JAKARTA, SAWIT INDONESIA — Building an agribusiness is about more than production, productivity, and business scale. Amid increasingly open industry competition, public trust has also become an important asset in strengthening a company’s reputation and competitiveness.
This is reflected in PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk (Astra Agro) receiving the Trusted & Popular Brand 2026 award in the Agribusiness category at the Disway Awards 2026, held in Jakarta on September 29, 2026.
The award was based on research measuring brand awareness (top of mind) and public trust, conducted by Disway National Network in collaboration with research institution Infovesta Utama. The study employed the Multistage Area Random Sampling method.
Deputy Minister of Industry Faisol Riza stated that a strong brand cannot be built overnight. Reputation grows through consistently positive experiences that foster trust, loyalty, and consumer engagement.
“Building a national brand with strong global competitiveness cannot be achieved overnight. Positive and consistent experiences foster trust, loyalty, and engagement, which are key for any brand seeking to enter the market,” Faisol said.
He added that brand strength requires companies to consistently maintain quality, pursue innovation, and deliver on their promises to consumers.
This message is particularly relevant to the agribusiness industry, which faces market demands extending beyond production capacity to encompass sustainability, environmental, and social considerations.
Faisol emphasized that building an industry’s reputation and brand competitiveness requires a long-term commitment. Modern industries, he noted, must look beyond production scale and uphold the principles of sovereignty, progress, and sustainability.
For Astra Agro, the award is more than recognition of its brand popularity. It also serves as a reminder that the company’s public communications must remain aligned with the practices implemented in the field.
Astra Agro’s Vice President of Corporate Communication, Mochamad Husni, expressed his appreciation for the recognition. He noted that the award serves as a reminder for everyone at Astra Agro to maintain consistency between the messages communicated to the public and the company’s actual practices.
“This award also reminds everyone at Astra Agro to ensure that the positive messages and information shared with the public remain aligned with what the company actually does and delivers consistently and wholeheartedly,” Husni said.
Measured by Public Recognition
The Trusted & Popular Brand 2026 award was based on research involving 20,000 respondents aged 17 to 60 across 20 major cities in Indonesia.
In the study, respondents were asked to name the brand that first came to mind when presented with questions about specific industry categories. Brands receiving a selection rate of more than 70 percent were named winners.
Popularity in this award was not measured in isolation. Brand awareness was one component of the assessment, which was then linked to the level of public trust.
For the agribusiness sector, this demonstrates that brand building goes beyond how widely a company is recognized. Reputation is also shaped by consistent quality, innovation, the ability to meet consumer expectations, and ensuring that corporate communications accurately reflect actual business practices.
The Disway Awards 2026 was held for the second time. In addition to Faisol Riza, the event was attended by Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs Expert Staff Molly Prabawaty and Disway National Network Founder Dahlan Iskan.
The award marks another milestone in Astra Agro’s journey to build its brand reputation in the agribusiness sector. It also reinforces the importance of public trust as an asset that must be maintained and nurtured over the long term.
Source: sawitindonesia.com
