AIPA: Bridging the Gap Between ASEAN and the Peoples of ASEAN

Aspiring to become the true voice of the peoples of ASEAN, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) promotes the principles of human rights, democracy, peace, security and prosperity in ASEAN

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is the sole regional parliamentary organization associated with ASEAN. Established on 2 September 1977, AIPA aims to encourage understanding, cooperation and close relations among the Parliaments in ASEAN. With the headquarters located in Jakarta, AIPA represents over 3,500 Parliamentarians of all ASEAN Parliaments; Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“Since its founding 51 years ago, ASEAN has seen greater integration among its members, but it still faces major challenges in its goal to move towards becoming a true community. In reality, there is an indifference towards ASEAN from the peoples of ASEAN, and there is a wide gap between ASEAN and the peoples. AIPA is here to connect the peoples of ASEAN so that we can help bridge that gap. So that we can finally become a true ASEAN Community,” said Isra Sunthornvut, AIPA Secretary General.

The highest policy-making body in AIPA is the annual General Assembly (GA). It allows AIPA Members to propose parliamentary initiatives and inputs for policy formulation to the respective governments of ASEAN. The resolutions produced by the GA are considered as a policy recommendation to ASEAN countries’ respective governments.

Other noteworthy AIPA activities include; Model AIPA, a Joint Seminar with ASEAN-ASEANSAI, and a project-based initiative to combat the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT) in the ASEAN region.

Model AIPA

Model AIPA is an educational simulation exercise of the General Assembly of AIPA. The 1st Model AIPA was launched in 2017 with 70 university students participating in JABODETABEK.

The 2nd Model AIPA was expanded and involved 73 university students from 8 ASEAN countries, namely; Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

“AIPA believes that students are a transformative agent of change, and the future of ASEAN. The goal of Model AIPA is to help students immerse themselves in culture, ideas and experiences, and develop both an understanding, and more importantly, an appreciation of diversity. We hope that this exposure can make the students become more well-rounded candidates for further education and employment in their own countries, or in other ASEAN countries as well,” said Isra Sunthornvut.

For this year, AIPA will once again work with the International Relations Department of BINUS University to mobilize students from all across ASEAN. Participating university students will play the roles of delegates of different AIPA Member Parliaments (MPs) in a typical AIPA GA. They will discuss current issues shared by the 10 ASEAN Member States, such as harmonizing drugs trafficking law and border conflict resolution.

Joint Seminar with ASEAN and ASEANSAI

Organized on 26 February 2019 in Jakarta, the ASEAN-ASEANSAI-AIPA joint seminar recognized the need to build connections beyond the government level to promote accountability and transparency in ASEAN.

100 senior officials and representatives of the three organizations, identified good practices in their work to promote transparency and accountability of the public sector. The three organizations managed to develop concrete proposals for collaborative action in the future, with the goal toward better transparency and accountability in the region.

“An indicator of the success of a country is not only through GDP, infrastructure, economic development or political development but what is more important is the willingness to be accountable; and the transparency of the government to their peoples,” stated Isra Sunthornvut.

Project-Based Initiative

The AIPA Secretariat has engaged in a joint study to assess the effect of rapid tourism growth in Southeast Asia. The study proves that challenges has arisen from the rapid development of the tourism industry, especially its negative consequences against children. This situation has become a common concern shared by all ten ASEAN Member States. The growth in travel and tourism has increased the opportunities for child sex offenders to exploit ASEAN children.

“Travel and tourism in ASEAN is experiencing tremendous growth. As the industry continues to boom, it presents a sinister reality that warrants more attention and action, which is the exploitation of our beloved ASEAN children. Embarking from that point, AIPA has decided that the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT) should be a corresponding pilot issue for the project based initiative. Together with ECPAT and UNICEF, AIPA aims to develop a strong and comprehensive legal framework to prosecute traveling offenders, who travel from one country or region to another,” closed Isra Sunthornvut.

The initiative resulted in two workshops: cross-sectoral and international workshops. In addition, together with Indonesian influencers, AIPA has recently launched a video that will be utilized by MPs to raise awareness about this issue.

