Tag: Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia – As we enter the third year of the pandemic, we see how the popularity of over-the-top (OTT) streaming increases further as the content consumption of choice. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia currently leads the region in OTT consumption, with a 40% year-over-year rise, according to research by The Trade Desk. 

Based on the report, one-third of Indonesians now view OTT content, with 3.5 billion hours of OTT video consumed each month. Furthermore, Indonesia emerged as Southeast Asia’s most ad-tolerant market. For each hour of free material, 42% of Indonesians are willing to watch four or more advertisements. As Indonesians’ appetite for on-demand material rose, ad-supported viewership increased, ad-supported OTT is used by more than 50 million Indonesian viewers in comparison to the previous year which marks a 25% increase in ad-supported viewership. 

The data also showed that Indonesian users prefer to watch their favourite shows on OTT rather than on regular TV. The difference in viewing favourite shows between OTT and traditional TV was only 13%, but has already widened to 22%. With a large margin of 27%, Gen Zs in Indonesia led the pack, showing the growing aversion to traditional television among younger generations. The report notes that advertisers prize these age groups because they are at a stage in their lives where they are forming long-term brand loyalty and are looked to asare trendsetters for all ages.

In terms of the type of content, Korean content is undoubtedly the most popular OTT genre in Indonesia. While 57% of OTT users identified Korean as one of the top two genres, its attractiveness to female viewers is apparent. Korean content is preferred by three-quarters of respondents (75 percent). Meanwhile, the number of OTT viewers who viewed Western programming declined by 9 percentage points from the previous year. On the other hand, male Gen Z and young Millennial viewers in Indonesia prefer comedy, action, and Japanese anime to Korean drama, which remains the most popular genre among female Gen Z and young Millennial viewers. Young male Millennials are also big fans of live sports.

Florencia Eka, country manager at The Trade Desk Indonesia, shared, “consumers are aggressively moving towards a new model of content consumption, and this means marketers will have to develop new strategies for reaching them. OTT allows brands to reach their audience with more precision and accuracy because data can be applied to OTT campaigns in a way that’s not possible with linear TV. This incremental reach is an important element of a comprehensive TV ad campaign.”

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Indonesia-based financial wellness platform wagely has announced that it has added up US$8.3m in funding from their oversubscribed pre-series A funding, which will be used to help workers access their earned salaries on demand in Bangladesh, in addition to their local Indonesian market.

The funding round was led by East Ventures (Growth Fund) with participation from existing backers, including Integra Partners, the Asian Development Bank, Global Founders Capital, Trihill Capital, Blauwpark Partners, and 1982 Ventures.

Wagely’s funding follows their latest expansion to Bangladesh, to which CEO and co-founder Tobias Fischer said that they are honoured to offer their financial wellness platform to leading apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh, including SQ Group, Classic Composite, and Vision Garment.

“We are proud to be successfully operating in two of the largest markets in Asia, employing more than 150 million workers. Instant access to salary plays a pivotal role in reducing costs for employers and increasing the productivity and well-being of workers,” Fischer said.

The platform also disclosed that it secured the backing of Central Capital Ventura, the VC arm of Indonesia’s largest private bank, Bank Central Asia (BCA). The investment into wagely underpins the commitment to expand the digital financial ecosystem and drive financial wellness solutions across Indonesia.

Launched in 2020, wagely is building a holistic financial wellness platform with earned wage access (EWA) at its core that lets workers of partner employers access their earned wages in real-time.

In addition, the new capital will enable the company to accelerate its market-leading position in Indonesia and Bangladesh and spur the development of its holistic financial wellness platform, which the company plans to start rolling out later this year.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia’s bank Danamon has partnered with global payment brand JCB in Indonesia, to launch Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card, which offers various benefits for customers.

The cardholders of the new Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card will immediately get a Haagen-Dazs bonus voucher worth RP50,000 and holiday vouchers of up to RP3,500,000, which can be used for flight tickets or staycations with shopping starting from RP10m by using the new credit card in the first two months after it is approved.

Moreover, the cardholders can also access the JCB acceptance network with about 37 million merchants globally and enjoy special offers at selected merchants and customer services at JCB Plaza around the world.

Yasushi Itagaki, Danamon’s president director, shared that by collaborating with JCB, Danamon wants to optimise customer spending through various benefits that match each individual’s unique inspiration to break free from their daily routines.

“This is in line with Danamon’s commitment to becoming a financial enabler and catalyst to help customers control their finances,” said Itagaki.

