Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Social Media Festival


Sejenak me-refresh diri, pacar memberitahu akan ada perhelatan akbar mengenai social media festival, seluruh acara bertemakan social media. Hari Rabu, minggu lalu saya segera saja meluncur ke sana untuk melihat sendiri.

Sudah cukup banyak saya bertemu dengan beberapa pelaku bisnis yang menggunakan platform social media untuk memajukan bisnisnya. Tapi itu dulu saat saya masih menjadi wartawan. Tetapi memang tidak bisa dipungkiri bahwa social media sudah menjadi bagian penting dari hidup manusia sekarang ini.

Diadakan di Plaza fX, Sudirman, Jakarta Pusat, acara itu setidaknya sedikit membuat saya takjub bahwa mereka menempatkan stand para pegiat social media dan stage di setiap lantai dari fX. Dan acara itu hebatnya digelar selama tiga hari. Sayangnya saya hanya bisa datang di hari pertama saja. Melewatkan banyak kesempatan mendengarkan seminar dari beberapa orang hebat yang menggunakan social media.

Setidaknya ada satu seminar yang menarik berhasil saya ikuti yaitu saat menghadirkan Joshua Gunawan dari Danone, Alderina dari Magnivate, dan dua pegiat social media (memang saya tidak tahu terlalu ngeh namanya).

Betapa saya terkagum melihat ada seseorang yang mempunyai pekerjaan sampingan sebagai kuis hunter lewat twitter. Hadiah yang pernah dimenangkannya pun beragam dari paket liburan sampai gadget-gadget terkini. Ternyata sudah ada komunitas kuis hunter juga. Wew..bisa jadi pekerjaan sampingan juga.

Yang menarik dari seminar teresbut adalah bahwa fenomena social media sudah tidak dapat dihindarkan lagi. Kata-kata dari Joshua yang paling menarik adalah tidak ada yang bisa mengontrol orang di social media. Ditambahkan oleh saya yaitu asal tidak menyinggung seseorang atau dengan kata lain mendiskreditkan siapapun.

Dari situ bisa ditarik sebuah kesimpulan bahwa sebuah produk, terutama retail, bisa mengembangkan semua promosinya lewat social media. Hasilnya memang ada yang suka dan tidak suka tetapi setidaknya brand awareness bisa dipegang oleh konsumen. Memang tidak semuanya bisa menghasilkan kenaikan dalam hal pembelian di konsumen secara langsung. Tetapi apabila berhasil, setidaknya apabila mampu merebut mind share di konsumen saya yakin semuanya akan tinggal menunggu waktu dalam hal pembelian.

Alderina pun mengatakan bukan tidak mungkin social media pun bisa masuk ke ranah bisnis B2B (business to business) saja. Karena bukan tidak mungkin seorang pengambil keputusan di sebuah perusahaan bisa saja mengikuti atau menggunakan social media.

Jadi tunggu apalagi, social media bukan hanya sebuah branding untuk diri sendiri bahkan bisa untuk mengembangkan bisnis anda. Sayang sekali saya tidak mengikuti seminar bisnis yang lainnya. Semoga di lain waktu atau tahun depan saya bisa mengikuti acara Social Media Festival lagi.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Meet Manali Pattnaik, Corporate Communications Manager Yahoo! South East Asia

July 25th, 2011 was a great day to said that Yahoo! still exist in Indonesia. Yahoo! becoming to plant his root more deeper in Indonesia. After took over Koprol, the social network created by Indonesian, Yahoo! come with another respect in Indonesia. They want to have more localize content. Yahoo sent their representative to meet Indonesia Journalist. In my perceptions, they see Indonesia not just as a potential market but they want to be more closer and have a relationship with Indonesia. Yahoo need us, we need Yahoo. A win-win situation.

I was invited to meet Ms. Manali Pattnaik, Corporate Communications Manager Yahoo South East Asia. After been stuck in Jakarta traffic, she dropped on the wrong place. It should be she drop at Plaza Senayan, but she at Senayan City.

Ms. Manali come after one hour we wait in Chatterbox, Plaza Senayan. The Indian female that we wait for has come. The Journalist that come besides me are from PC Chips, Bisnis Indonesia and Jakarta Globe. She came with smile and repeating sorry for came late. The reason she came to Indonesia and meet the journalist that Yahoo want to have inputs for Yahoo so far. “You all accustomed to interview people, but today I will interview you all,”said her.

In a relaxed atmosphere, we have a talk what Yahoo plan to do and how are our perceptions about Yahoo so far in Indonesia. For the first, I though that Yahoo send Manali to make a good perceptions just to maintain their brand because the issue that Google will build their office in Indonesia. Last say Yahoo become worried. But, after a long chit chat, took 2,5 hours, Yahoo just want to make a good relationship with journalist.   

In the next day, I met her again in conference press about Yahoo Net Index Study. She very kind and greet every guest in the Yahoo office. What I see in Manali personality, she is a truly Corporate Communications. Its really different than other corcomm that I ever met in Indonesia which try looks busy with their handphone. Just greet and go by. Not with Manali, she even took her time to have a talk with every guest include me. She maybe know that we can’t speak english good, but she try to understand.

My opinions about Yahoo! are beside they are an old player and from other countries, but Yahoo want to be more closer and localize with Indonesia. Yahoo in future want to add more local content and this target have been run with cooperation with many local content creator. Yahoo also want to improve the differentiation with the Yahoo news.

So, if many people say Yahoo will lose from Google, if they really come, I think that not a good assumption. Yahoo still Yahoo that always makes an improvement for Indonesia. They have know a lot about Indonesia market and the habit. People who mature before Gmail created, they know Yahoo and use Yahoo Mail for their email. And I believe Yahoo will come with another creative creation for Indonesia people.

Thanks for Yahoo and Manali. The opportunity to meet with you was a special moment and it could be upgrade my english. See next time Manali Pattnaik.