MMA IMPACT Indonesia 2026 Explores How AI and Marketing Can Drive Business Growth

Marketing leaders and business executives gathered at The Ritz-Carlton Mega Kuningan, Jakarta, on Thursday, November 5, for MMA IMPACT Indonesia 2026, a forum examining how marketing can contribute to measurable business growth amid rapid technological changes and evolving consumer behaviour.

Organised by Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) Indonesia, the event carried the theme “Advancing Marketers’ Ability to Create Value.” It brought together more than 30 industry leaders and experts, including chairpersons, chief executives, directors, founders and business owners.

Discussions focused on how businesses can measure marketing performance, strengthen consumer trust and use artificial intelligence (AI) to create sustainable value. Speakers emphasised that marketing should be treated as a strategic business investment, with its contribution assessed through measurable commercial outcomes.

The discussion comes as Indonesia’s digital economy is projected to reach US$600 billion by 2030. AI is also expected to contribute up to US$366 billion to the country’s gross domestic product by the same year.

The creative economy is another significant contributor, attracting US$11.32 billion in investment and employing 27.4 million people, most of whom are young workers.

Prof. Mohammed Ali Berawi, Deputy Minister for Strategic Development of Creative Economy, delivered the keynote address titled “The Power of Human Storytelling in a World Hungry for Meaning.”

He said Indonesia’s creative economy should build on the country's cultural diversity, human experiences and authentic stories, even as AI accelerates content production.

“True value remains anchored in human empathy, authenticity, and intellectual property,” he said.

He also highlighted three principles for storytelling in the AI era: starting with human experiences, maintaining authenticity and turning shared stories into collective movements.

Greg Stuart, Global Chief Executive Officer of MMA, also addressed the forum, arguing that marketing leaders, particularly chief marketing officers (CMOs), should have a stronger role in corporate decision-making.

He said AI could strengthen marketing performance, provided businesses used reliable data and evidence-based strategies.

“Marketing is the engine of enterprise growth, and the knowledge to prove its value already exists,” Stuart said.

Meanwhile, Sutanto Hartono, CEO of EMTEK Media & Vidio and Chairman of MMA Indonesia, said businesses should view challenging market conditions as an opportunity to develop more agile and creative strategies.

He noted that marketing could generate value through new customer segments, stronger value propositions and alternative revenue streams, rather than focusing solely on audience reach and engagement.

Shanti Tolani, Country Head and Board Director of MMA Indonesia, added that businesses must balance technological capabilities with a deeper understanding of local culture and consumer trust.

She said companies that combine AI-driven strategies with authentic customer relationships would be better positioned to achieve sustainable growth.

The forum concluded with a call for businesses to place marketing at the centre of their growth strategies, supported by evidence, technological innovation and a stronger understanding of consumers.