STILL energetic despite being past may be a general description of Nuke Mayasaphira, president director of PT Nindotama Kharisma, a company dealing in advertising, particularly billboards. She also holds important positions at a number of other companies, such as president director of PT Hasta Vinditama, president director of PT Indonesia Raya Audivisi (INDRA TV – TV News Agency & Production House), PT Nuke & Associates Inc. In addition, she is also secretary-general of the Association of Outdoor Media Companies (AMLI).
In the entertainment world, particularly in modeling and film, this woman, who is usually addressed as just Nuke, is popular. A number of wide-screen films such as Si Buta dari Goa Hantu (The Blind from the Ghost Cave), Misteri Borobudur (Borobudur Mystery) and Pendekar Bambu Kuning (Yellow Bamboo Fighter) helped make her so.
In addition, she has also worked for the mass media in positions ranging from journalist to advertising manager of a print media company. Indeed, for Nuke, the entertainment world, the mass media and advertising are interrelated. Therefore, it was not only by chance that around 1985 she decided to establish a company dealing in outdoor advertising.
“I used to be a reporter, but then I was asked to assume the position of advertising manager. This was a challenge for me and eventually I learned how to get advertisements through advertising agencies,” said Nuke. Thanks to this experience, Nuke could forge close relations with clients from various companies. She eventually became flooded with orders.clients gave me job orders, but not all of them could be met,” he said.
Finally, around 1981 she resigned from the magazine where she worked. Since then, she has felt more comfortable serving as an intermediary with clients wishing to promote their products through billboards. She slowly learned the billboard business in detail so that eventually she could set up PT Nindotama Kharisma.
What Nuke pioneered was a hard struggle, but she was not deterred a human being, “We must continue to learn. My principles are honesty and professionalism. These two things are the main assets to building a network. The stronger the network, the easier it is to build a career,” she said.
Nindotama may be one of the pioneers of the business. The company was the first to make a single pole billboard in Indonesia. In addition, it also makes rotary billboards, later taken up as a pilot project in Indonesia. Thanks to this creativeness, the company has received a number of awards, such as from the minister of tourism, post and telecommunications and another from the finance minister for outdoor advertising.
According to Nuke, producers’ demands to promote their products never abate. Media choices are also varied, ranging from print media, electronic media, such as radio, television and the Internet, to billboards. In 2007, advertising spending totaled Rp 3.5 trillion. For 2008, the target is expected to reach Rp 3.7 trillion, while the market share for billboards stands at between 8 and 10 percent.
Meanwhile, according to Nuke, there are about 80 companies dealing in outdoor advertising. “Although there are many new players, the quota is still sufficient and competition is quite sound. The point is that it is demanded that we be more creative. That’s where the challenge lies,” Nuke said.
Each medium has its own advantages and disadvantages. The fact many television ads are aired during primetime, for example, has led to viewers not paying attention. Instead, viewers change channels and return to the original program when the commercial break ends.
In response to this challenge, a billboard may be an option in building brand awareness. There are several ways to make use of advertising placement companies in the most unique manner possible so that people passing a billboard may smile or laugh, and remember the message conveyed by the billboard. The point is that the stimulus of the message conveyed must be implanted in the brain of whoever sees it.
Advertising through a billboard is considered quite an effective way to introduce a product to the public. Several things must be taken into account in running this business.
“First, billboard location. This is an important factor for clients. Second, billboard size. The distance over which a billboard can be clearly seen is about 100 meters. So, the size must be adjusted to this distance. Third, licensing, which is quite complicated; that’s why we must be flexible with the regulations of regional administrations. Fourth, up-to-date technology. We must continue to innovate so that clients remain loyal,” Nuke said.
Usually, an advertising company places a large billboard in a striking manner at a strategic location, in a business center or on the side of a busy main road.there are several places where a billboard must not be put up for reasons relating to the beauty of the city,” Nuke said. Indeed, one of the goals of placing a billboard is to ensure that it can be easily seen by many people. A large billboard carrying a picture or photograph is eye-catching to whoever sees it.
However, a group of billboards placed just anywhere will simply spoil the view. Nevertheless, whether or not an advertising creation is good or not will depend on the way it is packaged. It all this depends on the creativity in the process so that the advertising presented will be nice to look at.
“This business is related to safety, the beauty of a city and the image of the advertising company itself. Therefore, we must all collaborate with each other,” Nuke said. “This type of company must also take into account the beauty of a city,” she added.
Nuke is known to be highly disciplined in her principles. Thanks to her creativity, she has earned a number of awards. She is also concerned not only with the business aspect but also with safety.client need not worry that his billboard will collapse because we follow procedure to the letter and the construction of a billboard is strictly supervised,” she said.
According to Nuke, to reduce the risk entailed in erecting a billboard, she uses experts and professionals so that the construction of the foundation can be calculated in detail with several aspects being considered. The density of the soil, for example, is taken into account to determine which materials to use. Then the size of the billboard is compared with the lay of the land to ensure that the poles do not break. Other technical matters are also considered.
The media advertising business, Nuke said, is quite lucrative. She says that whoever wants to take up this business must be professional, not just abusinessman. “Because this business concerns human safety, the beauty of a city and the image of advertising companies,” Nuke said.
Her love for communications is an internal part of her life. Recently, she set up an event-organizing company, PT Julambi Citra Karunia. She is also a shareholder in a number of companies, most of which are in the communications business.this is a challenge and an effective learning facility.
There is nothing difficult in running these companies as they are in the same line of business, although the media are different. Still they are all part of communications,” she said. (Iwan Suci Jatmiko)
The Jakarta Post, April 09, 2008
