Tag: Indonesia

Indonesia – Akulaku, a digital banking and finance platform in Southeast Asia, has partnered with Alipay+, a suite of global cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions operated by Ant Group, to launch ‘Akulaku PayLater’, a BNPL solution that will allow Indonesian consumers to use at Alipay+’s global merchants.

Through the partnership, Alipay+ will now include Akulaku PayLater amongst its supported digital payment methods, and merchants will be able to access the BNPL solution as a payment method. 

Akulaku’s BNPL functionality provides individuals who have a limited credit history with access to a convenient line of credit as well as manageable instalment plans. By meeting the increased demand for flexible payment plans and instalment purchasing, Akulaku PayLater promotes consumer purchasing power and ensures previously underserved markets can participate in a convenient digital financial service.

According to market research firm eCommerceDB, the Indonesian online commerce market grew 32% in 2021 and is currently the ninth largest in the world. Over the next five years, the Indonesian e-commerce market is projected to grow at a yearly rate of 10%, making this partnership a timely solution to meet the increased demand from Indonesian consumers for online shopping.

Fan Zhang, CFO of Akulaku, believes that this partnership will lead to a more advanced and convenient financial landscape for customers in Indonesia and throughout Southeast Asia.

“Through Alipay+, we will quickly scale the pool of merchants accepting Akulaku PayLater, giving our consumers an enhanced user experience and improving the market competitiveness of BNPL products. The combined resources will reach underserved markets with immediate financial services, fostering growth within these regions across industries,” said Zhang.

Meanwhile, Cheng Guoming, general manager of global partnerships at Alipay+, noted, “We see BNPL as an important part of the digital payment ecosystem and are excited to reach this partnership with Akulaku PayLater to enable the communities in Indonesia and other potential markets to enjoy seamless and convenient cross-border payment services and enrich their daily lives through the global shopping experience.”

Both companies are also exploring opportunities to further extend their partnership to other markets in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia – Independent agency M&C Saatchi in Indonesia has its new shopper marketing and brand experience specialism called ‘M&C Saatchi Shopex’. This division is designed to deliver omnichannel shopper and brand experience solutions to clients.

The scope of services from M&C Saatchi Shopex includes shopper strategy, retail design and production, shopper technology, planogramming, interactive display technology, events and activation, metaverse solutions, and e-commerce integration (O2O), as well as shopper performance research and analytics, amongst others.

Moreover, the agency has developed a proprietary tool that measures the ‘Experience Gap’ in consumer journeys across omnichannel landscapes for any given brand. Through its services, the agency also aims to create a net-zero experience gap, where consumers experience delight through synergies in their brand experience. Measures of success, according to the agency, are metrics that improve the Net Promoter Scores (NPS) after every brand interaction, as well as improved ROAS, as every brand experience translates to commerce. Through this vertical, M&C Saatchi will also work with retailers and e-commerce platforms on the supply side, and with brands on the demand side

Commenting on the developments, Anish Daryani, founder and president director of M&C Saatchi Indonesia, said, “As a specialism, we will map and curate customer journeys, online, offline and everything in between. Not only do we have the capability of creating memorable experiences, but also measure their impact with respect to how they contribute to commerce.”

Meanwhile, Moray MacLennan, global CEO and chairman at M&C Saatchi Group, noted, “Indonesia has been one of our best-performing businesses. Innovation and capacity creation have been key to their growth. The launch of M&C Saatchi Shopex delivers on our commitment to offering connected creativity to our clients.”

The agency has brought on board Michael (Mike) Forster as managing director of M&C Saatchi Shopex. Prior to his appointment, Forster was CEO of Geometry Global Korea. In 19 years at WPP agencies, he has held end-market, regional and global leadership roles, while in his 12 years in Asia, he has run businesses in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, and Indonesia

On his appointment, Forster commented, “I was seduced by the stupendous growth story of M&C Saatchi Indonesia, and was eager to be a part of it. Indonesia is far behind its consumers’ expectations around brand experience, and I’m here to pioneer a new commerce and brand experience movement in the country through M&C Saatchi Shopex.”

