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