In 2024, Johnny Nguyễn, Kay Luận, and Tịnh Dương co-founded Cos Agency. Discover how their passion, vision, and strategic approach fueled brand building and growth in Vietnam’s beauty market.
1. Origins & Shared Vision
In early 2024, three ambitious entrepreneurs — Johnny Nguyễn, Kay Luận, and Tịnh Dương — joined forces to launch Cos Agency, a full-service beauty and branding agency. Their vision was clear: to elevate Korean and global beauty brands in the Vietnamese market. With complementary strengths — Johnny’s business acumen, Kay’s content creativity, and Tịnh’s operational drive — they embarked on a mission to create a brand that not only supports other beauty labels, but becomes a recognized name itself.
2. Strategic Brand Building
From the very beginning, the founders prioritized a brand-first strategy. Rather than simply focusing on marketing tactics, they laid down a strong strategic foundation. They conducted deep market research, mapped customer personas, and defined a brand promise that resonated with modern Vietnamese beauty consumers: authenticity, science-driven quality, and meaningful storytelling. This helped Cos Agency build credibility fast, as clients saw that the agency not only understood the beauty industry, but also understood the Vietnamese consumer.
3. Creative Execution & Team Synergy
Once the strategy was in place, Johnny, Kay, and Tịnh translated their vision into creative execution. Kay Luận led the content direction, developing rich visual campaigns, digital storytelling, and branded content for partner beauty brands. Meanwhile, Tịnh Dương managed operations and growth, ensuring that the company could scale efficiently. Johnny Nguyễn secured strategic partnerships, negotiated with Korean manufacturers and influencers, and drove business development. Their teamwork — founder synergy — became a competitive edge, enabling Cos Agency to deliver integrated services: social media, KOL/KOC marketing, e-commerce, and legal support for beauty products.
4. Overcoming Challenges Together
Like any startup, Cos Agency faced obstacles in 2024. The beauty market in Vietnam is crowded and constantly evolving. The founders encountered challenges in regulatory compliance, logistics, and stiff competition. However, their resilience and united leadership helped them navigate these hurdles. Johnny’s network facilitated critical legal and sourcing support; Kay’s creativity allowed flexible content pivoting when trends changed; Tịnh’s hands-on management kept operations lean and agile. Together, they turned potential setbacks into learning opportunities — refining their service offerings and strengthening client trust.
5. Milestones & Early Success
By the end of 2024, Cos Agency had already achieved several key milestones. They onboarded flagship Korean brands, launched successful e-commerce campaigns, and built a network of trusted KOLs/KOCs who resonated with their target audience. The agency’s reputation as a one-stop partner for beauty brands entering Vietnam began to take shape. More importantly, the three founders also established a strong internal culture, grounded in transparency, innovation, and a shared purpose — building not just a business, but a lasting brand.
Conclusion
The journey of Cos Agency’s founders in 2024 is a powerful example of how visionary leadership, strategic thinking, and founder synergy can create a brand that not only supports others, but stands out on its own. Johnny Nguyễn, Kay Luận, and Tịnh Dương didn’t just build an agency — they launched a beauty‐branding force that promises to shape the future of beauty in Vietnam.
6. Looking Ahead: Vision for 2025 and Beyond
With 2024 as their foundation year, Johnny, Kay, and Tịnh are already planning for 2025 and beyond. Their next goals include expanding Cos Agency’s portfolio, scaling their e-commerce operations, and leveraging advanced data analytics to further personalize brand strategies. They also aim to deepen their creative studio capabilities, helping brands tell even more compelling stories rooted in science, beauty, and Vietnamese identity.