Amid the growth of the digital economic ecosystem, the challenges facing halal food micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) no longer stop at producing quality products that meet halal standards. The next challenge is how those products get discovered, recognized, trusted, and chosen by consumers in the digital space.

This issue was the focus of a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) themed "Strategies for Increasing the Level of Digital Marketing Adoption Among Halal Food MSMEs," held by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta on Friday (9/11/2026), at the Prof. K.H. Saifuddin Zuhri Building (PAU), 3rd Floor, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.

The event is part of the second-year research under the Indonesia Bangkit Research Funding Program of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA The AIR Funds)–LPDP, titled “Analysis of Digital Marketing Adoption Levels Among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) of Halal-Certified Food Products to Strengthen the Downstream Application of Halal Food.” The research is led by Prof. Ir. Dwi Agustina Kurniawati, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., IPM, ASEAN Eng.

More than just a discussion forum, the FGD brought together perspectives from academics, business practitioners, halal product mentoring institutions, and MSME operators. The meeting revealed a shared concern: halal certification and product readiness need to go hand in hand with the ability to adopt digital marketing strategies.

Findings from the first year of research showed that the level of digital marketing adoption among a number of MSMEs remains relatively low. Many still rely heavily on simple platforms such as WhatsApp for digital engagement.

Entering the second year, the research team is directing its focus toward formulating strategies to improve digital marketing, as well as developing training modules better suited to the needs of MSME operators.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, this research direction reflects how academic knowledge can be pushed closer to the needs of society. Research does not stop at publication, but is directed toward forms of knowledge and mentoring that business operators can actually use.

Head of LPPM UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Abdul Qoyum, S.E.I., M.Sc.Fin., placed strengthening social benefit as one of the important directions for research development at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. In the context of halal industry research, UIN Sunan Kalijaga's research contributions also intersect with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, particularly Responsible Consumption and Production.

This direction reinforces UIN Sunan Kalijaga's position as a university that not only generates knowledge, but also works to connect research with real issues in society.

A practical perspective was offered by Irham, S.T., a culinary business practitioner who shared his experience building and developing various brands in Indonesia and Korea. He showed how digital marketing strategy can become a lever for business growth when combined with the power of social media, collaboration, and the ability to read market response.

One of the business experiences he shared showed that leveraging social media and collaborating with influencers can drive significant business growth. This strategy even opened opportunities for expansion into various regions within a relatively short time. This experience shows that digital marketing is not merely a complement, but can become an essential part of business development and market expansion strategy.

Meanwhile, Dr. Eng. Andi Cakravastia Arisaputra Raja, S.T., M.T., underscored the vast potential of the digital economy for MSMEs. Digital platforms can help business operators access resources that were previously difficult to obtain, from more efficient business processes to broader market access.

However, digital transformation also brings new challenges. One is the need to build consumer awareness about the difference between products merely labeled “halal” and products that have obtained formal halal certification. Amid the growth of video commerce, this strategy also requires adequate talent and facilities to be carried out consistently.

Notably, the FGD did not only discuss technology and social media. Participants also viewed halal certification as part of a strategy for building product competitiveness.

Hendrato Setiabudi Nugroho, S.E., M.Si., CSRS., from the Institute for Halal Product Assessment, Supervision, and Mentoring of PWM DIY (Muhammadiyah Regional Leadership, Special Region of Yogyakarta), encouraged that halal certification not simply be treated as regulatory compliance. This status, he said, can be communicated as an added value and a distinguishing feature of a product as businesses enter the digital marketplace.

Consumer education is an important part of this strategy. The better public understanding of the importance of halal-certified products, the greater the opportunity to form a stronger halal food market segment.

Another idea came from Agil Dhiemitra Aulia Dewi, S.Gz., MPH, a dietitian at the Institute for Halal Product Assessment, Supervision, and Mentoring of PWM DIY, who proposed developing an integrated digital platform to help the public find halal food products more easily. One idea discussed was integrating halal certification information into food delivery services.

This idea shows that the digitalization of the halal ecosystem is not only about how MSMEs sell their products, but also about how consumers can access information that is easy, fast, and trustworthy.

Another important part of the FGD was a session in which culinary MSME operators from Yogyakarta shared their experiences. A number of business operators already hold legal status and halal certification, with some even having successfully broken into wide distribution networks.

However, product readiness has not always translated directly into intensive use of digital marketing.

Limited human resources is one of the recurring issues. Business operators must divide their attention between managing daily operations, producing content, keeping up with changes in social media algorithms, and running marketing strategies. High staff turnover, including in cases where students are involved as content managers, poses its own additional challenge.

For this reason, digital marketing strategies cannot be applied uniformly across all MSMEs. Product type, human resource capacity, consumer characteristics, and stage of business development all shape the approach that is actually needed.

The discussion then moved toward a bigger question: once research produces knowledge, where does that knowledge go next?

Coordinator for Intellectual Property and Downstream Application at LPPM UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Dr. Nita Handayani, S.Si., M.Si., emphasized the importance of pushing research findings to become more implementable for industry and MSMEs. Learning and educational modules born from the research can be directed toward obtaining intellectual property protection, while findings in the fields of communication and technology also have the potential for further development through appropriate intellectual property schemes.

It is at this point that the FGD found its deeper meaning. Research on halal MSMEs does not stop at questions of social media algorithms or content creation techniques. It becomes part of a longer process: identifying problems, listening to the experiences of business operators, formulating strategies, generating knowledge, and then bringing research results back to society.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, this process represents one face of research downstreaming, one that brings together scholarship, technology, economics, and Islamic values around issues close to people's everyday lives.

Through research and cross-sector collaboration, UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to open space for the university to become not only a place where ideas are born, but also part of an ecosystem that helps those ideas create real impact. In the context of strengthening the halal industry, the digital transformation of MSMEs stands as one strategic space for realizing that role. (humassk)