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RekomenGoSend ‘Buy Local’ Creativity Strengthens MSME Community
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(Left to right) Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry Deputy of Digital Economy and Creative Products Muhammad Neil El, musician and GoSend Brand Ambassador Ariel Noah, and Gojek Head of Marketing Logistics Theresia Nadya in a 'Best Seller GoSend’ community event at Bale Nusa, Jakarta. The 'Best Seller GoSend’ community serves as a platform for online sellers to creatively expand their businesses amidst an increasingly digital industry landscape for MSMEs. By attending the event, it is hoped that online sellers can continue to network and improve alongside thousands of other success stories
“Buy Local” is a call that is increasingly being heard across the world. For communities that do, buying local has a positive impact, as it stimulates the local economy, creates and retains jobs, and helps micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) earn revenue.
Buying local has even greater significance in Indonesia, where MSMEs make up 99 percent of all businesses. According to the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), MSMEs contributed Rp 8.574 quadrillion, or 61.07 percent, of the country’s gross domestic product in 2022.
Highlighting the importance of buying locally made products, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said in his keynote address at the 2022 National Conference on Government Internal Oversight: “We are dumb for spending our nation’s money on imported products.”
To help MSMEs gain greater exposure to consumers and to encourage the people to buy local products, the government has partnered with technology companies like Gojek to give 30 million MSMEs a digital presence by 2024. This concerted effort for MSMEs’ digital transformation has yielded positive results, and a study by the SMEs Ministry has found that 69.9 percent of MSMEs, or around 20.9 million businesses, have gone digital to date.
While the data is encouraging, challenges still remain for the millions of businesses that have made their way into the digital realm but have found themselves underexposed to their target segments, like hidden gems hoping to be discovered. This is partly because even though online shopping has become the norm, consumers rely on recommendations or reviews from sources they feel are credible before deciding on a purchase.
In short, MSMEs require creative branding and word of mouth to succeed in today’s digital landscape.
Tackling this issue through technology, on-demand logistical services provider GoSend has introduced several innovations. The Best Seller GoSend community is a forum where GoTo’s MSME partners can share their journeys, experiences and success stories, as well as learn from experts and other businesses on how to connect with their target audiences.
Included in this initiative for the MSME partner community are training and capacity building programs, such as the quarterly “Ruang Belajar GoSend”, where industry experts share insights and advice.
#RekomenGosend
#RekomenGoSend is the company’s latest community initiative that invites users and social media enthusiasts, as well as special guests like musician and GoSend Brand Ambassador Ariel Noah, to review the best from a curated list of products from members of the Best Seller Gosend community.
Ariel Noah said: “#RekomenGoSend is a great way to let consumers know about all the amazing local products that are available. I like the fact that we are helping MSMEs because they are the backbone of Indonesian economic growth, but I really like it because these are great and useful products.
“#RekomenGoSend introduces consumers to so many hidden Indonesian business gems, which is good for them and for us.”
The impact is real: Since its inception in 2022, the Best Seller GoSend initiative has helped over 17,000 online sellers across Indonesia grow their business.
Another unique way GoSend is supporting MSMEs is with the digital book, Tips on becoming a bestseller: GoSend’s support for MSME growth in the digital era.
The business guide, launched in 2022, was developed in collaboration with notable experts, including: Rhenald Kasali, professor of management at the University of Indonesia Economics and Business School (FEB UI); Yuswohady, principal of the Bandung Institute of Technology School of Business Management (SBM ITB); Yudo Anggoro, director of SBM ITB’s Center for Policy and Public Management; Wulan Ayodya, an MSME entrepreneur and author; and Arief Ardinugroho, a consultant at Funtastic Business, certified trainer and author.
GoSend’s innovations to support MSMEs naturally complement its business model. A 2022 survey by the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) found that GoSend is known for its speed, efficiency and reliability, and is consistently the top choice among online sellers. Respondents in the INDEF study also said that GoSend contributed positively to their productivity.
Theresia Nadya, Head of Marketing Logistics at Gojek, noted that in the midst of various challenges, the company saw many opportunities in the growing interest for shopping and selling online.
“We are pleased that GoSend continues to be the delivery service of choice for both personal and business use. We are proud that GoSend’s products and services help all of our users, and we have developed the Best Seller Gosend community to make an even greater positive impact for everyone,” said Theresia.
GoSend’s commitment to promote MSMEs online has also been acknowledged by the Indonesian government.
Muhammad Neil El Himam, Deputy for Digital Economy and Creative Products at the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, said the government had created numerous opportunities for MSMEs, which were the catalyst for Indonesia’s economic growth, by promoting consumption of MSME products.
“MSMEs need to join communities so that they have the same spirit in developing their businesses. We applaud Gojek’s consistency in developing MSMEs through GoSend’s variety of upskilling programs, as well as creative marketing support from the Best Seller GoSend community,” said Neil.
“We hope that MSME products will continue to be the leading choice among consumers, and that even more MSMEs will be able to upgrade their businesses,” he said.
Videos on the #RekomenGoSend program featuring Ariel Noah will be available every month, with attractive products from Best Seller GoSend members curated by GoSend. Watch the first video here.
To join the #RekomenGoSend initiative, sellers can join the Best Seller GoSend community for free through the dedicated link, bit.ly/bestseller-gosend, as well as get access to various opportunities, such as special promotions, free merchandise and regular workshops.
