Crowds without campaigns: How unrest disrupted Indonesia's marketing calendar

Indonesia’s marketing industry is navigating one of its most sensitive moments in years. The protests that erupted in late August and early September have forced brands to delay high-profile activations, and put marketers under pressure to rethink how they communicate in an atmosphere where tone can make or break reputation.

This is the reality facing the industry in the wake of demonstrations that spread across the country after anger over lawmakers’ housing allowances turned into nationwide unrest. The flashpoint came with the killing of online motorcycle taxi driver Affan Kurniawan - an incident that triggered deadly mass protests. To understand how the turbulence is shaping marketing strategies, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke with multiple brand and agency leaders about which parts of the business are most exposed and what this episode means for planning and strategy. Their perspectives reveal an industry that is cautious but resilient, slowing down in certain areas but refusing to lose momentum.

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For some marketers, the question is less about spend and more about tone. The unrest, after all, stems from grievances that are deeply economic. In this context, advertising risks being read as a barometer of empathy. A campaign that feels excessive can appear disconnected from the public mood, while restraint and sensitivity are more likely to resonate.

“Our role goes beyond business; we exist to create beauty with purpose, guided by kindness, empathy, and responsibility. In moments like these, when the nation is going through uncertainty, it’s even more important that our actions and words reflect that responsibility,” said Iskandar Siva, director of global experimentation and growth at ParagonCorp, whose portfolio includes brands such as Wardah, Make Over, Emina, and Kahf.

The group has delayed activations such as its flagship Beauty Science Tech showcase and its Kahf Decode men’s grooming event. “We haven’t cancelled, but we’ve shifted a few activations to calmer dates,” Siva said. “Timing matters, and we’d rather people engage with our stories when it feels right.”

We see our campaigns not just as marketing, but as part of a larger social conversation. That means being cautious when needed, pausing when appropriate, and leaning into stories of resilience, care, and togetherness.

Similarly, Fajar “Arya” Kumbara, chief strategy officer at MullenLowe Lintas Indonesia, said the pattern is not one of cost-cutting, but of precautionary adjustment. Brands under Unilever (Royco, Bango, Pepsodent, and Lifebuoy) and Indofood (Pop Mie, Pop Spageti) continue to advertise, but with greater care in choosing channels, crafting content, selecting KOLs and influencers, and timing their placements, he said.

“This moment is a sharp reminder that flexibility and channel diversification are essential tools for risk mitigation," he emphasised.

When activations collide with reality

With the recent protests, it is safe to say, our industry that thrives on visibility suddenly faced a paradox - while the streets were full, it was not with the kind of crowds brands seek. 

“A few brand activations for our client (a large FMCG multinational) that were meant to be held at malls during the week were cancelled,” recalled Anish Daryani, CEO of Moonfolks. “Some malls were closed to public, and for those that remained open, footfall remained non-existent.” The same fate met an integrated campaign for a fast food chain, whose timing was no longer just off - it risked irrelevance.

Safety of our crew, public sentiment and restrained movement across the city owing to the protests were the main reasons that led us to cancel these events.

Outdoor advertising exposed a different kind of tension. Unlike mall events or pop-ups, billboards cannot be rolled back once printed. They stood, glaring but inert, on streets where demonstrations had halted traffic and dampened consumer activity.

“Clients didn’t get their money’s worth on those days where protests brought the country to a halt,” Daryani said. The only real flexibility lay in digital out-of-home, where programmatic buys could be paused and re-routed in real time.

Meanwhile, news platforms spiked. As Indonesians turned repeatedly to TV and online outlets for updates, brands that had secured premium slots there suddenly found themselves in rare high-value territory.

Influencer marketing balancing act

Perhaps the most delicate balancing act was in influencer marketing. Some creators spoke openly about their political stance, lending their feeds an authenticity that could, however unintentionally, spill over into brand work. “Though these were their personal views, their association with brands during that time wasn’t favourable,” Daryani explained.

“Brands would prefer to be empathetic, rather than divisive.” The response was not to censor, but to recalibrate: campaigns were paused, partnerships reviewed, and guidelines tightened around keeping political commentary separate from branded content.

Internally, Moonfolks adapted in much the same way as their clients: by pivoting channels. The agency activated work-from-home protocols, shifted client meetings online, and pressed pause on international visits. “Overall, only 10% of our folks on average came into office,” Daryani noted, with full return resuming only once the city had steadied.

Teddy Wijaya, MODENA’s vice president of marketing, also said that the company turned to hybrid working during the height of demonstrations and made operational adjustments across offline channels. At the same time, it ensured continuity through its digital touchpoints - its website, social media platforms, and customer service channels.

“Over the medium to long term, we are closely tracking socio-economic shifts. Our priority is to ensure that our communications remain both relevant and sensitive - delivering messages that inform while staying attuned to the realities of the moment,” Wijaya added.

Tactical, not structural

The turbulence of recent weeks has undeniably shaken parts of Indonesia’s marketing ecosystem. Yet, as Kumbara argued, the effects are proving more tactical than structural. It has disrupted timelines and forced caution in specific sectors, yet the fundamentals of spending and consumer demand remain intact.

The hardest hit have been activation-driven formats - mall events, sponsorships, cafés, and OOH in high-risk areas. Some luxury retailers also quietly pulled back merchandise from displays, Kumbara said. However, the mood is one of caution, not retreat: marketers are delaying exposure in vulnerable channels while keeping campaigns alive where audiences remain accessible.

The picture is more uneven for smaller players. The temporary closure of TikTok Live cut off a vital artery for SMEs that depend on the platform to reach consumers in real time. Larger brands, by contrast, have been more insulated. With diversified ecosystems spanning eCommerce marketplaces, offline distribution, and direct-to-consumer channels, they have the flexibility to shift focus without losing visibility.

At the macro level, indicators suggest the industry’s core is resilient. Kumbara pointed to Nielsen data showing that ad and retail spending across Asia-Pacific remains on a positive trajectory. In Indonesia, the pattern reflects budget re-phasing rather than permanent cuts. Consumer sentiment, which dipped briefly after the cabinet reshuffle - particularly with the change in the finance ministry - is stabilising as the political dust settles, he noted.

Indonesia’s marketing industry has shown strong structural resilience: major brands remain active, consumers retain confidence, and the media ecosystem has not lost its fundamentals.

Wisnu Satya Putra, CEO of Feel Good Network, echoed the view, noting that the impact is more tactical than strategic and likely to be temporary. He stressed that the industry is accustomed to operating within Indonesia’s shifting socio-political dynamics, making agility in messaging and timing almost second nature for marketers.

Nonetheless, while many marketers are taking a “wait-and-see” stance on their investments, Soum Banerjee, CEO of TBWA\ Group Indonesia, cautioned that unless economic conditions improve, even minor triggers could spark fresh unrest - shaking consumer confidence and, inevitably, marketing spend.

In the end, the protests were “a signal of the pain people are feeling at the grassroots,” Banerjee said.

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