Agung Adiprasetya and Answering the Challenge of Media integration
Around the world, not very many companies have a strong brand in the media industry, let alone a brand that can stand across multiple generations. Even more rare is a company that has strong brands across various media categories. One of these rare companies in Indonesia is Kompas Gramedia Group (Kelompok Kompas Gramedia / KKG).
KKG not only has one of the most widely read national newspapers in circulation, but also has various local ones. It also has newspapers covering niche topics, such as business- newspaper. It even has specialty newspapers in English.
These newspaper, both the national, local and niche ones, all have strong brand. Some of them have survived multiple generations successfully – such as Kompas. This is of course, no small achievement.
Beside its various newspapers, KKG’s printed media businesses also spans various well known tabloids and magazines. It combines these print media with non-print media through its presence in radio, online and a newly established TV venture.
In total all of this supports KKG position as the nation’s strongest media company. KKG’s strength is furthermore supported by its additional business functions such as its printing, publishing retail and hotel businesses.
Marketeers asked their CEO three questions: on how the company integrates its various media. This question is not only related to how KKG manages to build a strong brand but also how it can provide high quality content across its various platforms as integration may theoretically seem easy to do through modern technology, in practice various organizational barriers often make it impossible to implement.
Play by the Book and Out of Box Doing
CEO of KKG, Agung Adiprasetyo, through a long interview with Marketeers told how the company answering the integration challenge. The challenge is not one of innovation alone, but also on how to “play by the book”. This last issue is oftentimes where the challenge really lies.
Many people were surprised when KKG launched KompasTV as a content provider. The idea came out through an astute analysis that many TV station in Indonesia today is like a store which sells any content it can to the customer. These TV stations brings no real differentiating concept nor any clear picture about what content they want to provide.
In lieu of this lack of quality content, KKG saw the opportunity to create KompasTV which was set to act as a content provider for TV stations. By positioning itself as a content provider, KompasTV shows confidence in the quality and depth of substance of the content that it creates. Let’s take example of Ekspedisi Cincin Api (Ring of Fire Expedition) programme which shows a real depth in its research and multi-format exploration. Even the marketing strategy is also different from ordinary TV stations; through the delivery of serial stories through KKG’s many media outlets.
Unfortunately, KompasTV programming is only broadcasted through local TV, making only few people able to understand KKG’s remarkable innovation. Cooperation with many local TV stations has not been able to broaden KompasTV show still. So this out of box project can be enjoyed by a limited number of people.
As it turns out, this limitation to broadcast only through local TV stations was a conscious decision to play by the book, even withstanding the risk of losing momentum to build its TV station. It is not an easy thing to do in the middle of condition where a potential player must go head-to-head with many burdensome rules.
KKG surely has an established community from its years in business – that can be used today to threaten others. However, KKG is not using this unfair advantage. It wants to show the relevance of Ronggowarsito teaching that however lucky a crazy man may be, even luckier is the careful and watchful.
In matter of playing by the book, Agung explained the importance of doing good. Nobody knows if a good person someday will be graced the heaven. Even though there is no heaven then, that good person will get no harm, since he has not done anything wrong.
Multimedia, Multiplatform, and Multiformat
As a well-known media in Indonesia, having many strong brands, and existing in various formats, KKG wants to surely integrate business activities. In Agung’s term, KKG business must be able to do 3M which are multimedia, multiplatform, and multiformat. Agung continuously encourages his people to be able to do various activities across many media platforms, even though currently their job may be still specific to one media.
Deep in his heart Agung believes that to make 3M running, all journalist must learn to write in printed and online media, and also learn how to broadcast in radio and television. This is a breakthrough indeed. In the past, journalists who were good at writing were not necessarily good at being an announcer or an anchor, and vice versa.
Some preparations needed are therefore providing ample training to transform one-task journalist into multitasking ones. It is not important that not very many of his employees are really attracted to this kind of training. Whether they want it or not, the need to understand and be prepared for this 3M era is surely coming soon.
On the other hand, Agung also is looking for competent outsiders to work within to transform KKG not only to become a 3M media business, but also a great player in the future 3M environment. This is a big step in KKG since it traditionally has sourced for talent internally, not focusing on competency. But changes in the industry demand progress.
Let’s take example in television industry; the greatness of an anchor does not depend on individual skill only, but in a team which make that anchor a star performer. The condition requires not only a person with great intellectual ability, but also a creative one who can mix up many ability into a show; hence making the show interesting to attract people to watch. Since KKG currently does not have talent to create and produce these extraordinary TV shows, it must look for outsiders for its talent needs.
All of this can be combined with the in-house talent and experience that KKG does have. Keeping this in mind, Agung hopes that KKG will be able to achieve its 3M vision soon despite the many challenges it faces. He hopes that KKG in the future does not become a legacy company, but can progress to become a new-wave one.
Sumber: Marketeers edisi Desember 2011
