Freshly harvested Thanh An sweet potatoes and fragrant batches of newly dried purple glutinous corn quickly appeared on the livestreams of famous KOLs and KOCs, creating a powerful and immediate ripple effect across digital platforms.

Storytelling from fields

Under the brilliant April sun, the Thanh An sweet potato field was transformed into a bustling “film studio.” From early morning, a group of digital content creators from across the country arrived at the 70-hectare potato hub, following an invitation from local authorities and the provincial Center for Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion.

Without studio lights or elaborate scripts, these social media influencers rolled up their sleeves and waded into the fields with locals to harvest potatoes. Beneath the characteristic soil of the region, the starchy, sweet, and famously fragrant white sweet potatoes were unearthed, much to the surprise of the city-dwelling guests. They captured and broadcasted live the image of farmers’ hands cradling soil-covered potatoes, documenting the hard work in vivid, emotional frames.

Trần Văn Hải, Chairman of the Thanh An commune People’s Committee, shared that this was a first-of-its-kind activity for the locality. Beyond the main seasonal product of sweet potatoes, other typical local items like arrowroot noodles and dried purple corn were also promoted. He emphasized that witnessing the harvest directly in the field increases brand credibility with consumers, serving as an important step in building a narrative for agricultural products tied to local culture and people.

Leaving the fields, the group visited the dried purple corn production facility of the Tiến Đạt Cooperative in Mường Thanh ward. Hoàng Văn Tài, representing the cooperative, led the tour through the closed production process, from selecting ingredients to seasoning and packaging. He viewed the presence of famous TikTokers as a vital opportunity to build national trust in the clean and quality products of the region.

A digital breakthrough for highland specialties

The field journey culminated in a “Mega Live” session titled “Điện Biên Agricultural Journey - Farther via Livestream,” which exploded at 9:00 AM on April 12 at the Him Lam Ecological Tourism Area. This was more than a product fair; it was a real-time battle on e-commerce platforms.

For the first time, Điện Biên proactively established a comprehensive connection between state management agencies, Viettel Post, and TikTok Shops to bring highland agriculture to the digital storefront. Instead of waiting for buyers at physical stalls, OCOP products and provincial specialties like Tuần Giáo macadamia, Séng Cù rice, and smoked meats were actively and vividly promoted to a massive audience.

Lý Thanh Tiềm, Director of the provincial Center for Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion, noted that despite a modest initial goal of 5,000 orders, the livestream successfully closed 6,900 orders in just five hours. Nearly 30 tons of agricultural products were consumed right on the stream. He highlighted that this session is a new step in elevating the value of local produce and building a sustainable digital brand. Additionally, the program included a training session for nearly 80 local producers and businesses to improve their digital skills, covering content creation, channel building, and shop operations.

The journey has effectively shifted the mindset of farmers, encouraging them to become “digital ambassadors” for their own products. As geographical barriers are dissolved by the livestream wave, these highland specialties have finally found a confident gateway to the national market.