Community publications effective tool for advertising purposes<\/p>\n
Years back, who would have imagined that this particular piece
\nof swampy ground on the outskirts of Jakarta would one day be
\nturned into a plush residential area. Kelapa Gading is, of
\ncourse, no longer considered outside the metropolitan area. From
\nthe start of its development some thirty years ago, Kelapa Gading
\nhas since transformed itself into a magnet for those living in
\nthe surrounding areas: Sunter, Cempaka Putih, Pulo Mas, and even
\nSukapura and Semper.<\/p>\n
The area's population has kept on increasing and today stands
\nat about 130,000. Its commercial sector has also developed
\nrapidly. Office buildings, shops, supermarkets, restaurants,
\nrecreational and entertainment spots, schools, health care and
\neducation centers, car showrooms, garages and workshops, beauty
\nsalons etc., are all there in abundance.<\/p>\n
The approximately 7,000 businesses in the area enjoy a strong
\nbase of potential customers, as those living in the 1,600-hectare
\nresidential area belong to the high-middle and upper income
\nbrackets, with huge purchasing power of between Rp 7 million and
\nRp 15 million per month each.<\/p>\n
With this kind of business potential, it is not surprising,
\ntherefore, that entrepreneurs with new kinds of businesses are
\neager to open offices or branches in the area. One such business
\nis Info Kelapa Gading, a monthly bulletin serving the area's
\nresidents. Other large-scale businesses that have recently set up
\nin the bustling area include hypermarkets, wholesale centers,
\nmalls and even a trade center.<\/p>\n
The success of Info Kelapa Gading since its early days shows
\nclearly how attractive Kelapa Gading is as a lucrative market. In
\nthe case of banks, almost every bank has a branch office here.<\/p>\n
Ninety percent of the 15,000 issues of the bulletin is
\ndistributed free to some 25,000 to 30,000 households, while only
\nten percent is sold. Containing news, articles, announcements,
\nand advertisements that are of interest to local residents, it
\nhas been enthusiastically welcomed by both residents and the
\nbusiness community since day one.<\/p>\n
\"A community-based publication really suits a fast developing
\narea like Kelapa Gading. It's very much a two-way communications
\nmedium,\" said Sukardi Dharmawan, the bulletin's owner-cum-chief
\neditor.<\/p>\n
For the business community, it is an effective tool for
\nadvertising or conveying its messages to a well-defined target
\nmarket, while for residents it provides access to information
\nrelated to their various needs. The bulletin, aside from having a
\nhigh readership, also enjoys a longer \"lifetime\" as its
\nadvertisements are often kept and used as references long after
\nbeing published.<\/p>\n
Now in its sixth year of publication, the bulletin, with a
\n60:40 ratio of advertisements to articles\/news and an annual
\nadvertising sales of Rp 2 billion, is almost fully booked for
\nadvertisement on its cover page to page five until the end of
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
Two other publications -- Famili Gading magazine and Sinar
\nGading newspaper -- have also been launched by the same company
\nthat publishes Info Kelapa Gading: PT Sentra Info Bisnis
\nKonsultama. With the rush of advertisers, Info Kelapa Gading,
\nwhich had previously already increased the number of editions to
\n14 annually, is now raised the number of editions again to 18
\nannually. This compares to another company venture, the Segitiga
\nEmas magazine serving the \"golden triangle\" business district of
\nKuningan-Sudirman-Gatot Subroto, which failed even before its
\nfirst birthday.<\/p>\n
Registered as the first community-based bulletin published in
\nIndonesia, Info Kelapa Gading has since been imitated by other
\nsimilar publications: Kicau for the Bintaro area, Sunter for the
\nSunter area and Suara BSD for the Bumi Serpong Damai real estate.<\/p>\n
Info Kelapa Gading is just what Kelapa Gading's residents and
\nbusiness community needed as it fully understands the specific
\ndemands of the area's mostly ethnic Chinese population, with the
\nremainder being made up of Indonesians and other nationalities.
\nIt understands how to serve these entrepreneurs or highly paid
\nemployees who love to eat out and engage in business based just
\non mutual trust and a minimum of bureaucracy.<\/p>\n
The bulletin also knows how to serve an area that is still
\nkicking in the early morning hours with its malls crowded with
\nsome 100,000 people every day and almost twice that number during
\nweekends -- with some visitors coming from as far away as Bekasi.<\/p>\n
Establishing a community-based business, in this case a
\nbulletin, one obviously cannot rely merely on luck. What is
\nessential is a deep understanding of the local community and an
\nastute sense of business, as has been proved by Info Kelapa
\nGading in its effectiveness as a promotional tool for both
\nestablished and new businesses.<\/p>\n
Other community-based businesses would be well-advised to take
\na leaf or two out of the success story of Info Kelapa Gading
\nespecially as regards understanding a community's specific
\nprofile and characteristics.<\/p>\n
-- Satyasuryawan<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/community-publications-effective-tool-for-advertising-purposes-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }