Would an Opposition in the DPR help or hinde Indonesia's development and democracy?
Opposition ain’t bad for Indonesia
Time to ditch prewed photos?
Prewed photos and videos are now a multi billion rupiah business, providing proof once again of humans’ propensity to elevate the ridiculous into a semblance of something meaningful. The height of ridiculousness of pre-wed content, of course, is the photo/video shoot at Bukit Teletubbies at Mount Bromo. The smoke and mirrors that are prewed shoots... Continue Reading →
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
What does Baso A Fung in Indonesia and Bud Light in the US have in common? Both are brands caught in the middle of a polarised world where pleasing one side pisses off the other. Let's start with Bud Light. On April 1 Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on a beer promotion.... Continue Reading →
Why do Indonesians go overseas for medical treatment?
I think these two stories explain why there is so little confidence in the medical system here. Just have to factor in the protectionism of Indonesian doctors.
How would you manage the crisis facing the Dalai Lama today?
How would you handle the crisis surrounding the Dalai Lama as a PR professional? The situation, as it unfolded is such: On April 11, a video of the Dalai Lama asking a child to suck his tongue emerges. Worldwide reaction was swift and many people accused the Nobel Laureate of being a pedophile and a... Continue Reading →
Will PR be more or less relevant in the age of AI Rising?
One of the questions PR professionals are wrestling with is whether our profession will be more or less important as Artificial Intelligence gains further ground. AI can already perform many tasks traditionally assigned to PR professionals and with time it will get better and be able to more things. AI, however, is not AGI -... Continue Reading →
Jesus, critical thinking and public relations
A question that I ask that gets attention whenever I teach Critical Thinking at my workplace is what was Jesus Christ's most likely appearance. Would he have looked swarthy and middle-eastern like the image on the left, or fair-skinned, with aquiline nose and Caucasian? Inevitably, there's be quite a few people (sometimes in the majority)... Continue Reading →
The dangers of deductive thinking to solve the Rafael Trisambodo problem
At the place where I work, we make sure that every PR consultant is familiar with Systems Thinking. Why? Because the world is complex and interconnected and deductive thinking usually addresses the symptoms and not the cure. Deductive thinking assumes that the world is a simple place. When problems crop up, find an immediate solution... Continue Reading →
Russians a satisfying, easy but not strategic target
The Russians in Bali have come under siege. Shortly after an outcry by Indonesian netizens after some Russians had the temerity to complain to the authorities about the crowing of roosters in the morning, photos of Russian-owned motorcycles and luxury cars with customised and totally illegal number plates began to surface on social media. One... Continue Reading →
Did the Jakarta Post malign the PR profession?
What's the difference between publicity stunts and PR? One is focussed on looks and cosmetics, the other is focussed on substance and reputation, I argue in this post.
Why Rafael and son Mario may be the best thing to happen to Sri Mulyani
We all know Sri Mulyani. She is one of the very few very capable Ministers and a person of impeccable integrity. On taking office she has strived to professionalize the Finance Ministry and today it is one of the best Ministries in Indonesia. It is no easy feat because the culture of corruption, entitlement and... Continue Reading →
Unspun 