E-Commerce Strategy for Rural Indonesia
Project Type
Concept Testing & Product Strategy
Industry
E-Commerce
Full case study available on request. Contact me
Overview
A new e-commerce platform aimed to enter rural Indonesia's untapped market yet faced challenges: low digital literacy, reliance on traditional wholesalers, and cash dependent operations. I led this project to craft new positioning and service strategies tailored to the unique challenges of rural shop owners and businesses.
My Role
Research & Strategy Lead
I led the end-to-end project, managing one researcher, and was joined on the ground by the client throughout the fieldwork. I directed the study design, the field visits, and the synthesis, and delivered the behavioural archetypes and the phased rollout strategy adopted as the company's market entry plan.
Overall Process
To test concepts without bias, I first designed a full research toolkit including concept cards and wireframes alongside the interview guide. Field research then spanned 20 locations across three provinces, interviewing and intercepting 40+ shop owners and local governments. The findings were classified into four behavioural archetypes, with Growth Seekers identified as the highest-potential acquisition segment, which shifted the recommendation from a full digital entry to a phased, multi-touchpoint rollout tailored to rural realities.
Deliverables
Four behavioural archetypes, a strategic segment recommendation, and a three-phase rollout playbook that gave the client a confident, repeatable rural market entry strategy.
Impact
40+
Shop owners and local government officials interviewed
4
Behavioural archetypes identified
3
Phase rollout playbook delivered