Brands take the lead as Indonesia's 11.11 conversation heats up

Indonesia's 11.11 shopping event generated a surge in online conversation, but the noise surrounding the annual double-date sale was driven more by brands and promotional mechanics than shoppers sharing their purchasing experiences.

Across social platforms, eCommerce players and other brands competed for attention through flash sales, discount vouchers, giveaways and time-sensitive offers. Campaigns also encouraged consumers to join livestreams, claim rewards and set alarms for midnight deals, turning the shopping occasion into an exercise in both promotion and participation.

Meltwater recorded 16,236 mentions related to 11.11 in Indonesia between 11 October and 11 November 2026, approximately 3.5 times the 4,585 mentions recorded in the Philippines over the same period. Conversation in Indonesia climbed from 79 mentions in the week of 12 October to 8,491 in the week of 9 November.

However, the volume did not necessarily translate into stronger consumer advocacy. Meltwater's analysis found that 88.7% of Indonesian mentions were neutral, while 9.1% were positive and 0.4% were negative. The largely neutral tone reflected the prominence of informational and promotional posts rather than shoppers' assessments of their purchases.

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A separate analysis by Tocanan, prepared using Brandwatch Consumer Research data, similarly found that promotional activity dominated the conversation. Of 20,703 relevant non-retweet records analysed between 1 and 11 November, 16,315, or 78.8%, were classified as promotional or brand messages. Consumer discussion accounted for 2,991 records, or 14.4%.

Discounts provided the clearest talking point. Tocanan found that price and discount messaging appeared in 11,545 records, representing 55.8% of the analysed conversation. Giveaways and prizes followed at 4,651 records (22.5%), while vouchers featured in 4,633 records (22.4%). These themes overlapped, meaning individual posts could fall into more than one category.

The concentration of activity around the shopping date was also pronounced. According to Tocanan, 10 and 11 November accounted for 68.1% of the analysed conversation, with 6,789 records on 10 November and another 7,301 on 11 November up to 20:00 WIB.

Shopee, TikTok Shop, Blibli and Lazada lead the promotional race

Among the eCommerce players, Shopee commanded the most attention, followed by TikTok Shop and Tokopedia, Blibli and Lazada.

Meltwater recorded 3,677 mentions linking Shopee with 11.11, with its midnight sale and campaign hashtags around the promotional peak helping drive visibility. TikTok Shop and Tokopedia collectively generated 1,722 mentions, with #promoguncang1111, flash sales and giveaways among the key conversation drivers.

Some promotions leaned heavily on urgency and eye-catching price points. One TikTok Shop-related post, for instance, promoted an iPhone for IDR 1,000 at specific times, illustrating how platforms and sellers used limited-time offers to encourage shoppers to return at particular moments.

Blibli stood out among the marketplaces for its comparatively positive conversation. It generated 1,391 mentions, with 18.2% classified as positive by Meltwater, the highest positive share among the major marketplaces tracked. Its #bliblixnpd campaign and official account activity contributed to the conversation.

Tocanan's review of campaign examples also highlighted how marketplaces packaged their offers. Shopee used a buy-two-get-one-free promotion alongside #PromoPuncakNonaxShopee, while Blibli promoted its Histeria 11.11 campaign with #BliblixNPD and advertised discounts of up to IDR 3 million.

Beyond eCommerce platforms, other brands also sought a share of the promotional conversation. Indomaret and Samsung each attracted approximately 210 mentions, while beauty and personal care brands Glad2Glow, Kahf and Wardah used their own 11.11 hashtags to promote their offers. Traveloka and DANA also joined the wider promotional activity.

From claiming vouchers to checking out

The prominence of giveaways and vouchers suggests that brands were not simply competing on headline discounts, but also on how frequently they could bring consumers back into their campaigns.

Tocanan identified 1,596 records, or 7.7% of its analysed conversation, around task-based or game-like participation. One example referenced repeated voucher-claiming activities involving TikTok Shop Indonesia, illustrating how brands could sustain engagement through a series of campaign prompts rather than a single sale-day announcement.

Nevertheless, participation should not be mistaken for purchase intent or completed transactions. The same conversation also included individual shopping accounts that offered a glimpse into how consumers approached the sale.

In one example, a shopper described checking their cart at midnight before proceeding to checkout after a price reduction on Nike products. Another post raised concerns about advertised sale prices that appeared to have increased rather than fallen, while a separate complaint involved an advertised ticket promotion that could not be found on 11.11.

These examples represent individual accounts rather than evidence of broader consumer sentiment. However, they point to an important distinction between generating attention and delivering an offer that shoppers perceive as worthwhile.

For brands, the challenge is therefore not limited to getting consumers to join a campaign or claim a voucher. The advertised savings must also be clear, accessible and reflected at checkout.

The findings also underline the importance of separating promotional visibility from commercial outcomes. While hashtags, giveaways and voucher claims can sustain conversation, they do not independently demonstrate redemption, conversion or sales performance.

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