Driving Organic Customer Acquisitions through Community Marketing in Digital Banking Application
Authors:   School of Business Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Herdiyanto Akhmad Theoreza , Nurlaela Arief Neneng ,   School of Business Management, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Published: August 2024

The objective of this research is to identify and analyze the key factors that influence customers on the reluctance of being loyal or become the advocator of J Bank and to propose the organic customer acquisitions strategies to be applied to J Bank through community engagement in J Bank. The era of Industry 4.0 has transformed production by integrating digital and internet technologies with traditional industries, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in transactions. In Indonesia, the number of digitally active banking consumers has increased significantly, making up 32% of the banked population since 2014. This growth underscores the value of digital consumers to banks. The sector has become highly competitive, with fintech companies disrupting traditional banks by offering innovative solutions like e-wallets, loans, and digital payments. Established banks are investing in digital banking to keep pace with new startups. J Bank, Indonesia’s first digital banking application, offers comprehensive services such as account creation, transactions, and financial management via smartphone. Targeting tech-savvy individuals with middle to upper economic status, J Bank provides features like Send It for transactions, QRIS for touchless payments, and various saving and loan options. Its innovative approach has attracted millennials, Gen Z, and even seniors, positioning it as a leading digital banking solution. However, J Bank experienced a significant drop in organic acquisitions from 2020 to 2022, partly due to issues like fraud and cybercrime, which led to negative sentiment and user attrition. Using qualitative approach with 6 survey respondents that consist of existing user of J Bank and existing Co.Create member, and also former J Bank users and former Co.Create members. This research using thematic analysis with internal and external analysis to explore the potential solutions. For internal analysis, the author is using Marketing Mix analysis. Meanwhile for external analysis, the author is using Porter Five Forces analysis, Competitor analysis, and SWOT analysis. Based on the analysis, this research proposed several organic customer acquisitions activity to be implemented in J Bank through community marketing approach. J Bank offers a wide range of services, including account creation, transactions, and financial management via smartphone, targeting tech-savvy individuals from middle to upper economic backgrounds. Despite its initial success, attracting millennials, Gen Z, and even seniors, J Bank faced a decline in organic acquisitions from 2020 to 2022 due to issues like fraud and cybercrime, which led to negative sentiments and user attrition. The research utilized a qualitative approach, involving surveys of six respondents, including current and former users of J Bank and members of its Co.Create community. Thematic analysis was conducted, incorporating internal analysis with the Marketing Mix and external analysis with Porter’s Five Forces, competitor analysis, and SWOT analysis. The findings suggest that increasing community engagement and addressing security concerns are crucial for improving J Bank’s customer retention and acquisition. Based on these insights, several community marketing strategies are recommended to enhance organic customer acquisition.