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Implementing Multi-Brand Strategy in Indonesia, Plateno Group Presents The Eastern LAVANDE Bojonegoro

After introducing 7Days Premium in 2018, Plateno Group finally presents LAVANDE and the Group promises that more hotel brands are coming to Indonesia.

Plateno Group is strengthening its commitment to revolutionize the future of the hotel industry in Indonesia by presenting The Eastern LAVANDE Bojonegoro, introducing its mid-scale hotel brands and localizing its customer-oriented strategy. The Group partners with PT Graha Persada Internasional for the establishment of The Eastern LAVANDE Bojonegoro.

A Strategic Cooperation Partner Agreement between Plateno Group and PT Graha Persada Internasional has been announced on 20 March 2019 at The East, Mega Kuningan for the realization of this project. The construction of The Eastern LAVANDE Bojonegoro is scheduled to commence on Q1 2019 and ready to welcome its first guest in Q3 2019.

“Together with PT Graha Persada Internasional, Plateno Group will bring a four-star hotel to Bojonegoro in response to Indonesia’s rapid economic development and rising demand for modern quality hotels with exceptional characteristic and hospitality. LAVANDE is a brand that combines lavender element, fragrance culture and hospitality. With its philosophy of ‘More than comfort’, LAVANDE aims to create a relaxing and comfortable living atmosphere when its guests are away from home,” said Ali Yang, Business Development Manager, Plateno Indonesia.

“Customers nowadays are drawn to hotel brands that communicate a sense of purpose and that’s what LAVANDE does. We are positive that once The Eastern LAVANDE Bojonegoro is open for public, the hotel will be widely accepted in the community because it showcases its sense of purpose through its holistic costumer service offering, such as incorporating lavender aroma to awake our guest’s senses and also smart devices to assist our guest during their stay,” said Tavip, Project Director, PT Graha Persada Internasional.

The introduction of LAVANDE to the Indonesian market is part of Plateno Group long-term multi-brand strategy, which is based on a two-pronged principal: light asset and glocalization. The two-pronged principal has made Plateno Group as one of the most influential hotel management enterprises in China with more than 100 million members and over 5,500 hotels across 470 destinations.

“The light asset principle means that franchise management is the main focus. With experience in developing hotels around the world, Plateno Group partners can save nearly 30% of hotel operating cost, 50% of hotel construction cost and enjoy extra benefit from the significant brand effect,” said Ms. Lynn Liao, Director of Operations, Plateno Group – International Department.

Ms. Lynn Liao continued: “The glocalization principle is rooted from the customer-centric strategy, and reflects Plateno Groups effort to respect the local market and listen to its needs, while adhering to global standards in the key parts of the hotel, to ensure the quality of the product.”

Strategically cooperated with Jinjiang group in 2015, Plateno and Jinjiang Group is currently the second largest International hotel group in the world. Plateno introduced 7Days Premium Hotel into Indonesia market last year to prove its commitment to Indonesia. Besides 7Days Premium and LAVANDE, Plateno will introduce more brands, especially its distinctive mid-scale brands into this market, due to the increasing demand of Indonesian customers.

More than just Bali and Jakarta, Plateno Group believes that Indonesia hospitality industry has a bright future and opportunities. There is a steady increase in the number of domestic travellers in Indonesia. As of 2017, there were 271 million domestic travellers in comparison to 255 million in 2015. World Travel and Tourism Council announced that Indonesia’s tourism growth ranked ninth in 2018. There were 15.8 million international tourists visiting Indonesia in 2018 – a 12.6% increase from the previous year.

“With population of 260 million people and GDP growth in excess of 5% a year as well as a large and growing middle-class consumer base, Indonesia attractiveness has been compared to pre-boom China three decades ago,” said Ali Yang.

Bojonegoro is now in the midst of a mini economic boom following the discovery of major new oil fields in 2005. The oil finds have since become the biggest oil discovery in Indonesia and one of the biggest oil reserves in Indonesia. With a population of about 1.5 million, Bojonegoro is a regency in East Java located over 100 km west of Surabaya and was previously known as a major producer of teak and tobacco.

