There are many initiatives that can create a social impact on communities, but how can that impact be sustained over time? This topic was discussed at GoodTalk Off-air titled Beyond Campaign: Creating Real and Sustainable Impact, held at Topgolf Jakarta, Cilandak, Indonesia, on Friday (January 24, 2025).
The event, organized by Good News From Indonesia (GNFI) in collaboration with the Indonesian Public Relations Association (Perhumas) and supported by Astra, featured three speakers who shared their ideas, perspectives, and experiences on how to create actions that lead to sustainable impact. They were CSR and Sustainability Practitioner, as well as Chair of Bakti BUMN Volunteers, Erick Taufan; 2024 SATU Indonesia Awards Recipient, Rengkuh Banyu Mahandaru; and Deputy Chair of Perhumas and Corporate Communication Officer of Kompas Gramedia, Glory Oyong.
Within organizations, one of the most important ways to create a real and sustainable impact on society is through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Erick explained that CSR is essentially an organization’s responsibility to society for the effects of its decisions and operational activities, which is realized through transparent and ethical initiatives.
However, Erick emphasized that CSR is not limited to providing physical assistance or social services, as it is often misunderstood. According to him, CSR goes beyond that. For organizations in the form of companies, for example, CSR is essentially about how business activities themselves must be carried out responsibly.
“In Corporate Social Responsibility, the ‘social’ refers to society, not ‘sosial’ in the Indonesian context. We often interpret ‘social’ in our language as if it means social services, but that’s not the case,” said Erick.
To implement CSR that goes beyond social services and truly creates a sustainable impact, CSR practitioners must possess skills in various aspects. Erick mentioned that there are at least seven key aspects that need to be mastered, namely top management commitment, intellectual capacity and skill set, systems and procedures, partnerships, and digitalization.
As the Chair of Bakti BUMN Volunteers, Erick also shared his experience in executing CSR programs since 2022. To create a sustainable impact, he implemented various strategies, including the widespread adoption of the AKHLAK corporate culture, CSR transformation within the BUMN Group, and enhancing employee competencies. To achieve this, several measures were carefully carried out, from ensuring leadership commitment and designing programs to evaluating and publicizing activities.
As a result, Bakti BUMN successfully implemented six programs across 49 locations, involving 505 volunteers from the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises and the BUMN Group. Interestingly, Erick and his team intentionally did not involve all employees, choosing instead to engage only a small portion of them.
“This exclusivity must be maintained so that people don’t just feel ‘proud to be part of this program,’ but also become pioneers in their respective places to carry forward the spirit of the program,” Erick added.
Nevertheless, Erick believes that collaboration is absolutely essential. For corporations, it is important to partner with other parties, such as non-governmental organizations or community groups. In fact, there is no restriction if a corporation or CSR program implementer chooses to establish its own community. Erick has proven this himself when BUMN ran a scholarship program accompanied by the formation of a community of its recipients.
“In fact, this community program initially operated without any funding from BUMN. And we’ve proven that as a community, we can operate independently without corporate funding,” Erick added.
Beyond CSR programs, business activities themselves can also create a social impact. This is the case with Rengkuh Banyu Mahandaru and Plepah, a creative industry product offering eco-friendly food packaging. In running its business, Plepah actively collaborates with communities to address environmental issues.
As the initiator of Plepah, Rengkuh plays a key role in the company’s business activities. The 2024 SATU Indonesia Awards recipient explained how he and his team strive to identify societal issues and find solutions using a design thinking framework.
"We don't talk about the product, we look at how the problem arises - from the social and economic sectors, as well as other supporting factors," says Rengkuh.
In Jakarta, Rengkuh and his team found that one of the biggest problems facing the community was plastic waste, particularly from used food containers. From there, they looked for solution-oriented approaches to address the problem.
"From there, we started 'collecting' problems and figuring out how to develop approaches to turn those problems into solutions," he explained.
Echoing Erick's thoughts, Rengkuh also emphasized the importance of collaboration. Although it wasn't easy at first, as Plepah introduced new ways of working and new technologies, the community eventually agreed to work together and adopt more advanced and professional ways of working.
As a result, Plepah emerged as an eco-friendly and sustainable packaging product. Plepah also creates social impact in various forms, from providing job opportunities to generating added value from waste.
Whether through CSR or business activities, their impact would be incomplete without being amplified through targeted publication. Therefore, effective communication methods are needed to ensure that messages about socially impactful and sustainable programs are widely recognized and inspiring.
So, how can communication be made effective and its messages well-received? The answer lies in the strategic recommendations from the 2024 Indonesian Public Relations Convention, presented by Glory Oyong. In her presentation, Glory emphasized the importance of narrative and the use of storytelling to build strong perceptions.
“By sharing stories through their context and emotions, we can better capture the nuances. That’s where the role and power of storytelling lie,” said Glory.
When implementing a CSR program, the implementers will establish relationships with external parties or communities, in this case, the beneficiaries. Therefore, opening up a dialogue and seeking feedback is also necessary.
"When engaging with other communities, there needs to be feedback to ensure that it is what the community needs for the program. There must be an open and transparent dialogue," Glory continued.
In addition to the strategic recommendations from the 2024 Indonesian Public Relations Convention, it is equally important to ensure that dialogue is always fostered by involving the community, using appropriate language and platforms. Finally, regular monitoring and feedback should not be overlooked.
This edition of GoodTalk Off-air can be considered special. Not only did participants receive high-quality material and engage in insightful sharing sessions with the speakers, but they also had the opportunity to experience the excitement of playing golf at the event venue.
Topgolf Jakarta is a sports entertainment venue featuring a driving range with 102 hitting bays equipped with various games that anyone can enjoy. In addition, this entertainment spot, located on Jl. RS. Fatmawati Raya, also offers a range of facilities, including VIP and VVIP areas, three restaurants, and four bars.
