Comparing Cyber Monday and Harbolnas: Online Shopping Events with Cultural Contrasts

Cyber Monday is a top-rated online shopping event the following Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Cyber Monday is an online alternative to the in-store shopping event of Black Friday. Cyber Monday started in 2005 when online shopping became popular, so Ellen Davis, a part of the National Retail Federation (NRF), coined Cyber Monday. On Cyber Monday, online retailers and big corporations offer special promotions, discounts, and sales, but these are strictly website-only deals. 

Cyber Monday has quickly become one of the biggest online shopping days in the United States. One of the advantages of Cyber Monday is that people can shop from the comfort of their homes while also getting more or less the same deal from the weekend before, courtesy of Black Friday. People in United Stated also made the 'trend' of hauls of what they bought on Cyber Monday on YouTube. 

Harbolnas (Hari Belanja Online Nasional), or National Online Shopping Day, is an annual online shopping event held in Indonesia on December 12 (Adhitya 2019). Harbolnas is also known as twin date sales or 12.12 events. This event is similar to Black Friday or Cyber Monday in the United States and Single Day 11.11 in China. Harbolnas was first introduced by the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (ideA) on December 12, 2012. Harbolnas is a celebration of national online shopping in Indonesia that encourages consumers to shop online by offering buyers appealing discounts, deals, and promotions from participating e-commerce platforms and businesses.

Tokopedia, Bukalapak, Lazada, and Shopee are Indonesia's four major e-commerce platforms, with the highest number of buyers and sales. During Harbolnas, sellers and e-commerce platforms provide enormous discounts on beauty, fashion, electronics, furniture, etc. Moreover, many sellers even offer exclusive deals, free shipping vouchers and limited-time flash sales to attract buyers (Haerunnisa and Sazkya K 2020).

However, although Harbolnas and Cyber Monday are similar events promoting online shopping, there are significant contrasts between both events. In the United States, Cyber Monday involves a wide range of sellers, from large e-commerce platforms to individual online stores offering special promotions and discounts. Harbolnas is an event that includes various retailers and e-commerce platforms in Indonesia, but its focus is more on Indonesian brands and sellers that appeal to the local market. 

The promotion campaign for both events is also different. The promotion of Harbolnas typically uses local influencers and celebrities to engage buyers to buy the products during the event because, in Indonesia, social proof and collective experiences are essential to building trust in using the product. Meanwhile, in America, individualism and personal choices are emphasized, with advertisements often focusing on the benefits and features of products to attract consumers.

Cyber Monday and Harbolnas are internet-based events that enable consumers to buy products using their smartphones, computers, or other internet-connected devices, so media plays a significant role in influencing online shopping. The role of media in Cyber Monday and Harbolnas' product sales are in advertising and promoting. Media outlets (television, radio) and digital platforms provide information about online shopping events. The media features commercials, sponsored content, and online ads to raise awareness and help consumers stay informed. 

These media advertisements highlight the deals, discounts, and promotions available during the sales event, encouraging consumers to participate. For example, in Harbolnas, since influencers' reviews matter in Indonesia, they share their experiences with their audiences using products and inform them about the sales event. Influencers share their content on digital media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. This example may impact public opinions and interest in specific products, resulting in an increased market for online stores. 

The importance of media is also shown in the Cyber Monday event. As this event is an extension of Black Friday, which relies heavily on traditional advertising such as television, flyers, and newspapers, it helps to reach a bigger audience beyond online channels. 

Therefore, it impacts Cyber Monday marketing by encouraging people to continue shopping and take advantage of additional discounts after Black Friday. As a result, Cyber Monday, as an online event, creates a community among online shoppers and reaches global audiences. Consumers use social media platforms and online forums to share information about offers, recommendations, and shopping experiences. This social sharing feature raises awareness of the event and encourages others to join the online shopping frenzy.

In conclusion, Cyber Monday and Harbolnas are significant online shopping events that have gained popularity in their countries, the United States and Indonesia. And regardless of their same objective, online shopping sales, there are still differences between Cyber Monday and Harbolnas. Cyber Monday operates on a much larger scale, including big corporations making Cyber Monday sales. In contrast, Harbolnas focuses more on local brands to gain new audiences with sales.