Meanwhile, Takumi Takahashi, JCB’s president director for Indonesia, said, “The cardholders can enjoy not only daily use of their card inside Indonesia but also across the world by using JCB merchant network. After the pandemic, we hope our cardholders can enjoy travelling around the world with the Danamon JCB Precious Credit Card.”

Jakarta, Indonesia – Podcasts continue to grow in popularity amongst digital platforms today. With this in mind, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Informatics (MCI) and the National Movement of Digital Literacy, Siberkreasi, has partnered with Spotify, to persist their highly-received podcast series by presenting a sports-themed podcast class. 

This free podcast-specific upskilling program, which will be held online from 19 March to 3 April 2022 and will feature some prominent names in the space, is the second series of Kelas Podcast Siberkreasi 2022. It will explore the fundamentals of making quality audio podcasts, with specific applications to creating sports-themed podcasts. The classes will not only target the general public but also communities and clubs – including sports clubs that are interested in releasing their own sports-themed podcasts.

The first session of the series is titled ‘Pengantar Podcast untuk Olahraga’, which will be held on 19 March 2022, featuring Tio Utomo, the founder of Box2Box Podcast Network as the keynote speaker, while the second session will be held on 20 March 2022, which will further explore the topic ‘Tips dan Trik Menjadi Podcaster Olahraga’, led by Randy Arbiyantama and Febri Aryadi, hosts of the Retropus podcast.

Furthermore, participants will also be invited to the third session titled ‘Memahami Etika Podcaster di Dunia Olahraga’, which will be held on 26 March 2022, as well as the fourth session on 27 March 2022, called ‘Modal Komentator Olahraga: Boleh Provokatif Asal Tetap Suportif’. And lastly, the fifth and sixth sessions which are titled ‘Promosi Podcast di Media Sosial’ and ‘Sudah Siap Menjadi Podcaster Olahraga’, will be held from 2 to 3 April 2022.

Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, The Ministry’s director general of information and communication technology applications, noted that to help nurture the growth of podcasts, they have identified digital literacy as a key component to ensuring that content creators will have the fundamentals to produce positive digital content in this space.

“We believe that our initiatives will help set a solid foundation for the digital content creation industry in the future,” said Pangerapan.

The registration can be done online through https://s.id/siniarolahraga, while the digital literacy activities held by Siberkreasi can be viewed on info.literasidigital.id.

Indonesia – SMEs in Indonesia rely heavily on personal funds to launch their business, according to a report by SaaS cloud banking platform Mambu; but of those that don’t rely on friends and family, short-term loans are the most popular source of funding (46%), followed by business term loans (41%), and then startup loans (24%).

According to the report, of those that are trying to secure funding, it’s the application process that represents the biggest obstacle. SMEs in Indonesia identify the greatest barriers as an arduous application process (51%) and too much paperwork and admin (37%) before a lack of sufficient starting capital (31%). 

Such barriers have meant that in the last five years, 55% of SMEs in Indonesia have been unable to secure sufficient or any funding to cover the needs of the business on at least one occasion. The top three problems they face as a result include cash flow issues (37%), being unable to launch new products or services (37%), and struggling to pay back creditors (35%). 

Overall, 22% of SMEs in Indonesia say securing funding is easy, while 18% say they find it to be difficult. 

In Indonesia, the top three considerations when SMEs choose a lender are low-interest rates (95%), a short application process (93%) and long-term repayment plans (86%).

Meanwhile, when it comes specifically to the application process, Indonesian SMEs are most interested in faster loan decision processing (92%), low or no collateral requirements (90%) and more flexible loan conditions (89%).

Jakarta, Indonesia – Advertising company Taboola has announced an exclusive partnership with KapanLagi Youniverse, one of the largest publishing conglomerates in Indonesia. 

Through this two-year partnership, the publisher will implement several Taboola products, including Taboola Video, Taboola Newsroom and its integrated Feed with a mid-article unit, which provides readers with personalised content and targeted ads to increase engagement and revenue opportunities.

The integrated Taboola News feed will enable users to access content recommendations, designed to boost engagement and drive digital growth.

The publisher has more than 110 million monthly unique visitors and 50,000 articles produced each month.

Adam Singolda, CEO and founder at Taboola, said, “We’re excited to partner with KLY, a key destination for news and entertainment in the Indonesian market. KLY is really looking to drive growth opportunities by creating content that resonates more soundly with its audience. I’m confident that integrating Taboola technology will help KLY thrive, particularly as the demand for up-to-the-minute, engaging news content continues to grow.”

