Decoding Brand Choices in Indonesia
Most of the successful brands featured in this year’s Brand Footprint Indonesia ranking have achieved growth by consistently recruit new buyers and embracing innovation to align with evolving consumer trends. It is clear that 88% of growing brands do so with increasing penetration.
These brands not only capitalise on current market momentum, but also actively create new usage occasions to drive further engagement and relevance. Innovation – particularly in delivering functional benefits – plays a key role in fuelling this growth, as consumers increasingly seek products that offer added value beyond basic features. Whether it's health-enhancing ingredients, convenience-driven formats, or sustainability-focused improvements, functional innovation helps brands stand out in competitive categories.
In addition, many growing brands are tapping into novel flavour or variant trends to broaden their appeal and attract new buyers. Introducing new flavours, limited editions, or culturally relevant options helps keep the brand fresh and exciting, encouraging trial and enlarging the consumer base.
Longstanding brands have brought fresh excitement with alternatives to traditional offerings – such as seasoning specialist Masako, which recently debuted a new mushroom broth, riding the trend for non-meat based stocks. The introduction of this new assortment has helped Masako to achieve Super Brand status – meaning it has more than 70% market penetration – by attracting new buyers.
Dishwash brand Mama Lemon has also become a Super Brand, as a result of expanding its presence beyond Java. It has enhanced its functionality with an ‘all in one stain remover’ which provides an extra benefit for shoppers.
Ice cream leader AICE keeps broadening its product portfolio with new flavours to reach more shoppers and extend recruitment across ages. In addition, premium sausage brand Kanzler has branched out beyond its frozen food range with a single pack ready-to-eat product that offers a new level of convenience and affordability.
To sustain growth over time, it’s essential for brands to stay agile in the face of shifting consumer preferences and rapidly adapt their offerings. This means not only following the trends, but also anticipating what consumers will want next – whether it's healthier choices, experiential consumption, or affordability without compromise. Ultimately, those brands that can consistently innovate while remaining relevant and responsive to their shoppers' needs will be best positioned to maintain and accelerate their growth momentum.
KANZLER : Unlocking premium value for everyone
Originally focusing on frozen food, including its famous chicken nuggets coated with crispy bubble crumbs, Kanzler Indonesia has broadened its range into ready-to-eat products. Its line of sausages and meatballs have become extremely popular as on-the-go snacks and meal companions. The brand continuously innovates with new pack sizes – even offering sausage gift boxes – as well as new variants. Consumers can choose from several different types of sausage, including Vienna, beef cocktail, frankfurter and vegan bratwurst.
Kanzler recently introduced its ‘Kanzler Singles’ range: convenient bite-sized sausage and meatball snacks that are available in a variety of flavours, including spicy gochujang, and cheese, and also in a mini-sized format. Due to the wide availability of its products across Indonesia, Kanzler is an extremely well-recognised brand within the country. In 2024, it began a focused expansion of its footprint through modern trade channels, and this was followed by growth in traditional trade.
Despite its premium portfolio, which shoppers might be expected to buy as an occasional ‘treat’, the level of repeat purchases is high – and on the increase. Engagement has been successfully driven through the continuous introduction of new ways to enjoy Kanzler’s products. These include its ‘Cooking challenge’ campaign, which was heavily promoted on social media, and a major advertising campaign for its crispy chicken nuggets featuring a local celebrity, Nicholas Saputra.
The leading brand in the Indonesian ice cream market, Aice was founded in 2015. It is committed to being the “most popular ice cream brand” in Southeast Asia, through providing consumers with quality, enjoyment, freshness, happiness and innovation. Having already established a solid presence in traditional trade channels, Aice is now rapidly growing in supermarkets and hypermarkets. In addition to dominating the Indonesian market, the brand is currently expanding its presence internationally.
Aice boasts a diverse product portfolio that is tailored to different age groups – from kids, to teenagers, to adults. It also caters to different pockets, with affordable lines sitting alongside more premium products. Innovation is in the brand’s DNA: Aice has launched more than 10 new products annually for the past two years. It has pioneered the introduction of mochi variants – frozen treats based on traditional Japanese rice cakes – into Indonesia’s ice cream market. Alongside launching new flavours, Aice has continually refreshed the design of its packaging, leveraging the momentum of the 2024 Olympic Games and the rising soccer trend, for example. Aice actively supports local communities in Indonesia with programmes that provide job opportunities, for instance recruiting unemployed people to join its bicycle-based ice cream sales team.
On the global stage, Aice has been a sponsor of major events like the FIFA World Cup Qatar in 2022, further boosting its brand awareness. Not content with watching from the sidelines, it also runs its own programme – Aice Starlympic – which combines sports and creativity to provide a platform for young Indonesians to express themselves
AICE : Expanding Choices, Reaching New Markets
Mama Lemon launched into the Indonesian market with a mission to make the chore of ‘washing up’ more practical and hygienic. The product is now well and truly established as a staple in households’ cupboards, trusted for its effectiveness in cutting through grease and removing stains.
Manufactured by personal care company Lion Wings, Mama Lemon has established a strong presence in Java, and is actively broadening its footprint in Indonesia’s Outer Islands.
The product comes in a variety of scents and formulations, including the classic lemon version, and a lime option specifically developed for washing fruit and vegetables. The recently launched multi-purpose Stain Remover All-in-One innovation – featuring the brand’s Power Action Formula technology – has proved to be a hit in the market. Meanwhile the introduction of a new Japanese Yuzu variant with a “fresh, calming aroma” has contributed to further growth.
Mama Lemon has targeted Indonesia’s omni-channel buyers by establishing a strong position in both modern trade and GT. It has also successfully created more ‘moments’ in the kitchen, engaging mothers with a powerful emotional marketing campaign, featuring its new brand ambassador. This year, Mama Lemon makes its debut as a Super Brand – reaching more than 70% of Indonesia’s households
MAMA LEMON : Enhanced reach, Better value
MASAKO: Joining the crowd, Extending reach
A popular brand of seasoning which comes in a broth format, Masako is appreciated by Indonesians for its rich savoury flavour and its versatility. Consumers use it to enhance the taste of a wide variety of home cooked dishes –– in particular those with chicken or beef – including soups, stews, stir fries and grilled meats.
Masako is made with a blend of natural spices, seasonings, and high quality meat extract. Its products give households a quick and easy way to add depth of flavour to the meals they prepare every day, while the product’s sachet format adds to its convenience. Having already built a strong footprint in Java, Masako’s owner – Japanese food company Ajinomoto – has expanded distribution in Sumatra and Kalimantan. This has helped Masako to become a Super Brand in Indonesia: one that has greater than 70% penetration. The brand has a dominant presence in traditional trade retailers, especially in rural areas.
The launch of Masako’s new Mushroom Broth variant has successfully driven incremental growth for the brand in Indonesia. Designed to add flavour to dishes made with seafood and vegetables, it is unique in blending three types of mushrooms: champignon, shiitake, and oyster. Tapping into consumers’ evolving health preferences, the brand has also introduced Masako Light, which has a lower salt content. This innovation aligns with the wider Smart Salt initiative supported by Ajinomoto, which campaigns to improve the health of Indonesian households by promoting the importance of reducing sodium intake.
Masako emphasises versatility in its marketing by encouraging the use of its products in a diverse range of dishes, through sharing recipes for meals with a stock base. Meanwhile, the posting of cooking content and challenges on social media has enabled it to connect with a broader audience.
