Community Marketing: Becoming Part of the Ritual 

written by: Aldo Berton pangestu

Over the past few years, Indonesia has witnessed a significant rise in wellness-driven communities. Padel courts are fully booked before and after work hours, weekend mornings at Gelora Bung Karno are filled with runners, and hyrox, cycling, yoga, and hiking communities continues to attract new members. 

In 2025, 293 padel courts have been built, nearly trifold from 2024 (Core & Court – Growell, 2025). This report also estimated around 20,000+ active padel players in Indonesia. To some people, these are merely a trend, and the phrase “FOMO” often appears whenever a new fitness movement gains popularity and demand. 

The appeal of Padel has gone beyond the accessibility. A Populix survey has shown that 45% of the padel players was drawn to its fun, fast-paced style and serves as great opportunity for them to play with their friends.  

Showing that padel sports are not merely a way to have a healthy entertainment, yet also a lifestyle and a way to connect. These signals point to something bigger than the sports, people are always looking for a way to connect. 

The Real Meaning of Community 

What makes the rise of padel interesting is not simply the number of courts being built or the number of people playing it. It is what happens around the sport. 

The opportunity isn’t that people are playing more sports, the opportunity is people gathering more. 

People don’t only come to play; they come to meet, socialize, compete, and spend time together. The sport becomes a reason to gather. And when a simple activity repeatedly brings the same people together, it starts to form something more than a hobby, it forms a community. And this phenomenon also extends beyond Padel. 

At its core, every community is built around a shared interest and a sense of belonging.  Repeated interactions allow members to build relationships, share experiences, and create connections that extend beyond the activity itself. 

Becoming a Part of The Ritual 

Padel communities may meet once or even twice a week, reserving the same courts for an afterwork session. This shared interest is only the beginning, yet what turns that interest into community is repetition. These recurring activities become a ritual that each of the members look forward to.  

For marketers, understanding consumer habitual behaviour and patterns is important. And this repetition of behaviour is particularly valuable. Rituals create predictable and recurring touchpoints, moments where people repeatedly come together, creating opportunities for brands to become part of a meaningful journey. 

Where Brands Contribute 

Community Marketing focuses on becoming a part of people shared experiences. Rather than interrupting, brands can participate in moments where trusts are naturally built. Community has become a place where people seek connections and belongings. They seek a place where they feel recognized and valued. It’s no longer about delivering messages, but how to participate in meaningful moments. 

Communities don’t only exist on Instagram. They need physical spaces where people meet, interact, and build relationships. Whether it’s a padel court, pilates class, golf driving spots, and other gathering points has become an important part of the community’s routine. For brands, these environments represent more than media spaces, they are opportunities to become part of the rituals people already value. 

The role of the brand is therefore not simply to be seen, but to add value to the moment. Whether through experiences, partnerships, rewards, content, or physical touchpoints, brands can participate in the community without disrupting it.  

Source: 

Indonesia Padel Growth Report 2025 | PDF | Indonesia | Java 

Indonesia Padel Market: Supply Growth and Data Gaps | IDN Research Institute 

Understanding Indonesia’s Sports Trend – Populix