The Eastern LAVANDE Bojonegoro will feature 112 rooms and suites, a ballroom for up to 200 persons and auxiliary meeting rooms. There will be several food and beverage outlets including an all-day dining café, an upscale hotel bar and lounge, function rooms, an outdoor infinity swimming pool, a well-equipped gym and a spa centre.

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Rebranding?

What comes into your mind when we talk about rebranding? There are several successful rebranding stories, including Fujifilm, Burberry, Gucci, Monami Bakery and more.

Not everyone is a fan of rebranding. It could be tricky, especially for those die-hard fans that refuse big changes. Rebranding something that people love and comfortable with already can be challenging.

So, why does a company decide to rebrand? It usually starts with some changes within the business. For instance: a merger, new CEO, re-positioning, changing markets, changing brand portfolio, acquisition or spin-off. A bad reputation or conflict with stakeholder could also lead to the need to change the brand strategy. For some cases, a company decides to rebrand because of its outdated image.

Here are a few tips when it comes to having a successful rebranding:

1.Have a holistic strategy. Rebranding is not about changing the logo or website but it is about the overall brand’s mission, vision, value, look and feel. It includes analyzing the market and its competition.

2. Timing is the main key. A company should know when is the right time to change its brand strategy.

3. Stay true. The new version needs to stay true to its original.

4. Improve quality. For instance, Fujifilm always launches the latest, best and improved camera. Improvement in quality and more additional features.

5. Last, but not least. Collaborate. It is 2019, the year of collaboration. Partner with other brands is part of rebranding.

— END —

Apa yang muncul di benak kalian ketika kita berbicara mengenai rebranding? Ada beberapa cerita sukses dari rebranding seperti Fujifilm, Burberry, Gucci, Monami dan beberapa lainnya.

Namun, tidak semua orang senang dengan rebranding. Rebranding dapat menjadi masalah besar, terutama bagi penggemar berat yang tidak menyukai adanya perubahan besar. Rebranding sesuatu yang sudah diminati dan nyaman bagi banyak orang tidak mudah.

Kira-kira apa sih yang membuat sebuah perusahaan memutuskan untuk rebrand atau mengubah brand mereka? Biasanya dimulai dengan beberapa perubahan yang terjadi di dalam perusahaan. Misalnya, adanya merger, CEO baru, reposisi, perubahan pasar, perubahan terhadap portfolio, akuisisi atau spin-off.  Reputasi yang buruk atau konflik dengan stakeholder dapat menjadi penyebab adanya perubahan strategi brand. Untuk beberapa contoh kasus, sebuah perusahaan memutuskan untuk rebranding karena imej mereka yang terlampau old school atau sudah basi.

Oleh karena itu, berikut adalah beberapa tips agar sukses dalam melakukan rebranding:

1.Memilik strategi yang holistik, perubahan brand tidak sekadar mengubah logo, situs web saja. Tetapi juga mengenai misi, visi, nilai, tampilan dan vibe dari brand tersebut. Termasuk menganalisa pasar dan pesaingnya.

2. Waktu adalah kunci utama. Perusahaan harus tahu kapan waktu yang tepat untuk mengubah strategi brand mereka.

3. Tetap berpatokan dengan imej yang original. Identitas yang baru juga tetap harus sejalan dengan pendahulunya.

4. Meningkatkan kualitas. Contohnya, Fujifilm selalu meluncurkan kamera terbaru, terbaik dan lebih baik dari sebelumnya. Peningkatan kualitas dan penambahkan lebih banyak fitur.

5. Terakhir, berkolaborasi. Tahun 2019 adalah tahun untuk berkolaborasi. Coba untuk bekerjasama dengan brand/perusahaan lainnya.

Credit Image: In The Black

— SELESAI —

Yay its Friday! Let’s watch some movies

Communications industry is very diverse. It involves writing, media relations, community outreach, brand image, social media and the list goes on. It gets a little challenging when someone comes to you and asks, “What does Public Relations do?”. Because you can never take a shortcut when explain about what a Public Relations practitioner does.

