JobStreet's parent firm taps on Indonesian folklore to target SMEs

SEEK Asia, parent firm of JobStreet and JobsDB, has launched a hyperlocalised campaign in Indonesia that taps on a local folklore titled Roro Jonggrang. Jane Cruz-Walker, CMO at SEEK Asia, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the campaign is targeted towards employers looking to hire, as it found that 95% of them are from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The company believes that growing its presence in that pool of MSMEs would accelerate its goal of expanding its footprint across Asia. 

A survey by SEEK Asia in September this year revealed that - among the 673 MSMEs surveyed - 74% did not use any jobs platform for recruitment, instead showing a strong preference to using conventional methods such as word of mouth and posting job ads on social media. According to the company, this approach leads to a lot of "drama" in the recruitment process such as getting less relevant candidates; going through the hassle of filtering and validating the applicants.

To effectively reach out MSMEs in Indonesia, SEEK Asia used the local folklore Roro Jonggrang. The story tells the drama and romance between princess Roro Jonggrang and her suitor King Bandung Bondowoso. At one point in the story, the princess said that she would only marry the King if he builds a thousand temples in one night. While the King calls upon spirits to help him in the story, SEEK Asia's rendition shows an "advisor" who recommends him to use the JobStreet app to find the manpower and skills required to fulfill the otherwise impossible task. 

SEEK Asia also marketed the video akin to how films would, to pique viewers' curiosity. Cruz-Walker said: "It started with a teaser phase utilising cinema posters, then the film’s high production value delivers an experience made for the big screen."

Additionally, SEEK Asia engaged influencers to encourage employers to join JobStreet. Influencers posted pictures of themselves holding a customisable placard, with their pledge to join JobStreet. The initiative also relies on user-generated content from fellow Indonesians. Cruz-Walker said that by growing its unaided awareness among local companies in Indonesia, it can also show jobseekers that that it is the right place to look at as it offers the widest amount of choices.

SEEK Asia's hyperlocalised campaign in Indonesia is part of the company's bigger omnichannel marketing campaign. Titled “Let’s get to work”, the campaign is a continuation of SEEK Asia’s brand evolution that began in late 2020, and aims to empower job seekers to go after careers they are passionate about. Additionally, the campaign comes as part of SEEK Asia’s plans to reposition JobStreet and JobsDB as more than just a job platform, but also as career and talent partners for both job seekers and hirers. In addition to Indonesia, hyperlocalised video campaigns will also be rolled out across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Hong Kong. The campaign also includes digital, OOH, social media and PR activations. 

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