Daryani also shared, “We have put together a team of specialists that have mastered the art of shopper and experiential marketing across markets. In Mike, we see the leadership and experience to make M&C Saatchi Shopex one of the most profitable verticals of our business, while delivering value to our clients at many multiples over their investments.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global communications company Havas Group has announced the promotion of three of its senior managers in Indonesia. This is part of its growth plans in the areas of OOH and strategic business leadership.

The appointees include Verri Astra, the new head of Adcity, Havas Group’s out-of-home brand, Gayatri Utami, the new strategy director, and Kristina Wulandari, the new senior implementation director. 

Astra joined Havas in 2014 as the strategic planning, research and analytics manager, and has risen the ranks to associate strategy director before taking on his new role. In his new role, Astra will be leading the OOH division for the agency, where he will be developing strategies for OOH media, utilising data to strengthen the clients’ OOH campaign and ensuring that a ‘regular’ campaign placement becomes a more strategic campaign.

Meanwhile, Utami will be continuing to lead and develop the strategic practice for the agency. Backed by strong consumer insights and an understanding of cultural nuances, Utami will be helping drive new brand strategies to elevate clients’ brand presence in Indonesia.

And lastly, Wulandari, an industry veteran of 22 years, will be continuing to manage clients’ KPI deliverables and groom the next generation of leaders. Having been with Havas since 2011, Wulandari’s experience spans multiple categories and has worked with clients such as Indofood and Godrej. 

Speaking about the promotions, Satyajit Sen, CEO of Havas Group Indonesia, said, “Our success as an agency is determined by the strength of our people. These are all well-deserved promotions that have played an instrumental role in powering the growth of our business in Indonesia and will continue to play a crucial part in driving the momentum.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Fast food chain McDonald’s in Indonesia has released a new ad for its new burgers–but with a twist of convincing people to taste a burger from a different part of the world instead of just promoting it as is.

The ad, conceptualised by Leo Burnett Indonesia, the film features real, relatable moments in a witty and heart-warming manner, as well as dedicated to those who are left behind, stuck at work, nursing injuries or grounded by inclement weather.

The campaign is directed by Kiran Koshy of Directors Think Tank in Malaysia. 

Ravi Shanker, chief creative officer at Leo Burnett Indonesia, said, “This was the challenge posed to the team at Leo Burnett. A couple of brainstorms later, we stumbled upon an insight. Indonesians too were bitten by the travel bug. However, not everyone can travel because life in the form of financial constraints, work pressure, family commitments or climate change was getting in the way. While travelling was a possibility in the future, right now many were missing out.”

Meanwhile, Michael Hartono, director of marcomm, CBI and digital at McDonald’s Indonesia, commented, “Taste of the World’ has always been a great platform for McDonald’s and we always look for fresh, new ways to drive relevance. We are all observing how after two years, everyone really wants to experience the true flavours of the world by travelling – but for those of us stuck at home due to practical realities, we really wanted to establish that this delicious menu is available from the comfort of your homes.”

Singapore – The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Bank Indonesia (BI) have announced plans to commence work on cross-border QR payment linkage between Indonesia and Singapore as part of the ASEAN-wide payments connectivity effort. The linkage is targeted to be launched in the second half of 2023.

The linkage allows users to make instant, secure, and efficient retail payments by scanning the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) or NETS QR codes displayed by merchants.

In addition, the payment connectivity between Indonesia and Singapore will empower individuals and businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to conduct their cross-border trade, e-commerce, and financial activities efficiently.

BI and MAS also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today to promote the use of local currencies in bilateral transactions such as trade and direct investments. This is in line with ASEAN financial integration efforts to facilitate the wider use of local currencies in intra-ASEAN trade and investment settlement. This can help businesses reduce their exposure to exchange rate risks and costs of conducting bilateral transactions.

Ravi Menon, managing director of MAS, said, “The QRIS-NETS QR code payments connectivity is a milestone in ASEAN’s goal to establish regional payments integration by 2025 and support the vibrant cross-border trade corridors within the region. This linkage also aligns with the G20’s efforts to address existing frictions in global cross-border payments and support post-pandemic economic recovery and growth.” 