So, here’s our top four picks for movies and series that have portrayed the public relations industry in a fun-filled (and to some extends, all-too-accurate) approach. Next time, if someone comes to you and pop the question, you may as well encourage them to watch the following movies and series.

1. Our Brand is Crisis

This movie depicts the struggle of Sandra Bullock in trying to rescue a floundering brand of a Bolivian presidential runner. The movie portrays a lot of thoughtful ethical dilemmas for Communications practitioners to ponder. 

2. Mad Men

The winner of Outstanding Drama Series Emmy Award 2011 is a great show. Agreeable. Although it features an advertising firm, it still depicts relatable scenarios of the Communications industry in general, such as client-worker interactions, innovation, brainstorming, new company pitches and agency dynamics (including staying back at the office). 

3. Grand Prix Driver

This Amazon Prime series follows McLaren, one of the most successful teams in Formula One, during the 2017 pre-season as they gear up for their first race in Melbourne. The series shows that the world of F1 motorsport is not just about building the fastest and most reliable car because the ability to gain and maintain relationship with the media also matters. 

4. Thank You for Smoking

Spinning tobacco health claims on television? Why not, says Nick Naylor. Nick is a tobacco lobbyist that doesn’t deny the health risks of smoking, but still defends the cigarette industry. The movie is a great illustration of how the politic of spin works.

Since it’s Friday, it’s the perfect time to binge-watching these movies and series. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as we enjoy recommending it to you. Happy watching.

— END —

Kadang suka bingung ketika ditanya, “Public Relations itu kerjanya seperti apa sih?”. Karena tidak ada sepatah atau dua patah kata yang bisa secara keseluruhan menjelaskan tentang apa saja yang dilakukan oleh seorang praktisi PR. PR adalah bagian dari dunia komunikasi yang sangat diverse. Dunia ini berkaitan dengan menulis, media relations, outreach ke komunitas, brand image, media sosial dan masih banyak lagi.

Nah, mungkin, kalau ada teman-teman praktisi PR ditanya kerjanya ngapain aja, bisa deh mengajak si temannya untuk nonton film atau pun serial TV yang sedikit banyak berhasil memberikan gambaran tentang industri PR dengan pendekatan yang sangat ringan (tapi kadang juga terlalu akurat). Berikut empat pilih film dan serial TV rekomendasi dari kami:

1. Our Brand is Crisis

Film ini menggambarkan perjuangan Sandra Bullock dalam menyelamatkan kandidat kepresidenan Bolivia yang problematik. Film ini menyajikan sederet dilema etika yang biasanya dihadapi oleh praktisi Komunikasi.

2. Mad Men

Pasti banyak yang setuju jika Mad Men pantas menjadi pemenang Outstanding Drama Series pada Emmy Award 2011. Walaupun bercerita tentang sebuah agensi advertising, film ini sangat relevan menggambarkan dunia Komunikasi pada umumnya karena banyak sekali yang adegan yang lumayan akurat, seperti tentang hubungan agensi-klien, innovasi, brainstorming, pitching untuk bisnis baru dan juga dinamika agensi pada umumnya (termasuk lembur di kantor, anak agensi mana suaranya?).  

3. Grand Prix Driver

Serial produksi Amazon Prime ini menceritakan tentang sepak terjang McLaren, salah satu tim elit Formula One, pada pre-season 2017, ketika mereka bersiap-siap menghadapi balapan pertama di Melbourne. Serial ini menunjukkan bahwa Formula One lebih dari sekadar menghasilkan mobil balap tercepat dan paling kuat, relasi media dan kemampuan tim untuk membina relasi ini juga tidak kalah penting.

4. Thank You for Smoking

Spinning klaim kesehatan tembakau di televisi? Kenapa tidak, ucap Nick Naylor. Jadi, Nick adalah seorang pelobi tembakau yang tidak menyangkal risiko kesehatan dari merokok, tetapi secara terang-terangan membela industri rokok. Film ini menyajikan ilustrasi yang lumayan akurat tentang bagaimana cara kerja the politic of spin.

