Jakarta, 17 April, 2026 – The Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) is strengthening digital advertising talent in Pariaman through the AKTIF Native Advertising Program held at the Mayor’s Official Residence of Pariaman, West Sumatra, on Friday (April 17). This collaborative program with the Indonesia Digital Association (IDA) serves as a strategic step to drive the advertising, publishing, and photography subsectors as new engines of growth, while also accelerating post-flood economic recovery.
The Ministry of Creative Economy, through the Deputy for Media Creativity, is reinforcing digital advertising talent in Pariaman through the AKTIF Native Advertising Program at the Mayor’s Official Residence of Pariaman, West Sumatra, on Friday (April 17, 2026).
The Deputy for Media Creativity, Cecep Rukendi, stated that the global advertising industry is projected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2026. In Indonesia, employment absorption in this sector has increased by up to 14 percent over the past year.
“We chose the City of Pariaman and Padang Pariaman Regency because they have significant potential in creative talent and creative economy products. The challenge lies in how to package this potential to be digitally appealing. Through the AKTIF Native Advertising Program, we aim to empower local communities to promote regional potential with national media quality standards,” said Cecep.
Doc: Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
The main focus of this program is to enhance participants’ skills through native advertising, an approach that presents advertisements in a smart and organic way so that they blend naturally with content. According to Cecep, amid the flood of information, audiences tend to avoid intrusive advertisements.
“We want participants to learn how to create ‘content-like advertising’ that is ethical and engaging without losing its commercial value. We want talents in West Sumatra, particularly Pariaman, not only to be spectators in the surge of the digital industry, but to become competent and active players,” he added.
The implementation of AKTIF Native Advertising was also attended by the Mayor of Pariaman, Yota Balad, and the Chair of SMSI West Sumatra, Zulnadi. In his remarks, Yota Balad emphasized that the AKTIF Native Advertising initiative is a crucial momentum to strengthen the promotion of regional flagship products through digital platforms.
“The City Government is fully committed to supporting such initiatives in order to enhance the capacity of local creative economy actors in producing high-quality visual works and in widely introducing the potential and uniqueness of Pariaman’s local products,” he said before officially opening the event.
Doc: Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
To ensure that the materials align with current industry needs, the program features professional mentors from various fields, including journalism, photography, and digital content production. Among them are Muhammad Zulfikar from National Geographic, Muin and Febrizal as journalism practitioners and video editors, Reiza Maspaitella from Grid Voice, professional photographer Marrysa Tunjung Sari, and Aflili Sari from Canvassador.
The activity, which took place from April 17–18, not only focused on technical training. Participants also received further mentoring to develop professional portfolios as preparation to enter the creative industry, while also opening opportunities to become citizen journalists. The works produced are projected to be featured in national media, potentially creating opportunities for collaboration and monetization.
“IDA fully supports this collaboration with the Ministry of Creative Economy by bringing industry standards directly to the regions. This synergy ensures that participants learn directly from practitioners about photography, design, and storytelling in line with current job market demands,” said Ramya Prajna S, Head of Agency Division at IDA.
Doc: Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
In addition to knowledge-sharing, participants also had the opportunity to win various recognitions from OPPO Indonesia as a form of support for their creative productivity.
Also present at the event were the Director of Advertising, Andy Ruswar; Director of Publishing and Photography, Imam Santosa; and Secretary to the Deputy for Media Creativity, Selliane Halia Ishak.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
