Semarang, 2026 – The Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) organized a Community Service program focused on strengthening local products through product diversification for bamboo artisan groups in Kesongo Village, Tuntang District, Semarang Regency. This initiative serves as an implementation of faculty expertise in marketing strategy, while simultaneously enhancing the quality of Business Administration lecturers through direct field practice. The program involves a team of lecturers and students providing problem-solving-based mentoring for MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise) actors in the village.
This program is designed as a contextual learning medium for lecturers to apply the concepts of Segmenting, Targeting, and Positioning (STP), branding, and the marketing mix within a real-world context. Broadly, this initiative aims to enhance the capacity of bamboo artisans in developing product diversification, strengthening brand identity, and expanding market reach. The primary focus of the activities includes strengthening marketing strategies, developing products based on market needs, and improving digital marketing capabilities as an effort to bolster the competitiveness of MSMEs.
The implementation of the program began with a socialization phase and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the bamboo artisans to identify core challenges, such as limited product variety, a lack of branding, and the underutilization of digital marketing. This phase was followed by the collection of baseline data regarding turnover, product types, and existing marketing systems. Based on the identification results, the activities were then focused on integrated training covering product branding, market segmentation, and the formulation of positioning strategies aligned with modern market trends.
Furthermore, the community service team organized practice-based technical training, which included workshops on developing brand identity, creating logos and product labels, as well as designing new products based on eco-friendly concepts and aesthetic values. Additionally, product diversification training was conducted by encouraging artisans to develop at least two types of new products better suited to market demands, such as home decor and value-added handicrafts. The program was also equipped with social media marketing training, covering content creation, product photography, copywriting, and the development of a marketing content calendar.
In the implementation phase, the artisans were assisted in adopting simple technologies to support digital marketing, such as utilizing social media and marketplaces, as well as creating product catalogs. Furthermore, training was provided on digital-based sales recording using Excel or Google Sheets to support business performance evaluation. The service team also conducted intensive mentoring and periodic monitoring to ensure that the formulated strategies could be implemented optimally and were capable of boosting overall sales performance.
The results of the program demonstrate an increase in the artisans’ capacity to develop products, build brand identities, and utilize digital marketing in a more structured manner. Product diversification has begun to take shape, market reach has expanded, and there has been a notable increase in transaction potential and business turnover. Through this initiative, the Department of Business Administration at UNDIP reaffirms its commitment to the Tridharma Perguruan Tinggi (Three Pillars of Higher Education), specifically in community service. Furthermore, this program serves as a strategic platform to enhance the competence and quality of faculty members through the direct implementation of marketing strategy expertise in the field.