A Look Inside Korean Wave Marketing Strategy In Indonesia
These days, we often see Korean celebrities promoting Indonesian local brands on TV, social media, and billboards across the streets. According to research from Snapcart on K-culture and entertainment consumption among Indonesians, a large majority of their respondents do enjoy entertainment products from the Korean Wave. Most of them are even interested in visiting the country, demonstrating the direct impact on South Korea’s tourism industry from the wave. This is what definitely drives brands throughout the globe, including of course, Indonesia, to tap on such an incredibly huge and promising market.
Local companies are aware that fans of Korean culture, especially K-pop, are really loyal to their idols and have strong bonds among each other within the fandom. Well, almost like a cult. In return, these K-pop musicians or movie stars always give the best fan services to maintain their loyalty and stickiness. That’s why, despite having low or high buying power, most of these fans have an emotional desire to spend anything related to their idols, so they will feel more connected to these celebrities. Bukalapak has also not missed out on jumping on this bandwagon in order to expand its market reach.
Behind the Collaboration
People may think hiring Korean artists to be brand ambassadors or endorsers is as simple as putting the artists’ name or face in our product and calling it a day. It’s actually much more than that. It takes much dedication and effort to find the most effective way for both parties, in terms of all aspects.
In order to deliver a collaboration proposal to these stars, the first thing to do is to approach their agency. Each agency has their own set of rules and regulations when it comes to working with their artists, from the pitching stage to the commencement of the partnership. One thing I like about collaborating with these Korean artists’ agencies is that they are super professional! Most of these agencies are strict about preserving their artists’ established public image and persona. Therefore, they usually have their own content guidelines ready and if needed, they will also take care of the collaborative merchandise productions. We as collaborators certainly appreciate their taking this role since it allows us to focus on other crucial things, such as optimizing the promotional strategies, preparing the logistics, etc.
However, working with Korean celebrities as part of our marketing doesn’t mean we intend to drift away from our roots and identity as an Indonesian company. After all, our main target audience remains to be Indonesians, that’s why we have to always create an appealing strategy for our local market. In order to do this, me & my team always work on incorporating Indonesian values into the collaboration. One of the ways is localizing any content made with the artists to sort of combine cultures from two different countries, for example, asking the artists to wear Indonesian ‘Batik’ or trying out our local foods. This strategy is not only adding values to the artists’ fan service, but also strengthening the emotional connection with their Indonesian fans.
While brand awareness is part of our desired output, we also need to ensure the partnership is profitable. Therefore, we need to clearly understand the behavior of our target audience. By understanding that getting as close as possible to their idols is their ultimate wish, we utilize the strategy of creating a bundling package, i.e shopping for a certain merchandise or goods with a chance to win tickets to a special event, such as meet & greet or an exclusive musical performance. Automatically, this offer would drive sales, especially because the fans tend to bulk buy in order to increase their chance of winning the prize.
Being trusted to lead marketing directions for multiple brands under Bukalapak, I definitely have to possess a deep understanding of trends and strategies that are suitable for each brand I manage, because obviously we cannot just hire Korean brand ambassadors to promote all brands. They require different strategies to appeal to their own target demographics.
When I first started in 2021 as a marketing leader in Bukalapak, I got the chance to manage around 2–3 brands. But as time goes by, Bukalapak as a company grows more complex and I am currently managing more diverse brands with almost 20 brands with a wider perspective. It is indeed complex and requires a lot of context switching and strategic planning. However, it’s a rewarding experience because me and my team are always passionate about what we do.
The Longevity of Korean Wave
I personally am a fan of Korean culture, especially its foods, fashion, and television dramas. This personal interest helps me stay updated on trends and understand the nuances that resonate with fans. This familiarity with Korean culture has also indeed helped me think creatively and develop marketing strategies that are culturally relevant and engaging.
In my long-term perspective as a marketing leader, the Korean Wave is expected to remain influential for the foreseeable future due to its deep cultural impact and global reach.
However, it is essential for Bukalapak to continuously monitor trends and adapt strategies to maintain relevance. Sustainability in marketing means being prepared to pivot when necessary and integrating new trends, of course with our core marketing principles. As long as the Korean Wave continues to engage our target audience, we will develop more immersive and interactive experiences for users while staying adaptable to future shifts.
Still, to be able to create a marketing strategy that can engage with the target market effectively, we need a creative way of thinking and a fun working environment which I can proudly say Bukalapak provides all of the necessities to make our team wonderful!
