COMPETITOR COMPARISON

Executive Summary
The report aims to investigate both domestic and international competitors of Vina Biofuel, with a main focus
on the way product information is displayed and how products are sold via websites.
The key findings indicate a rough division in layout style and content focus between domestic and
international companies. Domestic companies show a general lack of product information and their overall
design and web interface are less compelling in comparison to international companies. International
competitors show a great deal of information, which tend to focus on educating the User on the benefits of
their products in terms of environmental and cost savings aspects. However, the companies reviewed in this
comparison generally lack direct calls-to-action and little guidance for Users in purchasing their products.
Based on our findings, we suggest to develop educational product content with an emphasis on product
applications, while guiding the User into entering a purchase scenario with Vina Biofuel either as:
1. direct online ordering or
2. through e- catalogues downloadable on-site.

Table of Contents
DOMESTIC COMPETITORS....................................................................................................................................2
Tan Phat Co, Ltd....................................................................................................................................................2
Van Xuan JSC........................................................................................................................................................3
Nang Luong Tai Tao Mien Nam Co, Ltd............................................................................................................4
Cong nghe Moi Truong Toan My Co..................................................................................................................5
Cong Nghe Sinh Phu JSC....................................................................................................................................6
Minh Hung Group..................................................................................................................................................7
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS.............................................................................................................................8
Alterna Biocarbon, Canada.................................................................................................................................8
Avello......................................................................................................................................................................9
Biochar Products................................................................................................................................................10
KEY FINDINGS.................................................................................................................................................10

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 DOMESTIC COMPETITORS
Tan Phat Co, Ltd
Website: http://www.saigonwoodpellets.com/
The main product of the company is wood pellets.
- Advertisers emphasize the high quality of the product by showing a certificate, which is provided by
international test center SGS in Hanoi
- Have different advertorials about benefits of the product, protecting environment particularly.

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Van Xuan JSC
Website: http://divivu.com
Its main product is biomass briquette
- Lack of information about the product and its benefits  cannot attract the attention of consumers
- Consumers can buy the product via the website

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Nang Luong Tai Tao Mien Nam Co, Ltd
Website: http://www.sre-energy.com/
The company’s slogan is “Creative, quality, and saving money”. The company makes a promise of bringing
high quality products in reasonable price.
- There are 3 main biofuel products sold by the company: rice husk charcoal pellet, sawdust pellet, and
sawdust charcoal briquette
- The website just present brief information about the product’s features and specifications

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Cong nghe Moi Truong Toan My Co.
Website: http://congngheloc.com.vn
The company sells products regarding to water filtering, coconut charcoal particularly.
- Introduction of product specifications and features of the product only.
- Do not mention competitive advantages of the product nor the company

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Cong Nghe Sinh Phu JSC
Website: http://www.sinhphu.com.vn/
The company specializes in producing environmentally friendly products such as water filtering system, and
biomass charcoal.
- The website presents briefly about competitive advantages of the product and its usage.

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Minh Hung Group
Website: http://www.minhhung.vn
Minh Hung Group sells different product such as food, animals’ food, products regarding to rice husk
- Advertisers just mention the name of the product without any specific information

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 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS

Alterna Biocarbon, Canada

Website: http://alternabiocarbon.com
Alterna Biocarbon is a biocarbon manfacturer which owns and produces five main products: energy pellets,
bioenergy, activated biocarbon, mercury capture and biochar.
Alterna does not mention any particular product. Rather, it presents information about biorefining technologies
as a way to educate consumers about the importance of saving energy and protecting environment by using
Alterna’s products.

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Avello
Website: www.avellobioenergy.com
Avello Bioenergy employ both advertising and PR to advertise its products to consumers. There are four main
products: bioasphalt, biofuel oil, biochar, and chemical feedstock.
The website presents and explains clearly functions and competitive advantages of using the products.

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Biochar Products
Website: www.biochar-products.com
Biochar Products promises to bring the best way to protect the environment and save money without any
substantial modification of existing motor vehicles, furnaces and other energy
Instead of advertising products to consumers, the advertisers clearly provide information about the product
and its benefits, so consumers can easily acknowledge the importance of the products and want to purchase
them.

KEY FINDINGS
- Different from Vina Biofuels, competitors have few types of biofuel products. In fact, they mainly sell
biofuel products from sawdust, rice hust and coconut. “Biochar” and biofuel products from wood have
not been produced and sold by these domestic companies. Therefore, biochar and charcoal wood
produced by Vina Biofuels seem to be competitive and distinctive in current national marketplace.
- The way domestic companies advertise products on the Internet are quite boring and it does not
attract the attention of target audience. The homepages of these companies provide only brief
information about biofuel products without any other key selling point (quality, price, reliability, etc.)
- Furthermore, their websites are not credible and compelling sources for consumers to search for
information about biofuel products. For any other information, the User is forced to contact the
companies directly, without any basis for purchasing considerations.
- Foreign biofuels companies try to educate consumers about the importance of using biofuels in saving
money and protecting environment, rather than directly advertising the products to consumers.
- Vietnamese Users are still new to renewable energy. Thus, advertisers must communicate well in
order to change Users’ perception and behavior towards using biofuel products. This should be done
through content focused on product application explained in simple layman’s terms and closely
supported by personal and environmental benefits.

Vina Biofuels Differentiation

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Product differentiation:
Vina has various biofuel products that meet different demands by different types of Users:
1. Households and restaurants that want to use cheap and environmentally friendly fuel products to cook.
2. Manufacturing who are already using biofuels.
3. Manufacturing who want to reduce expenses of using coal but are new to using renewable energy.

Service differentiation:
The products possibly have the same feature and specifications with others sold by other companies, but
services delivered by Vina make it stand out from its competitors
- The products can be produced and distributed in large amounts at in competitive prices, that meet the
demands by large industrial customers,
- Proficient in managing, collecting good materials from suppliers and distributing products,
- High quality facility and qualified human resources.

Competitor Positions (based on their web content)

X = Sales Focused
Y= Information Focused

Information Focused

Avello
Biochar Products
Alterna

Tan Phat

Sales
Sinh Phu

Nang Luong Tai Tao Mien Nam

Minh Hung Group Van Xuan

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