The Accelerating the Growth of Cookie MSMEs: New Product Development, Marketing Digitalization, and Sustainable Business Management

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the dry cake sector play a strategic role in strengthening the community's economy. Chokomafood, a home-based dry cake SME established in 2019 and managed by Sinta Nurlia, Bela Pratiwi, and Selis Widyawati, is located in Cipinang Muara, Jatinegara, East Jakarta. The business produces six variants of Cookies Raya: Nastar, Keju Aren, Almond Cokelat, Almond Matcha, Soes Double Choko, and Brownee. Despite having an Instagram account (@chokomafood_), the business still faces significant challenges in optimizing digital marketing, financial management, and product packaging. This community service program by Perbanas Institute aimed to improve the management capacity and marketing reach of Chokomafood. The methods used include participatory training, mentoring, and assistance in optimizing social media and digital catalogs. The results showed that the average monthly turnover increased by 137.5%, from Rp1,200,000 to Rp2,850,000. The number of regular customers grew from 8 to 27 people, and the marketing reach expanded from local neighborhoods to cross-district areas and online platforms. Furthermore, two innovative new product variants — Choko Pandan Crispy and Red Velvet Cheese Melt — were developed and recommended to diversify the product line and strengthen the brand identity. This program demonstrates that integrated assistance combining product development, digital marketing optimization, financial management, and product branding significantly boosts the competitiveness and sustainability of dry cake SMEs.