Page 87 - BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indonesian Brands 2015

The Indonesia Top 50 OUR INSIGHTS
There is much excitement among marketers in Indonesia about the opportunity that such a young population represents. The truth
is though, that very few brands have been able to make a real connection with the nation’s youth.
It’s often thought that young consumers are more individual than their parents
and grandparents; moving from ‘we’ to ‘I’ in the way they regard themselves. To some extent, this transition – or, more accurately, this blending of views – is something that consumers of all ages are grappling with in modern Indonesia.
For young Indonesians, this tension translates into a desire to be part of a collective and be on trend, but at the same time
they have a yearning
to stand out. Young
people want to be seen
as having the latest, the
coolest, or even the weirdest brand or product, and to be seen to be ahead of the curve. This pursuit of the new keeps them on their toes and means they are open to considering new brands; being ‘in the know’ is a form of social currency.
Brands that give young people licence to explore and express diferent aspects of themselves can make an authentic connection with these new consumers. Marketers must be mindful, however, of retaining an air of exclusivity; once a brand becomes thought of as ‘too popular’,
those most keen to be seen as trendsetters may start to lose interest.
THE NEW, NEW THING – GETTING DOWN WITH THE COOL KIDS
Aparna Sinha
Technical Advisor TNS Aparna.Sinha@tnsglobal.com
Many brands can attribute their character and
success to the mantra ‘celebrity
sells’, but in Indonesia, celebrity endorsement is
losing its value. For a lot of brands lately, the presence of a star in communications has served only to mask the mediocrity of the brand involved, or the lack of creativity in the ad.
Here, celebrities are highly regarded, and fans have access to a huge range of star-studded content beyond ilms and fashion shows. Celebrities feature as judges on reality shows, do meet-and-greet events, tweet their own news and pictures, and have a huge following on Facebook and Instagram. When stars appear in advertisements, their fans are delighted at yet another opportunity to see them, but this delight doesn’t always
translate into improved sentiment towards the brand being promoted.
Given that most established brands in this market are concerned with improving consideration rather than raising primary awareness,
it is diicult for celebrities to cut through and make a real diference. Therefore, in
today’s world of shorter
brand storytelling on TV and online, the chances of celebrities being mistakenly linked to brands are high, especially when in-demand stars are endorsing multiple brands.
Video bloggers (vloggers) are the new generation of key opinion leaders, generating millions of views online. Brands that build partnerships with the right vloggers, producing engaging and shareable content, can now make as powerful an impact as was achieved by the celebrity ads of old.
WISHING ON A STAR – CELEBRITY ALLURE LOSING ITS EFFECTIVENESS
Arindam Bhattacharyya
Head of Strategy
MediaCom Arindam.Bhattacharyya@mediacom.com
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