Part 2 of 2: Imprinting RI brand via creative marketing

Part 2 of 2: Imprinting RI brand via creative marketing

Michael J. Webdell , Jakarta

"The way to a person's heart is through their stomach."
That's how the old clichi goes. The expression has become
commonplace with people from cultures all around the world.
Though the words are trite, they endure because people identify
with them.

No matter which part of the world you go or what culture you
visit, food is at its heart. So, one could say that the way into
a person's culture is through their food. And as Steven C.
Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National
Restaurant Association, said, "Restaurants are the gateways to
other cultures."

Enjoying food provides us with many rewards.
Eating is an experience that utilizes all the senses -- taste,
smell, sight, and touch. Hearing is also part of the experience.
Foods such as popcorn make a unique sound when prepared -- as do
Indonesian krupuk (shrimp crackers) when fried.

Even the sound of a sizzling frying pan or the commotion of a
favorite cafi plays to the overall experience. And finally,
eating certain foods may provide mental comforts. An exotic meal
can make us feel worldly or adventurous. While eating foods from
our childhood may comfort us when feeling down.

In today's America, food plays an increasingly vital role.
This is evident just through observation of the popular culture.
Late night infomercials sell new and sometimes unusual kitchen
gadgets. There is a whole cable network, Food TV, entirely
dedicated to programs that educate Americans and Canadians about
cooking, ingredients, food preparation, and origin.

The success of Food TV programs like Grillin' and Chillin' and
Iron Chef have elevated chefs such as Bobby Flay and Masaharu
Morimoto to pop star status.

In America, kitchens are continually becoming not only the
show place, but also the home gathering spot for family and
entertaining. More today than ever before, food is a vital part
of the American lifestyle.

Americans love to eat in restaurants. The National Restaurant
Association (NRA) forecasts that America's 878,000 restaurants
will have sales of over US$440 billion dollars in 2004. That's
over a 36 percent change from 10 years ago in 1994 when the total
sales were only $281 billion. In fact, Americans eat 54 billion
non-home prepared meals a year. And in 2000, they spent an
average of $855 per person doing it. The NRA estimates that the
average person, age eight years and over, eats 4.2 non-home
prepared meals per week, 218 per year.

Americans are eating out and they are eating ethnic foods.
According to NPDFoodworld.com, ethnic restaurant concepts account
for nearly one-quarter of total industry traffic. Additionally,
a 2001 article titled Exploring the Culinary Mysteries of
Malaysia from Restaurants USA Magazine cited that Asian food is
ranked as one of the restaurant industry's fastest growing
cuisine.

The report went on to add that Japanese (sushi), Thai,
Caribbean, and Middle Eastern are some of the cuisine that have
enjoyed significant growth. This significant growth in Asian
cuisine is a good indicator on its own.

The question begs to be asked, "why do Americans enjoy ethnic
foods so much?" NPD Foodworld Trendtrackers says that the trend
in increasing ethnic restaurants demonstrates America's fondness
for flavor and adventure.

Of course, the influence of television, more Americans
traveling abroad, better product distribution, more disposable
income, and a greater diversity in America's immigration during
the last half of the 20th century have also set up an environment
that encourages and demands more choices. Many American's are
eager for variety.

Presently, there are 38 Indonesian restaurants in the United
States. Out of that 38, 21 are in Los Angeles, California. This
is in contrast to a few thousand Thai restaurants -- not to
mention Indian, Vietnamese, and other ethnic concepts that are
enthusiastically enjoyed by Americans all over the United States.

It is not difficult to understand why Los Angeles has so many
Indonesian restaurants. It most likely correlates to the number
of Indonesians in the city. In fact, one would logically
conclude that the majority of Indonesian restaurants across the
United States are in areas with large permanent or temporary
Indonesian populations.

The owner of Madison, Wisconsin's Bandung Restaurant confirmed
this assumption during a recent event hosted by the Indonesian
Consulate General in Chicago when he revealed that the steady
population of 400+ Indonesian students at the local university
gave him the confidence to open.

While the traditional circumstance under which U.S. based
Indonesian restaurants open is logical, it unfortunately promotes
the misconception that if the Indonesian population isn't present
a restaurant will not succeed. In fact, when Chicago based
Indonesians are questioned as to why they don't open an
Indonesian restaurant locally the overwhelming response is "there
aren't enough Indonesians in Chicago to support a restaurant."

This is a troubling response because it is based on an
assumption that no one but Indonesians are interested in
Indonesian culture. When in fact, Americans are likely to be
interested given the benefit of education.

Speaking specifically about Chicago, one can easily see the
potential for the introduction of a new ethnic cuisine. Many of
these indicators have already been outlined.

But perhaps the most telling factors are, first, the success
of the Malaysian restaurants in Chicago, and second, the success
of restaurants serving cuisine from countries with little to no
population representation -- most notably Nepalese and Afghani.

Looking elsewhere in the U.S., Yono's in Albany, New York has
been open for over 20 years. When Yono Purnomo opened his doors,
the only Indonesians in Albany were his partner and he. But
through careful observation of the market and by marketing his
Indonesian cuisine effectively, Bapak Yono's Indonesian flavor
has become an Albany institution well in demand.

Though Chicago does not have an Indonesian restaurant,
Indonesian food is actually already successfully served in the
city. The twist being, the food is served in Malaysian
restaurants with no mention of it being Indonesian. Penang
Malaysia and My Place are located in Chicago's Chinatown. These
restaurants which market themselves as Malaysian or Pan Asian
serve selections such as Mie Jawa, Gado Gado, Sate, Ikan Bakar,
and Nasi Goreng Kampung -- dishes that are undeniably Indonesian.

As one looks to other U.S. cities, it is a pattern that surely
is duplicated. From a marketing standpoint, this should be
alarming because it creates a position in America's mind that
these dished are in fact Malaysian and not Indonesian.

Indonesian business and government can do many things to
positively communicate the county's benefits so Americans and
everyone else can understand them better -- whether through food,
music, travel, or a business experience.

Be creative and innovative because Americans want to enjoy
Indonesia, if only they understood why they should. And while it
is a process that will take time before seeing significant
results, it's worthwhile to start implementing these marketing
and branding ideas even on the smallest level. Over time, the
benefits can be realized -- and they can be grand.

The writer is a marketing and management consultant. He can be
contacted at mjwebdell@aol.com