Salim Group and Pokémon

Wherever Pokémon goes to establish itself, it has to go through legal hoops, not the least of which are the ones set up by the companies I've mentioned in a post about copyrights, as well as Pokémon Asia for markets in the continent beyond Japan. In Indonesia, the one that deals with those hoops, especially for the special campaign that started the other day, is a corporate and conglomerate entity known as Salim Group. This entity possesses some of the most well-known brands in the country, and through the companies that are part of the conglomerate, they also serve up Pokémon in different ways.

The most important of these at the moment is AKG Games. This company handles the goings-on of the localized TCG, from the localization itself to the coordination of linkages, events, and of course promotions tied to everything about the game. All these efforts demand a whole lot of communication, which is why some time ago they were looking for someone to join the team and make things happen. Whether or not this has happened, it's hard to deny that the game itself is played through lots of communication, and in a way, the tasks of the company reflect what happens when the game is played.

Digressing from the TCG, there is Indofood Fortuna Makmur. This is the snack food company that produces the brand of snacks (Chiki) that contain the Pokémon coins that I have collected, the last being around a week ago. It should be noted that the "Fortuna" used to stand for "Fritolay", which meant that it was once a partnership for bringing in the snack brands of that company before the partnership was dissolved and the company went fully with local brands, as Chiki above. Local or not, its place as a venue for the much sought-after Pokémon coins from a global franchise is still impressive.

In some ways, this last one might be considered the important "link in the chain": the convenience stores that carry the cards for sale in addition to them being sold at hobby shops, as well as the one that received Sponsored PokéStops the other day, is called Indomaret (formal company name: Indomarco Prismatama). Over the years, it has become a leading name as a convenience store, even before the localized TCG was brought in. Just before the current global situation, tournaments for it were in fact hosted at different stores. Its role still remains important regardless of what happens.

Like any major conglomerate entity, Salim Group has many different companies in different business lines, and the three companies above represent just a small subset of those. Yet, what's important about all the three companies above is that they all have some hand with the entry of Pokémon into Indonesian consumer space that has been notable over the past few years. Salim Group has really demonstrated the intent to bring in Pokémon with all that's happened; their businesses have been established names in the country for years, and now it seems they'd like to ensure the same with Pokémon.

One year ago: Perking up Holidays, Pokémon Style

Two years ago: PvP: After One Year

Three years ago: Pokémon Asia McDonald's Happy Meal Toys, Waves 3 and 4

Four years ago: Balanced Systems Stimulate Civilization