He added, “The MOU to promote the use of local currencies for bilateral transactions complements the QRIS-NETS QR code payments connectivity as it will further facilitate the settlement of bilateral transactions between Singapore and Indonesia in their respective local currencies.”

Meanwhile, Perry Warjiyo, governor of BI, said on this occasion, “During Indonesia’s G20 Presidency in 2022 and ASEAN Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in April 2022, payment digitalisation and cross-border payments have become a priority agenda. This initiative links cross-border payments through the interconnection of national QR codes of payment between two countries, represents another milestone of the Indonesian Payment System Blueprint 2025, and also integrates with the framework to promote the use of local currencies.” 

He added, “It provides more options for users in cross-border payment transactions and serves as a key to improving transaction efficiency, promoting digital economic and financial inclusion, and strengthening macroeconomic stability by promoting more extensive use of local currencies for bilateral transactions. Bank Indonesia believes that the initiatives mark a key milestone in strengthening bilateral financial cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia.” 

Jakarta, Indonesia – Independent agency M&C Saatchi in Indonesia has won the business of Sun Life Indonesia, following a multi-agency pitch that saw 6 agencies participate. Through the new business, M&C Saatchi will be developing a new brand platform for Sun Life Indonesia and executing it through the line. 

Sun Life Indonesia has been operational since 1995, and provides clients with a comprehensive range of protection and wealth management products, including life insurance, education insurance, health insurance, and retirement plans. The brand’s purpose is to help our clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. 

Speaking about the recent update, Shirley Ge, chief marketing officer at Sun Life Indonesia, said, “At Sun Life Indonesia, we have been leading innovation as a fast growing brand, with a clearly defined brand purpose to help Indonesians families achieving financial security and live healthier lives.” 

She added, “We were seeking an agency partner that resonates our values and is brave at challenging market stereotypes in the insurance category. In M&C Saatchi Indonesia, we found our match.”

Meanwhile, Anish Daryani, founder and president director at M&C Saatchi Indonesia, said, “The post pandemic era has opened people’s eyes to the need for financial security, which is great for the insurance sector, which has otherwise seen rather low penetration in Indonesia.”

He added, “I believe Sun Life Indonesia is an ambitious brand with a very clear goal, and we are committed to drive value for them with our infectious enthusiasm and channelising their purpose to commerce.” 

Taipei, Taiwan – Martech solution Tenmax has announced a partnership with Indonesian media conglomerate Kompas Gramedia to bring Tenmax’s ad serving solution AdNeon in Indonesia. 

Through the partnership, AdNeon will make it possible for Kompas to create high-impact rich-media ads for clients in 30 minutes, with no additional engineering support. Publishers need to upload clients’ copy and images into AdNeon, and the platform will adapt them to a choice of over 40 interactive ad layouts.

TenMax also plans to position AdNeon to brands and agencies in Indonesia as a way to streamline creative advertisement operations. Using AdNeon’s smart templates, marketers only need to make a single version of an advertisement, and the content can be automatically adapted to other dimensions and formats, with no loss of quality.

Jeremy Lin, general manager at TenMax Indonesia, said, “Kompas is the most read publication in Indonesia, so there really is no better initial partner for AdNeon. In this increasingly digitally-focused market, we see a huge potential for AdNeon as a solution to help brands, agencies, and publishers simplify their creative operations and elevate ad performance.”

Indonesia – The airasia Super App in Indonesia has recently elevated Boni Andika, its former head of brand marketing for delivery vertical, to be its new head of marketing. 

As the new head of marketing, Andika will be responsible for managing all the brands under airasia Super App, including airasia travel, travelmall, flights, and hotels, as well as food, and more to come. Through highly engaging marketing strategies and immersive brand experience, Andika and his team will also be connecting consumers to elevate the super app’s value offerings. 

In an interview with MARKETECH APAC, airasia Super App said that Andika has shown outstanding performance in less than six months of the super app’s presence in Indonesia, and therefore, they believe his appointment will bring a greater achievement as they are consolidating everything to strengthen their position in the industry. 