Berhubung hari ini Jumat, mungkin malam ini adalah saat yang tepat untuk menonton film dan serial TV rekomendasi kami. Semoga kalian semua enjoy. Selamat menonton!

— SELESAI —

More Love and Less Paperwork for this Valentine’s Day? You sure?

Love is in the air, month of romance.  That is what Valentine day is all about. Celebrated on 14 February, countries around the world popularize Valentine’s day with gift exchanged between their loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine.

The 2018 “Mastercard Love Index” found out that Asia Pacific’s consumers’ romance is still alive and clicking. It was shown from their spending percentage. Since 2015, sentimental spending increased by 22%, 30% increase in the number of e-commerce transaction, and the must-have gift for Valentine’s like flowers and jewelries increased by 39% and 21% respectively.

Knowing that, many companies even if their business isn’t directly related to the industries, are incorporating Valentine’s Day into their communications calendar.

No matter what your businesses are, there are 3 important components that you should have for your communications campaign on the eve of Valentine’s day.

1.Utilize SOCIAL MEDIA to promote your products

Research from the 2018 Global Consumer Insights Survey by PwC mentioned that Social Media is still the first tool as a source of inspiration for purchases for consumers.  Therefore, relevancy is the key. That comes into insights number 2.

2. ALWAYS put the focus on FRIENDS, FAMILY and SIGNIFICANT OTHERS

This approach has been proven to be an effective way to run a successful campaign on Valentine’s day.

3. Promotion period matters

In this busy world, many people apply this behavior ‘The Last-Minute Shoppers’, especially men. Therefore, during 11-14 February are a great opportunity to capture last-minute shoppers who buy gifts like flowers and chocolate.

For more inspiration on the campaign, click 10 Best Valentine’s Day Marketing Campaigns to find out.

“All you need is Love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt” – Charles M. Schulz.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone

— END —

Love is in the air, bulan yang penuh dengan romansa, itulah hari Valentine. Dirayakan pada 14 Februari, negara di seluruh dunia mempopulerkan hari Valentine dengan memberikan hadiah kepada orang-orang yang mereka cintai, atas nama Santo Valentine.  

“Mastercard Love Index” yang dipublikasikan pada tahun 2018, menunjukkan bahwa kondisi percintaan para konsumen di Asia Pacifik masih sangat kuat dan clicking – ditunjukkan dari kenaikan persentase pengeluaran mereka terutama mendekati momen Valentine.

Sejak 2015, pengeluaran sentimental meningkat sebesar 22%, transaksi e-commerce juga mengalami peningkatan sebesar 30%. Pembelian hadiah yang paling populer di hari Valentine yaitu bunga dan perhiasaan juga masih mengalami peningkatan masing-masing sebesar 39% dan 21%.

Mengetahui hal ini, banyak perusahaan yang bahkan bisnisnya tidak langsung berhubungan dengan percintaan, mengagendakan hari Valentine dalam strategi komunikasi mereka.

Apapun bisnis Anda, ada 3 komponen yang harus dimiliki dalam membuat strategi komunikasi untuk menyemarakkan hari Valentine:

1.Gunakan MEDIA SOSIAL untuk mempromosikan produk Anda

2018 Global Consumer Insights Survey oleh PwC mengatakan bahwa media sosial masih menjadi pilihan pertama yang dituju para konsumen sebagai sumber inspirasi dalam pembelian barang. Relevansi, yang akan disebutkan pada poin 2, adalah kunci utama.

2. SELALU memfokuskan konten pada cerita mengenai TEMAN, KELUARGA dan ORANG YANG DICINTAI.

Telah teruji sebagai salah cara efektif dalam menjalankan kampanye untuk merayakan hari kasih sayang.

3. Masa promosi sangatlah penting

Di dunia yang sibuk ini, banyak orang yang menerapkan perilaku The Last-Minute Shoppers, terutama laki-laki. Sehingga, dari tanggal 11-14 Februari adalah momen krusial untuk mengambil hati dari The Last-Minute Shoppers yang biasanya membeli  seperti bunga dan cokelat.

