Manusia Nusantara: A Video Series Bridging "Kami" and "Kita"

AMAN (Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara) wants to protect Indigenous peoples' rights. But there's a problem: many Indonesians don't know about or understand the struggles of Indigenous communities. This makes it hard to get public support. To solve this, AMAN worked with Communication for Change (C4C) to find a way to connect with people on a deeper, emotional level.

The Plan: Telling Stories People Can Relate To

AMAN and C4C decided to focus on storytelling. We wanted to create content that showed the real lives of Indigenous people, their struggles, dreams, and joys, instead of making them seem "different" or "exotic." The idea was to help viewers see themselves in these stories. Their main project was a YouTube video series called Manusia Nusantara. The series had two seasons and told the stories of young Indigenous people trying to balance their traditions with the modern world.

Season 1 - Tindoki Band from Toraja

This season followed Tindoki, a band that works to keep traditional Torajan music alive. The story showed how the band members balanced their day jobs with their passion for music, a challenge many people can relate to.

Season 2: The Punan Tugung Community in North Kalimantan

The second season told the story of the Punan Tugung community, who have faced struggles like being forced to move from their land. Despite these challenges, they find happiness in simple things, like playing volleyball. This season highlighted their resilience and community spirit.

By focusing on relatable themes, like balancing work and hobbies or finding joy in tough times, the series created a connection between the audience and the Indigenous communities.

Our Ways to Promote the Series and The Lessons Learned

To make sure more people saw Manusia Nusantara, C4C ran a paid YouTube ad campaign. From March 11 to April 20, 2024, we promoted the series with trailers and teasers. Here's what happened:

• Each teaser or trailer got about 13,000 views.

• Each episode had an average of 6,000 views.

• Altogether, the series had over 150,000 views, which is much more than most videos about Indigenous topics on YouTube.

The campaign was also very affordable. Paid ads brought in 94% of the views, and each view only cost Rp50, much lower than the usual cost of Rp126 per view in the industry.

Finally, from this project we learned that:

1. Stories about real people and their specific experiences make a big impact. For example, Tindoki's story about their Karombi instrument got viewers talking about traditional music in the comment section.

2. Promoting the series with YouTube ads helped reach more people. The low cost-per-view showed how effective this strategy can be.

Craft Stories that Inspire Change with Us Now

The Manusia Nusantara campaign shows how storytelling can build understanding and support. By sharing relatable experiences, AMAN and C4C helped more people care about Indigenous issues.