Yenny Yusra Journal

In conversation with Jennifer Wen, Global Business Development Manager at iKala, I explored how the company is building smarter tools for influencer marketing and why Indonesia is such an important market in their regional expansion.

iKala is a marketing intelligence and AI company that creates tools to help marketers make smarter decisions, work faster, and bring AI into their everyday operations. One of its most exciting platforms right now is Kolr, a market intelligence engine powered by people data.

“Kolr is more than just a database of influencers,” Jennifer explained. “It’s a platform that helps marketers understand authenticity, track real performance, and find the voices that actually resonate with their brand identity.”

Why Influencer Marketing Is So Complex Now

The influencer space today is crowded and fragmented. Anyone with a phone and a social media account can potentially become an influencer if they gain enough engagement. In fact, 9 out of 10 influencers are small-scale creators.

But that doesn’t make them less valuable. Micro and nano influencers, who have smaller but very specific communities, often bring stronger engagement than bigger names. “That’s why brands are looking more at nano and micro influencers,” Jennifer said. “It’s not just about budget. These creators have very niche communities, and the engagement can be much higher.”

The real challenge for brands is knowing how to choose the right influencers. It’s not just about how many followers you have. “If you only look at followers, you miss the point,” Jennifer added. “Engagement, authenticity, and fit with your brand are far more important. But without the right tools, it’s very hard for brands to measure those things, and if you can’t measure, you can’t optimize.”

Where Kolr Fits In

This is where Kolr comes in. The platform helps marketers measure authentic influence rather than just follower counts, track campaign performance across multiple influencers, and discover the ones that are relevant for their niche or industry.

It also allows brands to look at competitor strategies, seeing which influencers they work with, what kind of campaigns they run, and how they manage budgets. On top of that, Kolr provides social listening and trend insights, so marketers can act quickly when the market shifts.

Jennifer summed it up simply: “Marketers shouldn’t spend their time just collecting information. They should focus on strategy. Kolr is built to save time and give them the intelligence they need to make better decisions.”

In Indonesia, many influencer platforms operate like marketplaces where brands post campaigns and influencers apply. While that model has its place, Jennifer pointed out that it’s not enough. “We take a different approach. We’re focused on analytics, measurement, and strategy. Instead of waiting for influencers to come to you, Kolr helps you find the ones that truly fit your brand.”

Kolr is subscription-based, which makes it flexible for both agencies and brands. In Taiwan, more than 80% of marketing agencies already use the platform, proving its value in a competitive market. Kolr has offices and teams in Japan and Taiwan, and is now expanding into Indonesia.

Why Indonesia Matters

Indonesia is one of the most influencer-driven markets in the world. Around 80% of marketers here spend up to 40% of their digital budgets on influencer marketing. With a young, mobile-first population, the opportunities are huge.

At the same time, the market is noisy. Billions of posts go live every day, making it nearly impossible for brands to track trends or spot the right creators on their own. “Indonesia is a big market, but also a very challenging one,” Jennifer said. “That’s why we believe Kolr is a perfect fit here. The need for smarter influencer tools is very clear.”

At the end of the day, influencer marketing is about trust and authenticity. The real value doesn’t come from quick sales alone but from long-term credibility and brand strength. “Sometimes brands focus too much on short-term sales,” Jennifer explained. “But influencer marketing starts from trust. That’s what creates lasting value.”

In Indonesia, where both mega influencers and micro communities play different but equally important roles, Kolr wants to be the partner that connects data with strategy. For marketers, that means less time wasted on searching and more time spent on building campaigns that truly resonate.

“Once you know which influencers align with your brand identity, you can focus on creating meaningful campaigns,” Jennifer said. “That’s where the real impact happens.”