The Indonesian Express
Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia are pushing the local batik industry forward in the digital age with their #MelokalDenganBatik campaign, aiming to create a positive impact on the national economy. According to the Data and Information Center of the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, the textile and clothing sector, including batik, contributed 1.40% and 4.30% to the GDP in the third quarter of 2023 within the Non-Oil and Gas Processing Industry. The Ministry of Industry also highlights that the batik industry is labor-intensive, employing millions of workers. Recognizing the huge potential of the local batik industry, Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia are working to boost the use of digital platforms for as many batik SMEs as possible, creating opportunities and contributing to the national digital economy. They kicked off the #MelokalDenganBatik campaign in January 2024 across various regions in Indonesia, including Solo and Yogyakarta, as explained by Antonia Adega, Communications Senior Lead at Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia. The #MelokalDenganBatik initiative is enhancing transactions for SMEs, increasing the capacity and skills of batik artisans throughout Indonesia to invigorate local economies in the digital era. This campaign integrates several key initiatives, such as Digitalization Acceleration for Local Batik SMEs, a dedicated #MelokalDenganBatik page, Batik Shoppertainment, and Production Capacity Enhancement, all aimed at delivering positive impacts, especially for batik SMEs. Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia, in collaboration with local governments, are also focused on accelerating the digitalization of local batik SMEs through comprehensive online business training. In Solo, this event has the backing of the Vice Mayor and the Head of the Cooperatives and SMEs Office, while in Yogyakarta, it’s supported by the Daily Chair of the Yogyakarta Special Region's Dekranasda and the Assistant to the Regional Secretary for Community Resource Empowerment. "Nearly 500 batik SMEs took part in online business training, and 50% of them decided to open stores on ShopTokopedia. During the campaign launch (January 25 - February 7, 2024), thousands of batik sellers started joining Tokopedia, with almost 1,000 from Central Java alone," said Antonia. On another note, Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia have launched a Special Page #MelokalDenganBatik to provide comprehensive support, including marketing, promotions, and exclusive exposure for batik products. About 400 batik sellers participated in this online campaign through both Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia, experiencing an average transaction increase of over 90% during the campaign. (Source: ShopTokopedia, January 25 - February 7, 2024) There’s also the Shoppertainment Batik initiative, where Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia teamed up with various content creators to boost interest in batik, helping audiences find entertaining and informative batik content while enhancing exposure and sales for local batik SMEs. "Almost 200 content creators of all sizes were involved to raise the profile of the #MelokalDenganBatik campaign. Over 14,000 videos have been created by these creators on TikTok using the hashtag #MelokalDenganBatik to help increase sales for batik sellers on ShopTokopedia. These videos have been viewed more than 22 million times," Antonia explained. (Source: ShopTokopedia, January 25 - February 7, 2024) Additionally, Tokopedia and ShopTokopedia are also working on Production Capacity Enhancement by collaborating with various agencies to help boost capacity.