Tag: Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia – Local mineral water brand AQUA has teamed up with media technology group Moving Walls to launch a digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaign, which maximises programmatic capabilities and changes in weather patterns.

Launched in two phases across four weeks, AQUA using the tagline #AQUADULU, a hydration reminder campaign deployed a DOOH campaign that was triggered by multiple weather conditions ranging from hot climes to unstable conditions. 

The first phase saw commuters being reminded of the need to drink up and stay hydrated as temperatures soared in the metropolis. This was the first time that the brand harnessed the powers of API Weather targeting from a moving truck.

During the last week of the campaign, a truck powered with LED screens exclusively showcased multiple AQUA creatives that changed as temperatures fluctuated. Three different creatives were used for the working weekdays while a different set of creatives caught the attention of onlookers during the weekend. This contextually relevant content ensured that creatives were impactful and relevant, meeting consumers where they were.

AQUA also made use of the Citayam Fashion Week, an impromptu street fashion event that coincided with the campaign. The Citayam Fashion Week is a phenomenon where teenagers throng to public places in Jakarta to make a fashion statement. The LED screened truck was strategically placed at the Sudirman train station which became an instant hip and fashionable backdrop for the posers.

Jonathan Andre Widjaja, supply lead at Moving Walls Indonesia, said, “The future of OOH is data-driven campaigns. Campaigns that are creative and deliver highly relevant content directly to the target audience. Digital transformation and technological advancements in out-door advertising has made it possible to leverage robust, granular-level data to plan and execute high-performing campaigns such as these.”

Meanwhile, Intan Andini, senior digital manager for AQUA at Danone, commented, “In all #AQUADULU campaign that we’ve done in digital, this LED programmatic innovation allows us to create highly personalised creatives and bring us closer to our consumers in any relevant occasions. To always adapt our way in reaching our consumers has always been the key to get the result beyond measure.” 

She added, “Leveraging this approach gives us the best result possible with +2Mio views in high traffic areas in Jakarta in less than a month. This enable us to keep reminding people to drink #AQUADULU especially during this constant change of weather season and recently being seamlessly present at one of the most phenomenal cultural events, Citayam Fashion Week.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – In conjunction with Indonesia’s Independence Day celebration, Kopi Kenangan, a local-based retail F&B chain known for its coffee products, has partnered with NFT creator Karafuru and digital service provider ADA Asia to launch a new campaign to honour the Modern Day Heroes.

Through the campaign, Kopi Kenangan Hanya Untukmu introduces eight modern heroes who are highly relevant for Gen Z. The eight characters are chosen to represent the everyday heroes of Indonesia from different walks of life, from courier drivers to corporate workers, and from medical frontliners to content creators. All of which are contributing to the country in their own unique way. 

Moreover, Karafuru NFT used its magic hands to bring to life the eight modern heroes of Gen Z. Each character is given its own character and attributes, making it unique and relatable to each of the modern-day heroes’ daily struggles.

The collaboration can be found in the limited edition of Kopi Kenangan Hanya Untukmu x Karafuru coffee bottles in Indonesia.

Faradi Bachri, country director at ADA Asia, shared that their findings show that Gen Z has a peculiar spirit in celebrating Independence Day, and they want to instil the true meaning of Gen Z spirit by inviting them to appreciate the battles and challenges of modern-day heroes from all walks of life.

“Through the modern heroes concept that ADA prepared, we want to remind Gen Z to not forget the spirit of perseverance, which is the essence of Independence Day,” said Bachri.

Meanwhile, Karafuru said, “It was fun to design the artworks that are highly relatable to the audience in Indonesia. Despite the fact that we merely portray eight modern heroes, I believe that hundreds of heroes were mentioned and celebrated by Indonesians aside from these eight individuals.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global public relations and marketing consultancy firm Edelman in Indonesia has appointed Melvin Goo as its new chief operating officer. Through the new appointment, Goo will drive the next chapter of the firm’s growth in Indonesia, and realise Edelman’s ambitions of delivering integrated marketing communications solutions for local, regional and global clients serving the market.

Goo was previously the marketing director of tech start-up Cashbac, driving both its revenue and reputation mandates. A seasoned business leader with over 16 years’ experience, he has worked across some of the most recognised PR and media agencies in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

He will report to Adrian Warr, CEO for Southeast Asia at Edelman.

Speaking on his new role, Goo said, “I’ve been admiring the transformation that has been underway at Edelman Indonesia from a distance. Given its pedigree and its proven track record I’m extremely confident of the value we can achieve for our client partners, especially in these uncertain times. I really look forward to leveraging the company’s unique ability to combine and leverage the best of both brand marketing and brand reputation.”

Meanwhile, Wart commented, “Melvin’s going to be a game-changer for us. His experience is multi-country, multi-category and multi-faceted, who better to steer our ever-growing business operations here in Indonesia. Having worked on both sides of the client-agency spectrum, Melvin is also the perfect person to advance our unique approach to earned-paid-owned with our client partners.” 

He added, “I’m over the moon to have him onboard and confident that under his leadership we will fortify our market position and excel as trusted advisors to all our client partners.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Global financial services Standard Chartered and Indonesian e-commerce company Bukalapak have announced the launch of a new digital banking service in Indonesia named BukaTabungan. The new digital banking service aims to serve the underbanked segment in Indonesia.

BukaTabungan, which is offered on the Bukalapak platform, will offer services inclusive, easy, and secure banking for the Bukalapak ecosystem which consists of more than 110 million users and 20 million registered businesses. This service also supports completely digital, face-to-face registration.

Through offering its banking access, BukaTabungan also aims to support business continuity and development of micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that constitutes 97% of the Indonesian workforce, where many of them do not have access to formal financing services and are still recovering from the impacts of COVID-19.

In addition, the collaboration between Bukalapak and Standard Chartered is strengthened by the strong commitments between said parties to a common vision to bridge the financial inclusion gap and promote sustainable impact in developing regions in the country.

Victor Lesmana, president of commerce and fintech at Bukalapak, said, “We are very enthusiastic about this partnership because it supports our mission of supporting the growth of MSMEs in Indonesia and continuing to expand financial inclusion across the country. We convey our greatest appreciation to Standard Chartered for their trust and passion for this collaboration.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Chia, cluster CEO of Indonesia and ASEAN markets at Standard Chartered, “We are proud to partner with Bukalapak to present BukaTabungan as one of the first digital banking services in Indonesia, which combines Bukalapak’s e-commerce ecosystem with the e-commerce banking expertise from Standard Chartered.”

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.”