Tag: Indonesia

Singapore – Skyscanner, the global travel marketplace, looks at a year in which it assisted a record number of passengers in experiencing the world. It now provides a complete overview of Singapore’s travel trends for 2023.

Bangkok maintains its position as the most popular destination in 2023. Travellers from Singapore clearly consider The Land of Smiles to be their first choice, whether they are taking tuk-tuk rides, taking in the nightlife of the city, enjoying mango sticky rice and drinking Thai milk tea at lively night markets, or touring the newest, largest shopping malls.

Bali was named the second most popular location for Singaporean tourists this year. Bali’s attraction is based on its beaches, beach clubs, and a range of water activities, including surfing experiences, making it the ideal retreat for friends, couples, and children.

Travellers from Singapore are increasingly opting to visit affordable Southeast Asian destinations that provide cultural experiences and varied culinary options in the current year. Yogyakarta is the most affordable travel destination, according to Skyscanner data, with return tickets averaged about S$168 per person in 2023.

Yogyakarta is ranked seventh out of the top ten trending locations for Singaporeans in Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2024 report, indicating one of the largest annual growth rates in search volume.

Speaking about the travel trends, Cyndi Hui, a trend expert, said, “Looking back on the year of travel shows how Singapore has embraced the freedoms of international travel despite the pinch on purse strings. We see how this traveller behaviour correlates with the emerging trends for 2024. Our latest Travel Trends 2024 report highlights how value will remain a key consideration, but not at the expense of cultural exploration, travellers are simply being savvier with how they travel.” 

She added, “Next year will see Singapore travellers planning trips to smaller cities in their favourite country, Japan, with 4 Japanese cities coming out as the top trending destination for 2024. We also predict Los Angeles in the US to be a great-value destination for SG travellers in 2024, with flights having dropped by almost a quarter over the past 12 months.” 

“2024 will also see Singapore travellers going on Netflix-inspired vacations, with 84% being inspired to take a trip to a destination they’ve seen on the big or small screen. In addition, many may be heading abroad to see their favourite artists play, with almost half (46%) saying they would travel to short-haul destinations to hear their favourite tracks live,” Hui stated. 

Indonesia – ByteDance’s TikTok is reportedly in talks to partner with Indonesian technology company GoTo Group to restart its online retail operations in the country, Bloomberg reports.

According to an insider familiar with the matter, the deal may take the form of a joint venture instead of a direct investment. The two companies’ discussion also involved jointly creating a brand-new e-commerce platform.

While looking for several more options, TikTok is reportedly working to invest in GoTo’s e-commerce arm, Tokopedia, to bring its online shop back to the Indonesian market.

These talks come after TikTok Shop announced the shutdown of its local operations in Indonesia in October 2023 in accordance with local orders. The company was forced to close down after the country’s government passed a regulation prohibiting the use of social media for e-commerce transactions.

It is worth mentioning that the new regulations were placed with the aim of protecting the interests of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME’s). However, the shutdown also meant a loss of livelihood for about 6 million social sellers and 7 million affiliates on TikTok Shop alone.

In an previous exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, industry leaders in Indonesia also shared their insights on the future of social commerce in the country after the regulations were set in place.

Rolly Pane, managing director for Indonesia at Clozette, shared that “Social commerce can still be done, promoting products in social and driving people to e-commerce. The only difference is that it will not happen in one ecosystem or app. It just has to cross over apps.”

Pane noted that while the regulation would cause a significant drop in e-commerce transactions originating from social media posts and engagements, brands can still implement alternative strategies to make their social commerce strategies stand out.

Meanwhile, Anish Daryani, founder and president director at M&C Saatchi Indonesia, also believed that social commerce will continue to move forward in Indonesia, adding that there is more growth for the Indonesian social commerce scene compared to more mature markets like China’s.

“Though this regulation would bring social commerce to a stop, there is no stopping commerce from becoming more social,” Daryani told MARKETECH APAC.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Citi has announced that it has completed the sale of its Indonesian consumer banking business to UOB, effective November 20 this year. The sale includes retail banking, credit card, and unsecured lending businesses, as well as the transfer of employees.

