Indonesia - language, culture and customs

Report Rough Draft There are various things one has to consider when it comes to new products. The introduction of new products may occur in any given country. Hence, it is important to understand the culture, language, population, and needs of a certain country when it comes to the introduction of new products. In this scenario, there is the intention of introducing a snack bar in Indonesia. Therefore, understand various issues relating to the country such as geography is crucial.
Indonesia boasts of unique geography in the world. The country is located in the south eastern part of Asia. It is situated between two continents; Asia and Australian. It is also found between two oceans that are the Pacific and Indian oceans. The country also boasts of over 17, 000 islands (Portal Nasional Republik Indonesia 1). On the other hand, the country boasts of the high population with over 20 million people. The population makes the country to be the fourth largest in the world (Portal Nasional Republik Indonesia 1). The country is also ranked first in terms of the Muslim population in the world (Portal Nasional Republik Indonesia 1). The government of the country is a republic in which the members are elected directly by people. The capital is known as Jakarta (Portal Nasional Republik Indonesia 1). The country also boasts of various ethnic, linguistic and religious diversities.
Geography has had an influence of culture. There are various islands that have made the country to be multicultural (Culture of Indonesia Forum 1). Moreover, the country also has an influx of foreigners as it borders many countries. The culture of the country is based on several issues. They include history, institutions, customs, values, and beliefs shared by a majority of the population (Culture of Indonesia Forum 1). Hence, launching a new product (snack bar) will require deeper understanding of these issues.
It is also important to understand issues such as education, religion, and language of any given country when it comes to the introduction of a new product. The literacy rate is not bad in the country. An assessment done from 1995 to 2004 showed that the country has a literacy rate of 90 percent (UNESCO 1). The male registered a rate of 94% while the female was somehow lower at 87 %. There are various religions in the country. They include Muslim as the largest group, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, and others. There are also various languages used in the country. However, the official language is known as Indonesian (Kwintessentail 1). This is also the language of the media. There are other languages commonly used in ethnic communities such as Javanese (Kwintessentail 1).
Education, religion, and language have an influence on culture. They determine the consumption of various goods and products. For example, religion may make one group prefer a certain commodity over the other. Hence, there is need to understand various issues related to religion in introducing the product as will determine the acceptability and therefore purchasing. These factors are also crucial when it comes to advertising of the product in the media. For example, literacy rate determines how people easily understand issues related to a particular product. On the other hand, it is clear that using the official language will help large population get information regarding the product. Moreover, religion will help in addressing the moral issues relating the product when making ads.
In conclusion, there is a need for understanding these issues when introducing snack bar in the country.
Works Cited
Culture of Indonesia Forum. “ Countries and their Culture.” Everyculture. com. Web. 21 February 2014. .
Kwintessentail. “ Indonesia – Language, Culture, Customs and Business Etiquette.” Kwintessential. co. uk. Web. 21 February 2014. < http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/resources/global-etiquette/indonesia. html>.

UNESCO. “ Country Profile: Indonesia.” Unesco. org. Web. 21 February 2014. < http://www. unesco. org/uil/litbase/? menu= 4&programme= 121>.