When asked about the area of the platform’s marketing business is he looking to focus on and his goals for the marketing team in Indonesia, Andika said that they want to create creative content and a community that entices the super app’s members and audiences based on various relevant interest groups and channels.

He further shared, “As the trend of marketing technology has risen nowadays, having a robust marketing strategy isn’t enough anymore. Data utilisation holds an important role for marketers to modernise and specify the marketing approach to reaching the right target audience. For example, personalised product recommendations or unique discounts can be shared using unique customer data such as psychographics or real-time engagement with our brand.”

“In airasia Super App, we interact with a single consistent key message ‘It’s Super’ across all business verticals and campaigns, through the most relevant and appropriate channels. We want our customers to see, feel, taste, and experience the SUPER in everything they do with airasia Super App,” Andika noted.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global professional services Accenture has agreed to acquire Romp, a brand and experience agency in Indonesia renowned for its creative talent and innovative services across branding, creative and, performance marketing. This move will strengthen Accenture Song’s (formerly Accenture Interactive) ability to deliver creative and tech-driven brand experiences for clients across SEA. 

According to Accenture, the terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, and the completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions.

The acquisition of Romp will enhance Accenture Song’s brand and marketing expertise, reinforcing its ability to help clients embrace new frontiers such as the metaverse and become relevant experience-led organisations. It also strategically aligns with Accenture’s business strategy to help businesses in Indonesia capture opportunities in a post-pandemic economy that’s poised for substantial growth.

Thomas Mouritzen, Accenture Song’s head of Southeast Asia, shared that their deep understanding of consumers and businesses, combined with Romp’s outstanding brand capabilities, will broaden their ability to harness the ongoing technology revolution for consumers and brands. 

“This is a powerful proposition for our clients seeking to win with innovative thinking and connected capabilities in Southeast Asia,” said Mouritzen.

Meanwhile, Divyesh Vithlani, senior managing director and Southeast Asia market unit lead at Accenture, noted that the growth of the digital economy in SEA is pushing brands to create meaningful experiences to meet customers’ needs. 

“Companies are increasingly looking to tap artificial intelligence, data and technology to drive creative content. Romp’s expertise with Accenture’s scale will enable us to deliver this excellence in a way that’s unique to the region,” said Vithlani.

Joseph Tan, Romp’s CEO, commented they have always believed in harnessing the power of creativity and helping clients build strong and long-lasting relationships with their customers. 

“We also constantly elevate ourselves through new thinking methods and approaches. Joining Accenture Song will fully converge the brand storytelling that we love with Accenture’s tech innovation, enabling us to help our clients truly deliver against limitless opportunities with global impact,” said Tan.

Accenture said it continues to invest in capabilities to help its clients drive growth through relevance. In 2021, Accenture Song also acquired Kuala Lumpur-based creative agency, Entropia, to deepen its capabilities in customer experience, design, and creative communications.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Banking and financial services company DBS has announced the appointment of Lim Chu Chong as the new president director of DBS Indonesia. The appointment takes effect immediately, succeeding Paulus Sutisna.

Chong, who was previously the chief operating officer of the Institutional Banking Group (IBG) by DBS, will be part of DBS’ Group Management Committee as well. 

He has over 25 years of experience in institutional, SME and consumer banking, and previously served in DBS Indonesia as commissioner. During his role at IBG, he has led key business transformations, including a new customer experience office to enhance customer engagement, as well as setting up an employee experience office to improve employee experience and drive productivity.

Speaking on Chong’s appointment, Piyush Gupta, CEO at DBS, said, “Indonesia is a key market for DBS, and under Paulus’ leadership, our business has not only grown but become more diversified, with good balance across the consumer/ wealth and institutional banking segments.” 

He added, “In recent years, he has also brought our strong digital capabilities to bear in the market, enabling us to deliver seamless banking to clients. As a career DBS banker with deep business and market experience, I am confident that Chu Chong will build on our strengths in Indonesia and take the business to the next level.”

Meanwhile, Sutisna will be appointed as non-independent commissioner of DBS Indonesia in due course.