Jakarta. Marketing expert Hermawan Kartajaya is urging companies to deepen their understanding of artificial intelligence and China’s role in the global economy, warning that both will be decisive factors shaping marketing strategies in 2026.

Speaking at the BTV Marketing Outlook 2026 forum in Tangerang on Thursday, the founder and chair of MCorp said AI is no longer limited to supporting creative campaigns or branding, but is becoming central to how companies manage customers.

“Customers need to be treated individually — offered different products, different prices and different promotions,” Hermawan said. “That kind of one-to-one marketing mix is what AI enables.”

He said many companies still rely too heavily on brand management, using AI mainly for creative content and promotions, while overlooking its potential in customer management. Effective marketing, he argued, rests on three pillars: customer management, product management and brand management.

“What’s widely practiced today is brand management,” Hermawan said. “But customer management will be far more important in 2026.”

Beyond technology, Hermawan highlighted China as a critical strategic partner for Indonesia, particularly as President Prabowo Subianto pursues an ambitious economic growth target of 8 percent.

“In this new geopolitical landscape, the US has a strong presence in Indonesia, but Indonesia is non-aligned,” he said. “Good relations with the US are important, and good relations with China are important. That’s where President Prabowo’s strength lies.”

Hermawan praised Prabowo’s active diplomacy with major powers, describing the president as an “entrepreneurial marketer” for his ability to balance relationships across geopolitical divides. Without such flexibility, he said, Indonesia would face greater difficulty navigating global competition.

To achieve higher growth, Hermawan said Indonesia must optimize investment and exports, with China playing a central role. Rather than competing head-on in areas where Indonesia lacks scale, he suggested collaboration.

“If we don’t yet have the capability to compete directly, then collaborate,” he said, citing partnerships between his MarkPlus group and Chinese marketing firms to develop business cases spanning ASEAN and China.

Hermawan also said Indonesia could learn from China’s public-sector work culture, particularly in terms of speed, efficiency and clarity in decision-making. He called for new training programs and curricula for civil servants to help bureaucracy keep pace with global competition.

On AI adoption, Hermawan acknowledged both opportunities and risks, but said fear often turns technology into a perceived threat. MarkPlus, he said, is partnering with established AI firms to offer affordable subscription-based tools aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises.

“AI must still be controlled by humans,” he said. “It’s not about handing everything over to machines. Humans remain the decision-makers.”

As AI and geopolitics reshape markets, Hermawan said companies that fail to adapt their marketing strategies — particularly in customer engagement and international collaboration — risk being left behind in the years ahead.

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