Indonesia's advertising enjoys rapid growth

Indonesia's advertising enjoys rapid growth

JAKARTA (JP): It took the duo of Baty Subakti and H. Mahtum to
chair the organizing committee of AdAsia '95.

Both Baty and Mahtum are prominent Indonesian advertising
personalities and both have high expectations for the Bali
congress.

A former journalist, Mahtum said advertising is inseparable
from the communications world, especially the press.

"Advertising is an important part of the press," said Mahtum,
45, who is executive director of the National Media Advertising
Press Body.

"As host of AdAsia '95, Indonesia can make use of the event to
show the world that its communications industry and advertising
business are ready for the future free trade," said Mahtum.

According to Mahtum, the Indonesian press has a longer history
than the advertising business.

"The national press started before the country's independence,
unlike the advertising business, which began in the 1970s in line
with the growing economy," he explained.

Initially, Mahtum worked as a journalist for Majalah Jaya
magazine before he entered advertising in the early 1970s.

"Advertising was still a new thing then. As a former
journalist, I felt I was being belittled when I was assigned to
handle the advertising section of the then newly-founded Tempo
magazine," said Mahtum, one of the founders of the magazine which
was banned last year.

With time, he fell in love with the advertising world.

"It's a glamorous world and, in its development, advertising
has become inseparable from the press. Now I don't feel I am
lower than journalists," said Mahtum.

He admitted that Indonesia's advertising is lagging behind its
Asian neighbors like Singapore and Thailand, and especially South
Korea, Hong Kong and Japan. He said the fact is reflected in the
creativity and human resources at Indonesian agencies.

"There are many Indonesian advertising agencies which rely on
foreign affiliations. They also use a lot of foreign experts.
This is a challenge for us," said Mahtum.

Mahtum sees AdAsia '95 as a perfect time to review advertising
development in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Baty Subakti said he hoped AdAsia '95 would be able
to correct any misinformation about Indonesia, like the human
rights and environmental issues raised by those who would benefit
from an underdeveloped Indonesia.

"In fact, we have done a lot to improve the human rights
situation. Many (foreign) people are also unaware that the
environment is one of our top priorities," insisted Baty,
managing director of B&B Communications.

"I don't deny the fact that there are flaws in the way we
handle our environment, but that doesn't mean that the
environmental condition here is that bad," he argued. "It's also
possible that they do not know that we plant more trees than we
cut," he added

"We can explain the true condition and correct any
misconception of Indonesia through the communications experts who
attend AdAsia," said Baty, a graduate of the School of
Engineering at the University of Indonesia.

Baty began his advertising career in 1971 as an account
executive at Ogilvy & Mather. A year later he moved to the media
department, where he progressed from media planner through media
manager to media director. He left Ogilvy & Mather in 1980 to set
up his own agency, BB & E Advertising. The name was changed into
B&B Communications in 1983.

Baty is a born organizer. He is the president of the
Indonesian Ad Council and a member of the National Press Council.
He also lectures at private organizations and universities and
speaks at seminars.

According to Baty, Indonesia's advertising has developed
tremendously. In the past five years, for example, the
advertising budget increased 38 percent nationwide. Over five
times the growth rate of the economy. To improve sales, producers
will have to increase their advertising efforts.

"That's why advertising has become a vital element in
marketing," said Baty.