Low brand awareness for MSME products causes problems in marketing the goods produced, even though they are categorized as superior. Students from Universitas Indonesia (UI) were moved to provide solutions to these problems, and offered concrete steps to help MSMEs. As a reward, they won second place in the 2024 Management Festival competition organized by the Management Student Association, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Nasional.
The competition, which carried the theme “Meningkatkan Optimalisasi Pemasaran Digital bagi UMKM Melalui Personalisasi Data” (Increasing Digital Marketing Optimization for MSMEs Through Data Personalization), tested the participants’ abilities in developing digital marketing strategies to overcome the problems faced by MSMEs. Three UI students, namely Futihat Nurul Karimah from the Vocational Education Program, Karin Ardelia Latifah Pranowo from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, and Ranu Panamkarana from the Faculty of Economics and Business, raised the name of UI through a team called Blackpink Pasming.
“Although their products are known to have a delicious and quality taste, Starpresso has difficulty attracting consumers’ attention and increasing sales amidst the tight competition in the coffee industry. They found that the lack of a strong brand identity and minimal digital marketing were the main causes of low awareness among coffee consumers,” said Futihat.
Through SWOT and STP analysis, as well as TAM, SAM, and SOM approaches, the team formulated a creative marketing strategy. The INTIM strategy, specifically designed for Starpresso, focused on a personal approach and digital marketing to increase interaction between Starpresso and consumers. To strengthen their identity, they introduced Starpresso as “Kopi Anak Pasming,” which targets young consumers in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.
“This intimacy strategy is very relevant to Starpresso because we want to highlight the personal side of their brand, while still maximizing digital marketing to increase awareness among consumers,” said Futihat.
The first step taken by the team was to prepare a proposal and then present it to the jury. The competition lasted throughout August, with the presentation peaking at the end of the month.
Futihat added that their educational backgrounds were very supportive in formulating the strategy. “We want to explore our potential and unite the various backgrounds of knowledge that we have gained while studying at Universitas Indonesia. Different experiences and majors are one of our challenges, but we have succeeded in collaborating the knowledge that we have and hope to provide a positive impact on the MSMEs that we help,” she said.
Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D., expressed his pride in the achievements of the UI students. “The achievements of Futihat and the Blackpink Pasming team are certainly a source of pride for UI and are expected to inspire other students to continue to innovate and develop themselves in various fields,” said Padang.
With this success, the Blackpink Pasming team plans to continue their participation in various other competitions. They hope to continue to provide a positive contribution to MSMEs in Indonesia, as well as encourage more UI students to be actively involved in activities that have a real impact on society.
