Jokowi: The most powerful influencer of all?

Image: Jokowi at IdeaFest 2018 trying out terracotta raincoat from Ame Raincoat

If there’s one person in Indonesia who possess Kanye West’s star power, that is President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo. Anything that the president wears, it becomes an overnight sensation.

Local brands incidentally endorsed by the president saw surge in revenue and traffic. Ame Raincoat’s website reportedly went down after the president was spotted purchasing its terracotta colour raincoat at IdeaFest 2018.

The country leaders typically receive similar attention. The most popular out of all is probably The British royal family. If Meghan Markle was allowed to keep her personal blog and social media, she would have been the most powerful influencer today.

Outfits Meghan Markle wore always end up with thousands of waiting list. According to the brands whose designs have been worn by Meghan Markle, there is an exponential global demand driven by Duchess of Sussex.

Before Meghan Markle, it is Michelle Obama who got the public obsessed with her style. Michelle Obama even inspired a New York University finance professor David Yermack to analyse her effect on fashion stock market on Harvard Business Review.

In historical context, there is the pink Chanel suit worn by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis when her husband, former president of the United States John F. Kennedy, was assassinated.

‘Jackie in a blood tainted suit,’ as Americans call it. Onassis refused to take the blood-tainted suit off after being persuaded to change her outfits and responded, ‘oh, no ... I want them to see what they have done to Jack.’ The suit became a testament of strength from a grieving widow.

The biggest unique selling point of a country’s leader lies on the scarcity. One in a million people can be a celebrity but only one in a billion can be a country’s leader. The harder it is to achieve, the more value it holds.

In other words, the attention towards a celebrity or an influencer may come and go but it stays with the president. If a celebrity has thousands of fans rallying behind them, a president has the whole country.

Then there is the curiosity factor. The president’s personal life is usually under the radar. What is the president like? What is the president’s favourite food? What is his favourite colour? What does he do on weekend? Mystery sparks people’s curiosity.

In Jokowi’s case, he is different to his predecessors and possibly other country leaders. The former Mayor of Solo offers a glimpse of his private life through his vlogs and social media post, which makes him more relatable and appealing to younger generation. There is a vlog of him going to the mall with his grandson, meeting popular YouTuber Casey Neistat, touring with his motorcycle and updating his work progress to the audience.

Love him or hate him but one cannot deny that a president who is also a vlogger and biker is very hard to come by.

Image: Jokowi wearing Bulls Syndicate red bomber jacket

His fashion sense needs to be taken into account as well. With other countries, it is the outfit of the wives of the presidents or prime ministers that is on the spotlight. In Indonesia, it’s the president himself that garners the attention.

Before Jokowi, the public normally sees presidents dressed in batik shirt or formal attire. On the other hand, the former Governor of Jakarta is often seen sporting leather jackets, bomber jacket, t-shirts, sneakers from local brands.

From Never Too Lavish customised denim jacket, NAH Project sneakers to Bulls Syndicate red bomber jacket he wore to Asian Games 2018, the president seems to be keeping up with youth culture extremely well.

His endless support towards local fashion brands is perhaps the main driver of his influence. According to the brand’s founder’s testimony, the president insisted on paying for the clothes although the brand offered him free of charge.

Put it this way, if the country’s most important person is willing to buy a product, doesn’t that mean the product is good?

Indonesia presidential election will be held on 17 April 2019. Use your voice, use your rights to vote.