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In the virtual world, 2013 belongs to Jokowi
Governor Joko âJokowiâ Widodoâs efforts to establish his personal brand have paid off as he has undoubtedly been the most talked-about political figure of the year
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Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's efforts to establish his personal brand have paid off as he has undoubtedly been the most talked-about political figure of the year.
US-based Internet giant Yahoo! Indonesia recently released its Year in Review report, indicating that the former Surakarta mayor had topped a number of its lists, including 'the most-searched figures of 2013' and 'the most-searched presidential candidates for 2014'.
Names like Bunda Putri (an alleged go-between who connected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with businessmen and policymakers); Democratic Party (PD)member and corruption convict Angelina Sondakh; and National Mandate Party (PAN) councilor Wanda Hamidah followed Jokowi as the most-searched figures of the year.
Jokowi's subordinates, Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama and Lenteng Agung subdistrict leader Susan Jasmine Zulkifli, were also on the list, taking fifth and sixth places, respectively. Susan entered the spotlight when some of her subdistrict residents demanded she be removed because she was Christian, in contrast to the area's Muslim majority.
However, Susan, who was appointed via an open-call recruitment drive, retained her position due to the governor's support.
Meanwhile, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan, media mogul-cum-politician Harry Tanoesoedibjo and controversial lawyer Farhat Abbas were well-placed on the 2014 list.
'If Ahok had been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate, he would have been in second place after Jokowi on the '2014' list. His outspoken and bold personality has made him one of the year's most talked about figures,' Yahoo! Indonesia country editor Dodi Ibnu Rusydi told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview, declining to reveal, however, the index of each entry due to confidentiality.
Yahoo! Indonesia also determined that the most popular First Family members were the President's daughter-in-law, Annisa Pohan, and second son Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono.
Despite his apparent ambition to run for president next year, Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie was nowhere to be found on the popularity lists.
'Aburizal Bakrie didn't appear on the lists, meaning that either the Netizens were not sufficiently interested in him or he didn't make enough news ' be it positive or negative,' Dodi explained.
The report is the latest popularity survey to confirm Jokowi's dominance over other established political figures in the country. Jokowi, who was inaugurated as Jakarta governor in October 2012, topped various surveys conducted by a number of prestigious pollsters throughout the year.
Marketing expert Nukman Luthfie pointed out the governor's 'commoner' persona as a factor that has helped boost his popularity.
'He's the antithesis of most national leaders: he comes across as an everyman type because he isn't a member of any influential family in the country, he comes from a small town, he's reachable and he doesn't have a dubious past. He has sent a signal to all of us that he's here to fight against the hegemony of established powers,' Nukman said.
'Establishing a personal image means being able to reveal the unknown side of oneself to the public instead of projecting something that one isn't. Jokowi has managed to make his quality public,' he said.
