Behind the success of MarkPlus. Here's the review!
Photo source: https://alchetron.com/
Hermawan Kertajaya is a marketing expert who is also the founder of a well-known marketing consultant firm, MarkPlus. This one and only non-Moslem sharia banking consultant hired by Bank Indonesia was also actively a columnist in some media. In the middle of his bustle, Hermawan also wrote books about business and marketing in Indonesia and also internationally. Because of his knowledge and experience, Hermawan is listed on the “50 Gurus Who Have Shaped The Future of Marketing” on the version of The Chartered Institute of Marketing.
His thought about marketing is known as futuristic, such as marketing will be the most important thing in modern management. He always says that if we want to build a strong brand, a company should not just rely on the advertisement. A company should do something that touches the consumer’s mind, not only selling but also having a futuristic implication. His innovative and revolutionary thought often makes him a reference to marketing locally and also globally.
Photo source: Jawa Pos
Behind his many achievements, Hermawan once stood on a long road full of obstacles. Born from a less fortunate Chinese family, Hermawan’s childhood was spent in simplicity life. Although he lived as it was, Hermawan reminisced about his father who was a cashier in one of the Indonesian state-owned enterprises, who always taught him to be an honest man and have a high nationalism sense.
Photo source: Tokopedia
Hermawan went to school while working as a private teacher. Because of his hard work, after graduating from high school, Hermawan was able to continue his education at the Institute of Technology on 10 November Surabaya (ITS). Unfortunately, after some time, he dropped out because he was lack of talent in technic. With his good skill in mathematics and physics, Hermawan contributed as a teacher in SMAK St. Louis, Surabaya, and then being the favorite teacher of his students.
While teaching, Hermawan continued his education at the Faculty of Economics, Udayana University. After finishing college in a short period with satisfaction, he once worked in some companies before finally being hired by the elite company PT. HM Sampoerna to manage PT. Panggung. After some years of dedicating himself to HM Sampoerna, in 1990, Hermawan chose to resign from one of the biggest tobacco companies in Indonesia and started to build MarkPlus, a marketing research and consultant company in his hometown, Surabaya.