This is the latest completed deal by UOB after it entered into an agreement with Citi January 2022 as part of a broader sale agreement covering consumer banking across Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Sales in Malaysia and Thailand were completed on November 1, 2022, and the sale in Vietnam was completed on March 1, 2023.

The sale excludes the bank’s institutional businesses, and Citi remains focused on serving institutional clients in Indonesia locally, regionally and globally.

Batara Sianturi, country officer for Indonesia at Citi, said, “Citi is proud to have a long history in Indonesia, and we are intently focused on growing Citi’s institutional businesses in Indonesia, serving clients in the market, regionally and globally through our network to support cross-border needs.”

Meanwhile, Titi Cole, head of legacy franchises at Citi, commented, “Completing our final divestiture of a full consumer franchise in Asia marks a significant milestone in simplifying the firm. This is a testament to the commitment of our employees across these markets and a clear demonstration of Citi’s ability to execute on our strategy. We are sincerely grateful to our former employees in Indonesia and wish them the very best in their careers with UOB.”

Since announcing its intention to exit consumer banking across 14 markets in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Mexico as part of its strategic refresh, Citi has now closed sales in nine of those markets including Australia, Bahrain, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, in addition to Indonesia.

Indonesia – M&C Saatchi Performance, a global performance marketing agency, has announced the promotion of Nachiket Desai to the position of country director for Indonesia. Desai will continue to report to Roshat Adnani in his new role as country director Indonesia.

As the country director for Indonesia, He will focus on driving company expansion and improving profitability. Among his duties are the creation of services tailored to the Indonesian market, with a focus on direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses, digital transformations, and retail commerce.

After more than six years with the firm, Desai started his career in Mumbai and afterwards moved to Indonesia. He is credited for leading the charge to open the Jakarta office in 2019.

The Indonesia team at M&C Saatchi Performance has grown under Desai’s direction, growing to include more than 70 marketers and contributing to the agency’s overall success. His strategic insight and dedication to quality have not only increased income but also expanded the customer base, allowing to create a firm presence in the Indonesian market.

Speaking about the appointment, Roshat Adnani, managing partner APAC at M&C Saatchi Performance, expressed, “I am delighted to announce Nachiket’s promotion to Country Director Indonesia, a journey that began when he joined as our first hire in 2019 for the Jakarta office. From Sr. Account Manager to a key leader in our 70+ member team, Nachiket has played a pivotal role in not only growing our business but has also been instrumental in shaping a collaborative and innovative work culture. 

He added, “As we expand in the market, we trust Nachiket to take our business to newer heights while making Jakarta a centre of excellence in the region.”

Meanwhile, talking about his appointment, Desai said, “I’ve witnessed in first-person the huge growth that our business has experienced in Indonesia since we first launched. When we opened in 2019, there was only a few of us and today we’re over 70 in the team. The country’s growing economy and fast talent development in the digital industry present us with a dynamic landscape to make a meaningful impact for brands investing in digital media.” 

“Stepping into this role, I’m enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead. Driving our clients’ growth will remain our priority while we leverage the latest performance marketing technologies to innovate. In the long-term, we hope to make our business in Jakarta a centre of excellence for the whole APAC region,” Desai added. 

Indonesia – China-based entrepreneurial public relations and marketing services firm Influence Matters has officially expanded its operations in Southeast Asia with the opening of a new Indonesia hub and the appointment of Emily Xu as managing partner.

The firm’s expansion comes as it adapts to its clients’ expanding regional focus for fast-growing economies, including the SEA region.

Influence Matters’s new office in Indonesia will serve as their hub for SEA operations; it will accompany Chinese B2B tech companies planning to enter the country and the region. The new office will also be working on strengthening existing partnerships and building new ones with like-minded agencies in each market in the region.

The PR and marketing firm aims to provide clients seeking evermore effective and impactful PR programmes with an agency that understands their business, technologies, products, and local market dynamics.

It strategically chose Indonesia, a country with the fastest-growing economy in Asia, for cross-border businesses, with a particular focus on IT, fintech, smart industry, and smart logistics.

