By: Restituta Ajeng Arjanti

Becoming a creative person, according to Arief Budiman, is not a difficult thing. “If everyday we want to think differently, it means we're creative,” he said when contacted by QBHeadlines.com via telephone, Wednesday (29/10). The man born in Rembang, March 21, 1975, is one of creative people who initiated Petakumpet/Hideandseek, a company in advertising sector that has frequently receive advertising awards.

Becoming a commander of Petakumpet Creative Network business since 1999, there's one dream that Arief longs for. The Managing Director of Petakumpet wants to make his company to be “the most creative company in the world” and covered in international business magazine, Fortune Magazine.

Creative Agency

The company whose name, according to Arief, was taken randomly positions itself as a creative bridge between clients and various media, either printed, audio, visual, or audiovisual. What they sell is fresh ideas. The main business of the company is in advertising sector. Several services that they provide among others are campaign and promotion making, company logo, and branding.

Petakumpet was started from a community with the same name, founded in 1995 by student group from Visual Communication Design, Faculty of Fine Art, Indonesian Art Institute in Yogyakarta, class '94. Their basecamp at that time was in Pakuncen area, Yogyakarta. In 1999, Arief started to focus in bringing Petakumpet to business route, up until now.

The creative company often receives advertising awards. As an example, Cakram Award in 2007 for The Best Print Ad category, Dji Sam Soe Award in 2006 as 1 of 9 best Small Medium Businesses in Indonesia, and The Most Creative Agency award in Pinasthika Ad Festival year 2003, 2005, and 2006.

Currently, with 30 human resources, the company that started from a community can embrace big clients, such as holding company for Djarum Super, Djarum Black, and LA Lights brand; Kedaulatan Rakyat Group, Yogyakarta branch of Indonesian Advertisement Company Association, and PT Angkasapura I Yogyakarta.

Arief's Version of Creativity

Thanks to his ability in creating fresh ideas, Arief was twice chosen to be a finalist for International Young Creative Entrepeneur of The Year (IYCEY), in 2006 and 2007. He himself has tips to brush creativity. “Being different is a life stance. If everyday we think differently, that means we're creative,” he said. Finding a way to make something better, according to him, is a process to make something to be more creative.

Arief made an analogy for creative people, saying that if they're thrown by rocks, they can transform the rocks into a beautiful monument. It means, creative is an ability to transform troubles into opportunities.

For him, in advertising world, creativity becomes the most important thing, even more important than technology. “Technology is important, but not the most important thing. The most important thing is creative thoughts instead. Technology and internet support creativity. But technology itself can't create fresh ideas,” he elaborated.

His experiences in creative business was poured by Arief in a book titled “Jualan Ide Segar/Selling Fresh Ideas”. Through the book, he wanted to show how to transfer creativity into something with business value.

Smart Advertisements

In making advertisements, said Arief, request or brief from the client becomes an important point that should be noticed―what are the client's problems, their wishes, and what is the solution. “We have to be able to give creative approach for client's request,” he said.

If we take a look, in this country, advertisements tend to spoon-feed consumers with narrative oral advertisements compared to “smart” advertisements that invite people to think. On that, Arief thought, the reason is more because producers and advertising agencies are not brave enough yet to take risks in communicating with their consumers using a new way.

“What makes an advertising becomes smart is actually how it's conveyed. I see that many of Petakumpet's clients themselves are more successful with smart advertisements,” he elaborated.

Advertising in Crisis Period

The man who once taken the wrong course in Faculty of Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University in 1994 sees the current economic situation with its crisis as a good opportunity instead to advertise. “Crisis condition reduces competition in advertising world instead. Society can also see, only the good brands can keep advertising in crisis period,” said Arief.

According to his judgment, only companies who are very established would still care to advertise their products in crisis times. “In 2009, advertising will definitely progress. Only in a different way, and probably with smaller budgets,” Arief explained. He himself is very optimistic with the development of creative industry in the nation. “I'm very optimistic, not only in Indonesia, but also in any country.”

Image: mybothsides.blogspot.com