Meanwhile, Danny Purnomo, deputy CEO at KLY, commented, “We’re looking forward to working with Taboola to engage more actively with our audience. With millions of people turning to our site for updates, we want to ensure our readers are getting the best experience, every time, with a focus on content that is relevant to them. Taboola’s ability to enhance content discovery, coupled with its data-driven approach, will be critical to our strategic growth plans.”

The KLY partnership follows Taboola’s recent announcements of partnerships with NBA Philippines and the Bangkok Post, Thailand’s leading English-language news media.

Indonesia – As XL Axiata repositions itself to be relevant not just to the individual, but to the entire family, the Indonesia-based telco provider has launched a new brand campaign that targets progressive Indonesian families.

The new film, which was developed in collaboration with performance marketing agency M&C Saatchi Indonesia, demonstrates XL Axiata’s unwavering loyalty to its users across the country, every step of the way.

Titled ‘We Are More’, the campaign talks about the progression in the life of a female subscriber as she goes through many different stages while staying close to her loved ones, and the ones who support her success, including XL Axiata. The song in the background narrates her life’s story – ‘I sing a thousand love songs, I write a thousand tales, the time that belongs to us, belongs to us’.

Moreover, the telco has also unveiled its new iconography called ‘Mo’, which projects one half of the XL logo as the ‘greater than’ sign, promising ‘more’ to all stakeholders.

Alfons Eric Bosch Sansa, XL Axiata’s CMO, noted that XL has come a long way in realising its purpose, and they are taking it a step further by being a brand that focuses on serving and supporting Indonesian families achieve their collective ambitions. 

“Through this campaign, we also attempt to deter from the unconscious bias that the industry has towards the portrayal of the role of women in society,” said Sansa.

Meanwhile, Nadia Yuliani, M&C Saatchi’s creative director for Indonesia, shared that with this film, XL hopes to unite Indonesians closer to their families, and remind them that XL will always share the values that they hold to keep their loved ones together throughout their lives. 

“We wanted to portray this through the story of a woman who is supported by XL at every phase of her life,” said Yuliani.

Anish Daryani, M&C Saatchi’s founder and president director for Indonesia, said, “By creating stronger relevance for XL in the lives of Indonesian families, this is an opportunity to demonstrate how Brand Purpose can translate to commercial success. It’s another way we can create, lead and manage change in a dynamic society that’s always aspiring for a better life.”

Indonesia – Short-video sharing platform TikTok has launched an all-in-one platform for music marketing and distribution, SoundOn, which is designed to empower new and undiscovered artists, helping them develop and build their careers. 

SoundOn is now fully launched in Indonesia, as well as the US, UK, and Brazil, with a growing number of artists opting to use the platform. It enables artists to grow their fanbases, harness their creative voice, and get their music heard worldwide. The platform also allows artists to upload their music directly to TikTok and begin earning royalties when that music is used. 

Moreover, SoundOn pays out 100% royalties to music creators in the first year and 90% after that and provides a range of promotional tools and support. Audience insight and development, expert advice from a dedicated SoundOn artist team, access to TikTok’s song tab where music is linked on profile pages and promotional support through creator marketing on the TikTok platform is all part of what’s offered to artists signing up. 

TikTok said that the new platform can also distribute to other music platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Instagram, and as a result, fans’ loyalty transcends TikTok and helps artists build audiences on other streaming services and DSPs.

Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music, shared that SoundOn teams will guide creators on their journey to the big stage and bring the expertise and power of TikTok to life for the artist. 

“We’re incredibly excited about how this will surface and propel new talent and how SoundOn will contribute to an increasingly diverse and growing global music industry,” said Obermann.

Meanwhile, Paul Hourican, TikTok’s head of music operations for UK and EU, noted that there is a wealth of musical talent emerging on TikTok in the UK and they want to do all they can to support it.

“The SoundOn offering and the team we’ve put in place will enable artists to grow and build their careers. We’re excited to see how this can power even more TikTok hits for the UK music business,” said Hourican.

Jakarta, Indonesia — Creative and communications network dentsu in Indonesia has announced the appointment of Aloysia Dian Anggraeni as CEO of media service line, and Laode Hartanto as its first chief growth officer. The company said the move further strengthens its executive leadership team as it aims to deliver more transformative solutions offering.

