Behind the name: How Magnus Digital stakes its claim in Indonesia's ad scene

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In the business of brand building and advertising, having a name that stands out and is memorable matters. In our numerous interactions with agencies, we often hear unconventional names and often wonder how these names came around. Coming up next in our series of interviews with independent agencies in Indonesia is Magnus Digital. Founded in 2017 with a team of six, Magnus Digital has since grown to house over 60 employees. Some of its clients include the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Frisian Flag Indonesia and LINE Bank, among others.

CEO Hendra Liman explained to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that Magnus means “Great” in Latin, “Clearly, we’re hoping that Magnus can stand up to its name,” he said. He added that the agency envisions to become the best hybrid digital marketing, advertising and technology company in the world. Its ambition in hybrid strategies became even more relevant during the pandemic.

While he declined to share details on his plans for the agency this year, he said the plans include an expansion of its services. Nonetheless, Liman admitted that the agency’s journey was not always smooth-sailing. A challenge he encounters occasionally is managing the satisfaction of both internal and external stakeholders. Another challenge would be ensuring the agency has the capabilities to take on the competition in the industry, especially since Indonesia’s ad industry has changed massively in terms of technology and market size.

“The market size even grew significantly compared to 2017 the year Magnus was founded. Many players come from different technology and solutions sectors, which makes for a very interesting topic to discuss in the advertising and marketing industry,” Liman said.

Nonetheless, Liman learnt to constantly evolve and learn 24/7 to keep up in the industry, along with “a very good supporting team” in the agency. When asked what message he would deliver to his younger self back when Magnus was first founded, Liman said: “Don’t be afraid to take the risk as long as you can calculate it. [I’m] not going to say it’s an easy task but nothing in this world is easy, right?”

In addition to growth in both market size and spending for the ad industry, Liman said that this year, he hopes to see more local agencies such as Magnus Digital “push (their) claws more and compete with bigger companies” in the market.

As for Magnus itself, Liman said the agency brings with it its culture when meeting with current and potential clients. Additionally, Magnus’ position as a medium-sized company means that it has a shorter line of command and bureaucracy, making it more adaptable.

“We will always consider Magnus as a partner for the customer. We will not only listen to their requirements, we will actually consult them and ensure that they get the best services that we can offer in order to ensure their efforts and investment in their digital marketing, advertising and technology is actually in good hands,” Liman explained.

Separately, pharmaceutical company Sakatonik ABC appointed Magnus in January to handle its social media duties in Indonesia for a year. The appointment comes following a pitch held in November last year, which saw three other agencies vying for the account. During the appointment, Magnus is responsible for the digital strategy, content development and maintenance of Sakatonik ABC’s social media platforms.

Additionally, Coway Indonesia, a water filtration and air purifier company based in South Korea, partnered with Magnus for its influencer marketing campaign in September last year. The campaign ran until October 2021 and focused on Coway’s new products - Air Purifier Tornado and Water Purifier Cinnamon. Magnus was tasked with increasing brand awareness and brand presence for Coway in Indonesia and on social media.

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