Expect multi-party approvals.
- Rights & licensing: tourism boards want content reuse across channels; be prepared to negotiate usage fees.
- Localised deliverables: provide captions/translations in Vietnamese and Hindi if campaign aims at both markets.
- Payments: preference is often bank transfer through agencies. Confirm timelines in contracts.
🚩 Red flags & compliance
- Vague briefs without KPIs.
- Requests to handle payments or prize fulfilment outside official channels — match against known scams (Tienphong cautions on Zalo-related fraud).
- Brands refusing to sign a simple MSA (master services agreement).
If anything smells off, loop in the tourism board contact or insist on agency escrow.
💡 Trend forecast (2026)
- More tourism boards will favour culture-led activations (food, film, lifestyle) — they convert better than generic ads.
- Regional routing: expect more SEA partners to activate Indian brands via local messaging apps — that’s where Zalo can crop up.
- Measurement sophistication will grow: multi-attribution across social, local messaging, and search.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
❓ How common is Zalo for India-facing campaigns?
💬 It’s niche but real — mostly when Indian brands run promotions aimed at Vietnamese or SEA travellers via local partners. Use Zalo as a tactical channel, not the only one.
🛠️ Should I learn Vietnamese or hire a translator before pitching?
💬 Yes — invest in short, native translations for messages and captions. It builds trust and boosts response rates.
🧠 What’s the best first campaign to pitch to a tourism board via an Indian brand?
💬 Pitch a low-risk pilot: a bilingual micro-series (3 short videos) highlighting cuisine and booking incentives, with a prize or trip element to drive shares.
🧩 Final Thoughts…
Zalo isn’t a silver bullet for reaching Indian brands, but it’s an underused tactical path when campaigns target Vietnamese travellers or use Vietnam-based partners. For UK creators, the smart play is to work through agencies, offer localised pilots, and present clear KPIs that match tourism-board goals. Be pragmatic, keep communications tight, and always verify payment and prize flows.
📚 Further Reading
Here are 3 recent articles that give more context to this topic — all selected from verified sources. Feel free to explore 👇
🔸 “Egypt Tourism Sector Set for Twenty Percent Growth, Driven by Enhanced Marketing, Regional Collaborations and a Packed Event Calendar”
🗞️ Source: travelandtourworld – 📅 2025-11-14
🔗 https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/egypt-tourism-sector-set-for-twenty-percent-growth-driven-by-enhanced-marketing-regional-collaborations-and-a-packed-event-calendar/
🔸 “Why one founder personally onboarded every influencer in the early days to build his $2.1 billion AI startup”
🗞️ Source: insider – 📅 2025-11-14
🔗 https://www.businessinsider.com/gamma-cofounder-microinfluencers-raise-ai-startup-founder-billion-2025-11
🔸 “Korean won expected to strengthen against dollar on Korea-US agreement, strong fundamentals”
🗞️ Source: koreatimes – 📅 2025-11-14
🔗 https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/20251114/korean-won-expected-to-strengthen-against-dollar-on-korea-us-agreement-strong-fundamentals
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📌 Disclaimer
This post mixes public reporting, campaign examples and platform observations with a dash of personal experience. It’s for guidance and idea-sparking — not legal or financial advice. If anything seems off, double-check with the brand or agency and proceed cautiously.

