5 Tips on How to do Marketing and Advertising in Indonesia
One common mistake brands make when marketing and advertising in Indonesia is treating it like any other Southeast Asian market. While Indonesia shares similarities with neighboring countries—such as a rich culture and a tech-savvy population—it has one major differentiator: its massive population, the fourth largest in the world.
A large population brings intense competition. As both international and local brands enter Indonesia, attention becomes increasingly scarce. Brands are constantly competing to cut through the noise and position themselves as the most relatable and relevant.
By 2026, most successful brands understand that winning in Indonesia requires a hyperlocal digital marketing strategy. This article builds on fundamental digital marketing trends in Indonesia and provides actionable insights for brands looking to grow in this dynamic market.
At AJ Marketing, we’ve compiled five essential tips for marketing and advertising in Indonesia in 2026 to help your brand scale effectively.
Five Best Tips for Marketing in Indonesia
1. Work with K-Celebrities
2. Craft Engaging Customer Experiences Through Branded Activities
3. Leverage Cross-Industry Collaborations
4. Activate Campaigns with Local Influencers
5. Partner with a Local Marketing Agency
TIP #1: Work with K-Celebrities
Did you know that Indonesia is one of the largest markets for K-Pop and K-Drama fans globally?
Partnering with K-Celebrities allows brands to cut through market noise and gain instant visibility. Both local and international brands that have announced K-Celebrity ambassadorships in Indonesia have consistently seen strong engagement and rapid sales growth.
For example, in 2025, AJ Marketing partnered with Bank Mandiri to execute a 360° brand ambassadorship campaign featuring Park Seo Jun and Kim You Jung. During the one-year campaign, we launched two K-Drama-style TV commercials and introduced limited-edition e-money cards, debit cards, and credit cards designed as collectibles.
To amplify campaign impact, we also collaborated with K-Wave enthusiast creators on TikTok and Instagram. The campaign received overwhelmingly positive feedback and drove a significant increase in new bank registrations—largely fueled by fans’ emotional connection to Park Seo Jun and Kim You Jung.
By collaborating with K-Drama stars, Bank Mandiri successfully elevated its brand image and connected with younger, more vibrant audiences in Indonesia.
To learn more, read Indonesia’s Top 10 Marketing Trends in 2025.
TIP #2: Craft Engaging Customer Experiences Through Branded Lifestyle Activities
Wellness and healthy living have become major trends among Indonesia’s Millennial and Gen Z (MZ) generation. For this audience, wellness activities are not just about exercise—they are social experiences and opportunities to connect with others.
Currently, the top three wellness trends in Indonesia are padel, running, and pilates. These trends present strong opportunities for brands to create branded lifestyle activities that deliver memorable customer experiences while building authentic community engagement.
For example, SK-II executed a padel court activation by inviting high-end lifestyle influencers to play padel on a branded court using branded rackets to launch their latest PITERA Essence. This activation positioned wellness as a form of luxury—aligning perfectly with SK-II’s brand values and the influencers’ lifestyles.
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Instead of attending a traditional product launch, influencers experienced the brand through activity, making the campaign more immersive and memorable.
A key takeaway: when crafting branded experiences, focus on the activity itself rather than photo opportunities. Meaningful experiences are more likely to be shared organically on social media.
TIP #3: Leverage Cross-Industry Collaborations
In 2025, brand collaboration proved to be more powerful than brand competition. Indonesian consumers are highly perceptive and tend to dislike forced rivalry or artificial drama. Instead, they appreciate brands that support and elevate each other through healthy collaboration.
There are two collaboration models that work particularly well in Indonesia:
● Cross-industry collaborations
● International–local brand collaborations
Cross-industry partnerships merge two different brand communities, creating an
overlapping audience where both brands benefit. Meanwhile, international brands collaborating with local brands achieve smoother localization and faster cultural acceptance.
TIP #4: Activate Campaigns with Local Influencers
Despite Indonesia’s globally connected digital landscape, local influencers—especially subject-matter experts—remain the strongest drivers of brand discovery and purchase intent.
However, Indonesia’s creator economy is expanding rapidly. With new platforms and creators emerging daily, brands must understand influencer sub-verticals, community affiliations, and levels of expertise.
The most effective influencer marketing campaigns in Indonesia typically follow these approaches:
Use Multiple Sub-Verticals
Brands that position themselves as part of a lifestyle—rather than institutions selling products—win attention. For example, OPPO partnered with AJ Marketing to craft an impactful influencer campaign, not only with tech influencers, but also with travel creators, digital creators, home and parenting influencers. This multi-directional approach showcased how OPPO’s Color OS 16 fits into different consumer’s daily lives.
Run Multi-Tiered Campaigns (KOL + KOC)
For high-consideration products such as luxury or health-related items, mixing KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) and KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) is essential.
For instance, LABORE, a skincare brand for sensitive skin, partnered with dermatologists as KOLs to educate audiences on product research and benefits. At the same time, they worked with beauty creators who have sensitive skin as KOCs to produce testimonials, routines, and how-to content. This strategy successfully addressed awareness, trust, and conversion across multiple customer journey stages.
@laboreskinexpert dr.Ikhsan jaga UGD lagi?! tapi kali ini UGD nya adalah Unit Gawat Dermalab! Penasaran gimana? Nonton sampai habis! #laborebarrierrevivecream #topicalmcream #laborebodylotion ♬ suara asli - LABORE
Use Influencers as Online Amplifiers
Local influencers are also critical for amplifying offline activations. As pop-up events gain popularity in Indonesia, brands invite relevant influencers to attend and share their experiences online.
A recent example is Netflix Indonesia’s Stranger Things pop-up in Blok M, a youth-centric district in Jakarta. Netflix invited Dinsha, known as “Blok M’s Mayor” on TikTok, to visit the pop-up and create engaging content—driving strong online buzz and foot traffic.
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TIP #5: Partner with a Local Marketing Agency
Indonesia is one of the most diverse and fast-moving markets in Southeast Asia. In this environment, local knowledge is the most valuable currency. Many international brands struggle with execution speed and cultural nuances when entering Indonesia.
Partnering with a trusted local marketing agency provides access to first-hand consumer insights, platform knowledge, and on-the-ground execution capabilities.
At AJ Marketing, we help brands create campaigns that resonate with Indonesian audiences through a full suite of services, including celebrity partnerships, influencer marketing, press releases, offline events, creative production, and social media management.
By working with a local expert like AJ Marketing, brands can navigate the Indonesian market more efficiently and with lower risk—supported by a team that understands both global standards and local culture.
CONCLUSION
Marketing and advertising in Indonesia require more than a one-size-fits-all approach. With a massive population, fast-moving trends, and highly engaged digital communities, brands must prioritize localization, cultural relevance, and community-driven strategies to succeed.
From leveraging the influence of K-Celebrities and designing immersive lifestyle
experiences to executing cross-industry collaborations and working with local influencers, the most effective campaigns in Indonesia are those that feel authentic and deeply connected to local audiences. Equally important is partnering with a trusted local marketing agency that understands platform algorithms, consumer behaviour, and market nuances.
By applying these five strategies, brands can cut through the noise, build meaningful connections, and achieve sustainable growth in one of Southeast Asia’s most competitive and exciting markets. While these tips are a great starting point, they're not the only arsenal for a successful business expansion. For more information on the Indonesian market, be sure to check out the AJ Marketing Blog.