Blogger Indonesia of the Week (15): Hermawan Kartajaya

Blogger Indonesia of the Week (15): Hermawan Kartajaya

Big Guy blogger and Autobiography

When I was a kid my dad and my only big brother (I’ve plenty of little brothers, though) more than once urged me to read any autobiography of the “big personalities” of national as well as international calibre. I did what they want even I didn’t know then why I should do so. But I finally found out the answer when I read a good article in a newspaper (magazine?) during my teenage years. The article said that when you read an autobiography of a big guy, you not only read his achievement, his hyper-spirit, his hyper-energetic and never-tired movement; but more than that you’ll see the humane side of the person: that he’s just like us–the raw and ‘uncooked’ kids, that he’s sometimes feels tired and dizzy, feeling un-confident at times, feeling disperate in difficult situation, etc.

By knowing all those things also exist in them (the big guys)we finally will have the sense that we can make it just like they do! And from the marketing point of view, that’s the secret why autobiography of big personalities always sell like MC-burger.

And whenever I visit Hermawan Kertajaya’s Blog I have the feeling of reading an autobigoraphy or, to be precise, humane side of him. Before I further my study in India, I was a regular reader of his pieces scattered in many Indonesian media. He’s a weekly contributor for Jawa Pos daily and GATRA magazine; writing a column on marketing, positioning and branding are his niche. His language is so smooth and easy-to-catch, and that’s why I like reading his piece despite marketing is not my field of interest.

He’s also founder of MarkPlus & Co, a leading consultant services on marketing. A friend of mine who once attended his presentation was so amazed as thousands of audiences came to hear his U$100-a-seat speech…

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Despite his name “smells” like a javanese name, but everybody knows that he belongs to a chinese minority community. Yet, unlike majority of them who are so hard to smile, he’s an ever-smiling person. You’ll hardly find his face on the pictures without it. And after I regularly visit his blog, I come to know his background as a former teacher might contribute to his “javanese”-like behaviour.

As I said earlier, reading his blog is like reading an on-going autobiography of a big guy who made and is still making his mark on national as well as international level. You’ll be very stupid if you miss reading his autobiography, err… i mean, his blog for free. Read it now, before it costs you $100 per-visit!

Finally, I just want to say, Welcome aboard the blogger world Pak Hermawan Kertajaya, your presence is very encouraging. When the king of marketing and branding starts blogging, everybody knows what does blogging mean…