Navigating ASEAN: Proven Strategies for Consumer Goods from Scholar-Practitioners

This book offers a unique fusion of cultural intelligence and practical strategy for navigating Indonesia’s fast-evolving consumer goods sector. Rooted in the scholar-practitioner ethos, it draws on field-tested frameworks and decades of hands-on experience to decode the complexities of doing business in one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic markets.

Central to this exploration is the use of ethnographic marketing research — a powerful tool that reveals nuanced consumer behaviours across Indonesia’s richly diverse cultural landscape. By examining real-world case studies and emergent market trends, the authors provide a roadmap for aligning leadership, strategy, and local insights.

Readers will gain valuable knowledge on how to apply concepts such as emergent planning and complex adaptive systems within a culturally embedded business context. These innovative perspectives bridge theory and practice, equipping executives, entrepreneurs, and marketers with actionable strategies to thrive amid volatility, cultural diversity, and rapid economic transformation.

Dr. Rudolf Tjandra currently serves as the Director in Charge of the Consumer Health Division of Indonesia's largest and fastest-growing publicly listed company: Kalbe Group. He possesses a career spanning nearly three decades, during which he has held various pivotal management and C suites roles including as CEO in prominent companies both domestically and internationally.

Prof. Amalia E. Maulana, Ph.D. is a Professor in Marketing at BINUS University. Before joining as a faculty member and academic researcher, Prof. Amalia had over 15 years of experience as a professional in branding, holding key leadership positions in various companies, such as Unilever Indonesia, Frisian Flag Indonesia, Reckitt & Colman Indonesia, Nutricia Indonesia, and Insights Asia.