Anggraeni holds an extensive understanding of the industry as she brings over 17 years of advertising experience to the new role. She started her journey in dentsu as head of global clients in ad agency Carat Indonesia, afterwards taking over the role of general manager in media agency Vizeum Indonesia with great success. With her notable leadership, she has led the merger of Vizeum and Main Media, and eventually served as the managing director of Carat and Vizeum Indonesia.

Conversely, Hartanto is recognized as a highly driven and strategic professional, bringing with him over 15 years of experience in driving clients’ growth of high-value media and tech companies namely Gojek, Emtek Group, Facebook, and MNC Group. Hartanto has steered exponential sales growth for years and mastered a wide spectrum of advertising and marketing solutions ranging from conventional media to modern digital media.

As chief growth officer, Hartanto will collaborate across dentsu’s three service lines – creative, media, and CXM to provide further impetus for dentsu’s ongoing growth, with a focus on strengthening the partnership with clients to scale new heights for their business.

Anggraeni and Hartanto will both join dentsu Indonesia’s executive team reporting directly to Prakash Kamdar, CEO of dentsu Indonesia and Singapore. Anggraeni’s appointment is effective immediately, while Hartanto’s role is to commence on April 1, 2022.

Sharing his thoughts on the appointments, CEO Kamdar said that Anggraeni is a strong and proven leader who has continuously brought significant impact to dentsu Indonesia ever since she joined dentsu in 2015.

“She will now lead and drive continued growth for dentsu’s Media Service Line, and further accelerates dentsu’s media ambitions and capabilities across our brand units and for our clients. And I also look forward to Tanto joining us and leveraging his unique perspective and deep expertise in advertising to strengthen our partnership with clients and grow their business to new heights,” Kamdar said.

Anggraeni commented on her new role, saying, “I am humbled and honoured to serve as Media CEO of dentsu Indonesia. With the collective efforts of our media leadership team, dentsu’s media service line is very well-positioned in the market in terms of growth, performance, and capabilities. Now, we are ready to push it onwards and upwards even more. I am looking forward to working closely with the board and the entire family to make great strides forward in the coming years.”

Meanwhile, Hartanto also shared his thoughts on his appointment, commenting, “dentsu Indonesia has been known as one of the largest agency networks in the market, I’m very proud and excited to join dentsu as it completes the missing puzzle of my career experience from media, social network, and OTT to finally anchoring in a modern marketing utopia, with the network spans from brands to media, from platform to campaign. I’m confident to bring a new horizon on how an agency can lift brands and continue its successful growth.”

These appointments continue dentsu’s strong momentum in the market including the appointment of Prakash Kamdar as CEO dentsu Indonesia, the recent promotions of Wisnu Satya Putra as CEO for creatives, and Arshad Rahman as CEO for customer experience management, and major client wins across sectors including e-commerce, FMCG, and banking.

Recently, dentsu Philippines has also named Mark Gabriel Chaves as the new head of media for the country.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia’s e-commerce company Bukalapak has partnered with hypermarket and supermarket chain operator Trans Retail Indonesia and Singapore-based private equity firm Growtheum Capital Partners to launch an online grocery platform AlloFresh.

The new online grocery platform offers over 150,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs) in 144 categories. It also offers three-hour and quick commerce delivery options across Indonesia.

Bukalapak said that its extensive understanding of online user behaviour and digital expertise are pivotal for AlloFresh to redefine the category and be a pioneer in the space. Integrating it with Indonesia’s largest fresh and grocery offline retailer, the collaboration will further hasten Bukalapak’s transformation from a general to a speciality platform.

Willix Halim, Bukalapak’s CEO, shared that AlloFresh’s presence will reinforce Bukalapak’s position as the leading all-commerce technology company, including O2O offerings while expanding their broader range of customers in the retail ecosystem.

“Similar to our Mitra Bukalapak initiative, the combination of the unique model and the thriving partnership will create tremendous opportunities to cater to the growing demand in this segment,” said Halim.

Meanwhile, Chairul Tanjung, the chairman of CT Corp, the parent company of Trans Retail Indonesia, said, “Establishing an omnichannel, offline-and-online experience for the customers is the solution. AlloFresh will be the only place to access Indonesia’s biggest range of branded and own-label products in just a few simple clicks.”

Olivier Legrand, Growtheum Capital Partners’ transaction advisory member, said, “As an incoming Independent Commissioner of AlloFresh, I’m thrilled to bring the convenience of online grocery shopping to millions of Indonesian consumers.”

Bukalapak customers can now order their groceries through the AlloFresh app that is available on the App Store and Google Playstore, as well as the ‘Click & Go’ at TRANSMart stores.