Original research and market analysis from the RB Consulting team — focused on Indonesian consumers, emerging segments, and the trends shaping business decisions.
Picture a 28-year-old walking the floor of a vehicle exhibition. On his phone, an AI chatbot has already compared three cars for him — price, fuel use, features. He may know the specs better than the sales staff. But before he signs anything, he calls his older brother. That is the pattern we found when we asked more than 1,400 automotive-engaged consumers how AI fits into buying a car or a motorcycle. We surveyed them at vehicle exhibitions in 2026. Every question was about
Picture a 28-year-old woman in Malang. Her skin has been breaking out, so she asks an AI chatbot which serum suits oily, acne-prone skin. In seconds she gets an answer: two ingredients to look for, three products to try. She does not buy any of them. Not yet. She opens a marketplace and starts reading reviews. Now imagine that evening she asks the same AI what snack to bring to the office tomorrow. Would she check reviews again? Or would she just buy the first brand it names?