Meanwhile, as part of its expansion, Influence Matters also named Xu its new managing partner. A consummate corporate communications strategist, she has been working with the firm for over six years in operational and strategic positions.

In her new role, Xu will oversee and develop the agency’s growing cross-border corporate communications business for international companies in China and Chinese companies expanding in Asia.

Simon Vericel, managing director and founder of Influence Matters, said, “Influence Matters’ mission has always been to bring innovators closer together and innovations closer to markets and customers in Asia by delivering influence through storytelling that reaches business leaders and technology adopters.”

He added, “Our PR and digital communication programmes have helped numerous technology innovators find customers, investors, and partners in China; we are proud to now bring our expertise to SEA and connect more innovators together.”

Indonesia – As the country strives for a healthier dining environment, Dulux Indonesia, alongside Innocean Indonesia, has spearheaded an initiative catered specifically to reducing flies among school canteens in Indonesia.

This collaborative effort came up with a campaign called ‘Project Yellow Canteen, which encompasses a solution to the long-standing problem of sanitation and diseases spread by insects through the discovery of flies’ aversion to the colour yellow.

Prior to the implementation, an on-ground experiment was conducted, with two tables: one painted in a bright yellow and the other left untouched. Results then observed that flies were attracted only to the non-yellow table, demonstrating the effectiveness of the flies’ dislike of the colour.

This particular discovery led to an on-ground initiative to paint the tables, benches, and walls in several Indonesian canteens with cheerful yellow hues. This has brightened school canteens and improved students’ well-being,  providing students with a cleaner and healthier dining experience. 

Since its implementation in October, ‘Project Yellow Canteen’ has now embarked on transforming cleaner and healthier dining spaces, with Dulux Indonesia showcasing the impact of innovative solutions and social responsibility.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Cloud services provider Tencent Cloud has launched its recent affiliation with data centre platform Digital Edge, revitalising the connectivity landscape in Indonesia. 

In this partnership, Tencent Cloud is expected to have direct access to ‘Edge Peering Internet Exchange’ (EPIX), operated by Gemilang. Through this platform, the facilitation and exchange of data among cloud users will be more efficient and systematic. 

EPIX also provides ultra-high-speed access as a carrier-neutral internet exchange platform. This tool is essential for connecting with the global network as it allows rapid and cost-effective interchange of IP traffic between carriers, ISPs, content providers, and enterprises. 

Consistent with their commitment to foster connectivity, the said collaboration also brings together a strengthened digital infrastructure in Indonesia’s growing markets.

Jimmy Chen, vice president of Tencent Cloud International and managing director of Southeast Asia, said, “We are pleased to further establish ourselves as a major international cloud services provider, hand-in-hand with EPIX in Jakarta. This achievement is a testament to our 20+ years of experience in technological innovation and our robust infrastructure foundation. 

“By establishing this connection, we are taking a significant step towards promoting connectivity in emerging markets and driving the advancement of digital infrastructure. We are genuinely excited about the vast opportunities this collaboration presents and remain fully committed to accelerating the digital transformation across diverse industries in Indonesia,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Jonathan Chou, chief product officer at Digital Edge, also shared his esteemed support for the partnership, stating, “Digital Edge is committed to offering diverse connectivity options to our colocation customers, including providing internet exchanges to enable peering and foster a thriving digital ecosystem within our data centres. 

“Through working with leading cloud services providers such as Tencent Cloud, we are able to further our mission to bridge the digital divide and bolster digital infrastructure across Asia’s fast-growing markets, including Indonesia,” Chou ended. 

Presently, Tencent Cloud has already established a global infrastructure network that extends to 26 geographic areas and 70 availability zones, including two data centres in Jakarta, Indonesia. It has also provided 400 technologies and connectivity solutions to support enterprise-grade digital transformation. 

Jakarta, Indonesia – Police authorities from the West Java Regional Police have arrested an individual who was responsible for major piracy operations on live sports in Indonesia. The move was congratulated by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and its anti-piracy arm, the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP).

