The social engineer
May 07, 2011

Ipang Wahid, nephew to late former President Abdurrahman Wahid, is capitalizing on his social networks and advertising experience to develop a successful marketing business.

With poor public policy and a steady stream of warranted political criticism, governments need people like Ipang Wahid. Ipang, who calls himself a creative entrepreneur, says he is about communicating the government’s achievements minus the spin.

For the 42-year-old nephew of the late Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), strategic communications and social marketing is the way to go. Through his company Fastcomm, Ipang has worked on respectable campaigns such as the forestry ministry’s “plant 1 million trees” and the Constitutional Court’s anti-corruption initiatives.

“Idealism was behind those strategies; it was for the good of so many people in this country,” says Ipang. Idealism it seems, may even trump profit at times. Ipang’s work for the Constitutional Court and the election of the West Java governor were not especially lucrative, he tells GlobeAsia.  

Yes, Governor

Ipang’s reputation in social marketing and strong relationships with national leaders saw him working with Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo early this year on a campaign to reshape public perceptions of the city administration.

“I took kampong Tambora as an example. It is one of the highest-density areas in West Jakarta and it is now one of the cleanest areas in Jakarta due to an extended local campaign,” says Ipang. “With the latest campaign, I wanted to change people’s minds about their responsibility for their environment,” he says, adding that solving the issues of waste disposal and littering is an essential part of making Jakarta a healthier and more livable city.

“Social marketing campaigns are one part advertising, one part public relations and must reflect a deep political and social intelligence,” notes Ipang, who believes that his company’s commitment to the public is what sets it apart from other political advisory consultants. Born into the devout and nationalist Wahid family, Ipang is the son of Solahuddin Wahid, the younger brother of the former president known to every Indonesian and many people elsewhere in the world as Gus (older brother) Dur.

His family, he admits, inspired him to work with organizations such as the Indonesian Red Cross and on the Tourism Ministry’s “Visit Indonesia” campaign.

“My father taught me to be one in words and deeds,” he says philosophically. When it comes to his work for the often controversial Communications Ministry, it is values such as integrity, national identity and encouraging entrepreneurship that Ipang seeks to promote.

“When the Communications Ministry asked me to help it redefine its communication strategy, without a doubt I took the chance even though it wasn’t necessarily very profitable,” he says, mentioning that he has close ties with numerous parliamentary figures. Cognizant of the power of political messages and public perception, Ipang stresses that research and calculated strategies are a must – as is working in a clean way.

While the government has been subject to extensive criticism of late, Ipang says the administration still has success stories – something he focuses on to encourage the public to make balanced appraisals of the government.

Advertising and PR

Ipang’s business acumen has not always been directed to government clients. His skills in advertising and public relations were initially directed toward the arts before being employed by several business organizations. The budding entrepreneur has helped more than 200 companies with their marketing and advertising strategies.

Through his production house 25Frames, Ipang has worked with clients such as Bank CIMB Niaga, Dancow and Coca-Cola, among others. On top of his PR and communications company and production house, Ipang also runs a company that rents out film equipment. Starting out as a professional with the PR company Indo Ad, Ipang went on to earn a degree in music, video and film-making at Seattle University.

On his return to Indonesia in 1993, he worked for a private TV station before being poached by film director Mira Lesmana to advertise her films. Together with three colleagues he set up the production house 25Frames in 2002 and today it is one of the top production houses in the country.

In 2003, Ipang stepped out of art and into politics to shape the 2004 election campaign for the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). “Our company came up with the party tag line which positioned it as a clean and caring party,” he reveals, adding that his company earned around Rp500 billion last year. In 2006, he started Fastcomm, which worked on former senior police officer Adang Daradjatun’s campaign for Jakarta governor in 2007.

His team saw Adang rise to popularity in a matter of months but not enough to beat his competitor Fauzi Bowo. “In political campaigns, implementation is an important stage as it measures a candidate’s electability,” states Ipang, adding that his team works on strategic issues and campaign strategy rather than implementation. GA      

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