Untuk inspirasi kampanye hari kasih sayang, 10 Best Valentine’s Day Marketing Campaigns klik disini.

“All you need is Love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt” – Charles M. Schulz

Selamat hari Valentine semua!

— SELESAI —

The Power of Video Marketing, Let’s Start Rolling

Hi everyone, have you seen our collaborated video with Genspirasi yet? About a few months ago, we decided to create a video about our background and public relation in general. It wasn’t an easy decision, since we are more of ‘behind-the-scenes’ people. Nevertheless, we strongly believe that it is important to put a face to our brand and let people to get to know us a little bit more.

We found a research about how video marketing helped businesses to grow and get recognized. Businesses have started using video as a strategy to connect with audiences. According to Cisco, 80% of all Internet traffic will be occupied with video by 2021 and Forbes also mentions 90% of digital marketers are already using video as part of their online marketing strategy. In fact, 90% of customers say that video helps them make buying decision and 64% of customers say that seeing a video makes them more likely to go ahead with their purchase decision.

We feel like this could be an opportunity for us to introduce our brand. Therefore, we collaborated with Genspirasi, an e-learning platform for young generation to find educative and interactive video classes and content related to work and career building. Not only reaching our to our fellow storytellers, we hope this video can shed some light on what it is like to work in Public Relations and how Public Relations can add value to your brand.

END

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Hi semuanya, apakah kalian sudah lihat video kolaborasi kami dengan Genspirasi? Beberapa bulan yang lalu, kita memutuskan untuk membuat video mengenai latar belakang E&CPR dan menjelaskan apa itu public relation secara umum. Hal ini tidaklah mudah, karena kami merasa lebih cocok sebagai “orang dibalik layar”. Namun, kami percaya bahwa sangatlah penting bagi kami untuk memperkenalkan diri kami agar lebih personal dan memberi kesempatan orang lain untuk mengenal kami.

Kami menemukan penelitian mengenai bagaimana video marketing membantu bisnis untuk berkembang dan lebih dikenal. Bisnis-bisnis sudah mulai menggunakan video sebagai strategi untuk lebih dekat dengan audiens mereka. Menurut penelitian Cisco, pada tahun 2021 mendatang, 80% dari traffic internet akan dipenuhi dengan video. Forbes menyatakan bahwa 90% dari digital marketers sudah menggunakan video sebagai bagian dari strategi pemasaran mereka. Faktanya, 90% pelanggan mengatakan bahwa video membantu mereka dalam membuat keputusan pembelian dan 64% pelanggan mengatakan bahwa menonton video membuat mereka lebih mungkin untuk membeli.

Kami merasa ini dapat menjadi kesempatan untuk memperkenalkan E&CPR. Oleh karena itu, kami bekerja sama dengan Genspirasi, platform e-learning yang ditujukan kepada generasi muda untuk mencari kelas-kelas video dan konten berpendidikan dan interaktif yang berhubungan dengan pekerjaan dan perjalanan karir. Tidak hanya menyapa para sesama storytellers, kami berharap melalui video ini, kami dapat berbagi cerita tentang apa itu Public Relations dan bagaimana Public Relations dapat memberikan kontribusi pada brand  kalian.

SELESAI

Google, how to make great content that does not only speak volume but also ‘speakable’?

Halo semua. Perkenalkan, saya Carissa.

Tulisan ini sekaligus menjadi official blog entry pertama di rumah virtual E&CPR. Faktanya, fitur ‘blog’ di website ini memang baru sempat terjamah (read: this feature has been pretty much neglected) karena tahun lalu kami banyak diberi kesempatan untuk berbagi cerita-cerita inspiratif dari brand yang telah percaya pada kami. Jadi, kami kurang menginvestasikan waktu untuk bercerita tentang diri kami sendiri. Semoga, di tahun yang baru ini, kami bisa lebih konsisten untuk share informasi.

