Rupiah Drops, Strategy Rises: A Brand Survival Guide for Indonesia’s Changing Economy
Indonesia’s economic landscape is facing serious challenges as the rupiah has depreciated in value compared to the US dollar.
With prices for commodities continuing to rise, inflation picking up, and higher interest rates, businesses are getting more nervous about how to respond to these challenges.
Instead of rushing into panic mode, businesses need to rethink their playbook, focus on branding and marketing strategy when the rupiah drops. But how can businesses stay relevant during the crisis while maintaining customer trust?
Only with a flexible and smart marketing strategy that your brand survive and thrive, even during challenging periods.
What the Macroeconomy Means for Brands in 2025
Indonesia’s macroeconomic situation in 2025 brings difficult hurdles and real pressures on brands. A weakening currency and ongoing inflation create impactful shifts in brand operations, especially in these three aspects.
- Import Costs
A weakening rupiah means imported goods become more expensive. For brands that rely mostly on imported ingredients, such as electronics and cosmetics, this can be a big issue that might lead to profits shrinking.
- Consumer Purchasing Power
The ongoing inflation, on the other hand, can reduce customer purchasing power because they tend to be more careful with their expenses.
- Marketing Budgets
Higher interest rates also make borrowing money and investing become more expensive for businesses, which affects the growth plans and reduces marketing budgets.
It gives signals for brands to adjust with smart branding and marketing strategy when rupiah drops. Take Tokopedia x Gojek (GoTo Group) as examples of brands that are actively adapting.
During the economic downturn, they relocated their marketing investments into a more synergistic ecosystem. Dive into Case Study Snapshots for further explanation on their proven strategy.
Strategic Shifts: What Brands Should Do Now
Marketing strategies during economic dips require clearer direction with coordinated action. Both leaders and marketing teams have prominent roles in leading businesses to success in these hard times. This is how each role can respond and contribute effectively.
- For C-Level & Marketing Leaders
C-level and marketing leaders may start their branding and marketing strategy when the rupiah drops by re-prioritizing their brand value with consistent and purpose-driven messaging.
Brands need to ensure the messages reflect consumers’ needs, have social relevance, and bring an emotional connection.
It’s also crucial to reallocate your marketing budget to channels with better ROI, like organic content guided by performance data.
Investing in Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) tools may be useful too to prepare your brand for market volatility, regulation changes, or even economic downturns.
For brands that operate globally, collaborating with cross-border platforms to create currency strategies can hedge against currency impact as well as stabilize budget planning.
All these strategies above, in a way, are inviting top brand leaders to adjust their marketing plans proactively rather than reactively.
- For Marketing Teams & Staff
While C-level and marketing leaders work with the brand’s direction, marketing teams and staff handle all the execution.
For an effective branding and marketing strategy, when the rupiah drops, they should embrace the invention of technology through AI and automation tools, especially for streamlining repetitive tasks.
Localizing content, at the same time, becomes the number one strategy to maintain brand relatability and ensure culturally relevant messaging in tough times.
Focusing on short-form content formats like TikTok, Reels, and Threads needs to be implemented as well to capture audiences’ attention and drive higher engagement. This strategy is immensely useful, particularly in the quick-scrolling digital landscape.
Case Study Snapshots: Resilient Brands in Action
Several brands, from the local to the global landscape, have successfully mitigated the past challenges of rupiah depreciation.
The following case studies show how both local and international brands offer valuable lessons in branding and marketing strategy when the rupiah drops, illustrating resilience in practice.
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Local Brand Examples
Tokopedia x Gojek employs a cross-promotion strategy between platforms to lower user acquisition costs. They also decided to focus heavily on UMKM empowerment and local merchants, which aligns well with national sentiment.
In a different brand, Wardah Cosmetics, as a leading cosmetic brand in Indonesia, chose to focus on local sourcing as a strategic step to combat rupiah depreciation.
Their brand messaging also shifts to “affordable quality” while putting much of their effort into TikTok and community-driven content.
Collaborating with influencers that resonate with Muslim audiences and Indonesia’s Gen Z, the campaigns become effective during periods of budget tightening.
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Global Brand Examples
Unilever and Nestle Indonesia are global consumer goods companies that have a deep local presence in Indonesia. During the inflationary periods, both companies leaned on smart strategies to manage foreign exchange exposure.
Unilever Indonesia shifted its focus to mass-market and essential goods while keeping innovation in premium goods categories.
Nestle Indonesia, on the other hand, enhanced rural distribution to grow non-urban markets that are less affected by the volatility.
Despite the pressure, both of the global brands were able to sustain growth and reinforce brand trust, ultimately staying resilient in the face of challenges.
From Pressure to Possibility: Turning Challenges into Brand Momentum
Crisis, like rupiah depreciation, may test a brand’ resilience, but they often lead them into powerful catalysts of creativity and innovation. This condition pushes them to think outside their playbook, changing their branding and marketing strategy when the rupiah drops.
From perfection and reach, brands need to force a mindset shift into agility and relevance. Adapting quickly to the changing consumer needs becomes more essential than relying on rigid planning.
In such moments, surviving the crisis is not the only goal. Brands have to utilize it as a turning point to build credibility, and brands that respond authentically with their branding purpose tend to cultivate deeper and lasting consumer trust.
Thrive and Evolve During Crisis with Essentials!
Brand resilience becomes a necessity in the moment of crisis, like in the current inflation.
The most resilient brands have the power to shift their branding and marketing strategy when the rupiah drops with agility and a deep connection to their audience to stay relevant for a long period of time.
Is your brand strategy ready for the next shift? Let our team at Essentials.id help you navigate the storm with insight-driven solutions. Contact us for a free strategy session or explore how we’ve helped brands grow through change.
References:
https://www.bi.go.id/en/statistik/informasi-kurs/transaksi-bi/default.aspx
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-emea/marketing-strategies/search/helping-you-understand-consumer-needs-uncertain-times/
https://www.marketing-interactive.com/back-to-performance-SEA-marketers-on-seismic-changes-amidst-tariff-shockwaves
https://smk.co/instagram-tiktok-surpass-google-for-gen-z-shoppers/
