CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, MARKETING COMMUNICATION, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: COMPETITOR BENCHMARKING FOR RICE BOWL BUSINESS DEVELOPMEN

Abstrak

The growth of Indonesia's culinary industry has intensified competition among food-service businesses, particularly in practical and affordable products such as rice bowls. For emerging culinary businesses, understanding consumer behavior, marketing communication, and customer experience is essential for developing effective competitive strategies. This study aims to analyze consumer responses to Bowlster Food as a competitor and translate the findings into strategic recommendations for Dampar Pemadam Lapar, a rice bowl business development project. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed through a four-week market research project involving literature review, competitor observation, and semi-structured interviews with three Bowlster Food customers aged 19–23 years. The data were organized into three analytical dimensions: marketing communication, consumer decision-making behavior, and customer experience. The findings show that Instagram was the primary source of brand awareness for all three respondents. Attractive food visuals, perceived uniqueness of Japanese-style menu items, convenient location, practical consumption needs, and promotional incentives influenced purchase decisions. Customer experiences were generally positive, with food ratings above 4 out of 5, although respondents identified weaknesses in service responsiveness, delivery time, food texture after extended holding, and menu variety. Promotional activities such as Ramadan discounts, sauce testers, and free sauce bonuses were positively received and encouraged recommendations. The study concludes that Dampar Pemadam Lapar can strengthen its competitive position by combining consistent social-media communication, visually appealing product presentation, menu differentiation, faster service, customer-feedback mechanisms, and periodic satisfaction evaluation.