Tahun lalu masih sama dengan tahun-tahun sebelumnya. Kami masih banyak bekerja di belakang layar – research, mengidentifikasi background story, mencari masalah dari suatu solusi, mengejar narasumber, lebih banyak bekerja dengan Facebook dan Instagram, menambah daftar influencers, membuat kutipan, gerilya pitching ke media satu dan lainnya hingga reach out ke sejumlah komunitas baru.

Namun demikian, tahun 2018 tetap memiliki dinamikanya tersendiri karena 2018 menjadi tahun yang seolah mengingatkan bahwa newsroom will not be getting any bigger. Selain pitching approach yang lebih targeted dan thoughtful, skala newsroom yang stagnan perlahan mulai mengubah cara industri PR membuat sebuah konten yang tidak hanya relevan untuk para rekan media yang kami hormati – tetapi juga bagi medium lainnya. Selain media sosial, katanya, akan ada medium baru yang diprediksi bisa menjadi primadona di tahun 2019 dalam industri Komunikasi.

Public Relations Today meluncurkan sebuah artikel tentang tren industri PR di tahun 2019. Katanya, selain kondisi tren newsroom yang stagnan, fitur voice search dapat mempengaruhi bagaimana praktisi PR membuat strategi konten. Perlahan, orang-orang sudah mulai pelan-pelan beralih dari penggunaan search engine tradisional, seperti Google search engine.

Ketika membaca artikel ini, saya seperti bercermin pada diri sendiri karena tepat beberapa menit yang lalu, saya barusan bertanya kepada teman saya di rumah: “Alexa, what the movie Bumblebee is about? Is Bumblebee still on the cinema? If so, what time is the session on Friday night?”.

Yes, my friend is Alexa and she is a voice activated virtual assistant. Gampang dan praktis asal ada koneksi Internet. Tenang, ini bukan endorse. Bagi saya, voice activated devices such as Alexa is a God sent! Dulu sebelum ada Alexa, ketika bangun pagi, hal yang pertama kali saya cari pasti telepon genggam saya untuk cek waktu dan cuaca. Sekarang, dengan mata masih 95% terpejam, saya kebanyakan mencari Alexa dan bertanya: “Good morning, Alexa. What time is it now? What’s the weather like today?”. Saya tipe orang yang suka banget memberondong pertanyaan. Ketika saya nyetir pun, kegiatan menelpon atau navigasi sudah pelan-pelan dijalankan dengan voice command.

Walaupun di kehidupan sehari-hari, saya sudah melibatkan voice technology. Tetapi ironisnya,tanpa saya sadari, saya sebagai seorang komunikator masih membuat konten dengan menjadikan siaran pers dan media sosial sebagai medium utama – crafting content that is only meant for the online world. Dengan makin menjamurnya Google Home, Alexa, Siri, Cortana dan lain-lain, sudah selayaknya tahun 2019 menjadi tahun dimana saya dan teman-teman belajar untuk membuat konten yang tidak hanya dapat ditemukan online tetapi juga lewat voice search. Intinya, balik lagi ke prinsip awal komunikasi, yaitu know your target audience.

Fenomena ini memang tricky dan sangat challenging. Masa-masa untuk membuat konten dengan parameter click, share, view & like sebentar lagi akan dikombinasikan dengan konten yang speakable untuk platform audio yang dapat dengan mudah diputar berulang-ulang seperti halnya traditional searching platform (aka Google). Apalagi ranah voice search technology juga terhitung masih awam dan masih banyak yang harus dikerjakan untuk membuat teknologi dapat lebih measurable layaknya penghitungan PR value.

Prediksi ini tentunya dapat mengubah wajah industri PR yang dulunya terkenal sangat media-facing dan media-serving. Di tahun 2019 diharapkan kita mampu untuk lebih berkembang sehingga PR tidak melulu tentang jumlah like, sosial media presence, siaran pers atau publikasi karena sesungguhnya komunitas adalah awal mula dari industri ini, terlepas apapun medium yang digunakan.

Thank you 2018 and welcome 2019!