The arrest was made upon the prior complaint from the OTT streaming service Vidio, which stated that the individual–who operated the pirated sites PaseoTV and OkStream– were illegally streaming pirate content owned or licensed by Vidio, including the Premier League, Ligue Un and AFC.

Moreover, OkStream was one of the most popular pirate streaming sites in Indonesia, with millions of views every month. 

The owner and operator of the sites also operated a Telegram account that was used to share links to Paseo and OkStream sites. He now faces potential penalties of up to eight years in prison and a fine of up to two billion Rupiah (~US$126,000).

Gina Golda Pangaila, senior vice president of legal anti-piracy and government affairs at Vidio, said, “Vidio has always been committed to being at the forefront of fighting piracy. Vidio’s piracy mitigation commitment requires collaboration not only with law enforcement and industry associations, but also cooperation with the public. Effective anti-piracy measures are critical for maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the content industry.”

Meanwhile, Matt Cheetham, general manager of CAP, commented, “Indonesia has one of the best site blocking programs in Asia-Pacific, however site blocking is not sufficient alone to protect content, and action by local enforcement teams remains a vital component in protecting both the local content industry and consumers who are increasingly being targeted by pirates for the spread of malware, viruses and identify theft.”

He added, “CAP’s research shows that social media and messaging platforms are the most popular forms of consumers accessing pirate content in Indonesia, and Telegram by some distance the most popular platform for this activity in Indonesia.”

Melbourne, Australia – Australian firm Digital Classifieds Group has announced the acquisition of online property marketplace Lamudi in the Philippines and Indonesia. This follows DCG’s recent acquisition of the Bangladeshi property marketplace portal Bproperty in January this year.

The consolidated group now operates real estate portals in 5 high-growth Asian markets, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Papua New Guinea and will see its global workforce grow to more than 900 staff.

The acquisition marks a major transition for DCG, having rapidly expanded over the last 12 months into Bangladesh, and now Indonesia and the Philippines. 

For the firm, with Southeast Asia expected to grow strongly in the next 5-10 years to become a leading region globally, and with market-leading portals in countries accessing over 600 million people, DCG is strongly positioned for growth in the coming years.

Mathew Care, group CEO at DCG, said, “Lamudi, under the stewardship of the dubizzle Group and the management team, have created dominant classifieds and transactional property marketplaces in two of Asia’s most exciting markets: Indonesia and the Philippines.”

He added, “Our vision is to build a market leading classifieds group in South East Asia, a region of incredible opportunities, and this acquisition is a catalyst to delivering this vision. I am incredibly excited to enter these markets and welcome the Lamudi team to the DCG family.”

Meanwhile, Kian Moini, founder and CEO at Lamudi, commented, “DCG and Lamudi have shared a similar vision for many years; to provide the best and most trusted platform to transact property in their respective markets. Both companies have delivered on this promise, and I’m confident that Lamudi will continue to achieve new highs under DCG. This is an exciting new chapter for Lamudi and our staff.”

APAC – Consumers in six markets across three regions now spend more than five hours each day in apps for Q3 2023 with APAC leading the way, according to the report by mobile analytics provider data.ai.

Data from the report indicates that globally, Indonesia surpassed the five-hours-per-day threshold the most in Q3 2023 with more than 6 hours per day, followed by Thailand with 5.7 hours and India making top 5 with 5.2 hours.

Additionally, Singapore holds firm in the top 10 countries with a 10% growth in usage from Q2 2023 with 4.7 hours spent, adding to how daily time spent on mobile apps has climbed double-digit percentage points across several markets in APAC.

The report also focused on the emergence of Threads, which was launched by Meta at the start of Q3, which skyrocketed up the charts and reached 150 million downloads faster than any other app in history. For APAC, Singapore saw Threads as the top app in terms of downloads and download growth for the quarter, but it remains to be seen if it can sustain its position at the top in Q4 2023.

Furthermore, Threads was also regarded by the report as the number one breakout app in terms of downloads for Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

Lastly, in terms of consumer spend in APAC,  the top breakout apps by consumer spend growth vary in different markets, but the focus for Q3 2023 centres around social media apps such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, accompanied by new trends such as AI photo editing apps and generative AI apps.