To Boost the Competitiveness of Local Food Products, a Management Lecturer from the Faculty of Economics at Unsri Trains MSMEs in Tanjung Dayang Selatan Village to Design Packaging and Branding Using Canva

The Community Service Team (PPM) from the Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics, Sriwijaya University (FE Unsri) held an intensive training and mentoring session for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as well as PKK women’s groups in Tanjung Dayang Selatan Village, Ogan Ilir Regency, on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Under the theme “Raising Community Awareness and Skills to Increase the Market Value of Local Products Through Packaging and Branding,” the event at the Tanjung Dayang Selatan Village Office was officially opened by Village Head Zulkifli, S.Pd., and attended by 20 local business owners.

This rural economic empowerment program was led directly by Executive Chairperson Ghia Subagja, S.E., M.M., along with a team of Management faculty members from the Unsri Faculty of Economics, consisting of Dr. Welly Nailis, S.E., M.M., Dr. Mohammad Eko Fitrianto, S.E., M.Si., Afriyadi Cahyadi, S.E., M.M., Ph.D., Reska Rahmatullah, S.E., M.M., and Ahmad Khoirun Najib, S.Fil., M.B.A., and supported by a team of students. The academic team’s involvement stems from the great potential of Tanjung Dayang Selatan Village, which boasts a variety of distinctive processed food products, such as kemplang genepo, iwak kering, and emping cetukan.

The Chair of the FE Unsri PPM Team, Ghia Subagja, S.E., M.M., explained that the local residents’ processed products actually possess superior authentic flavors, but their marketing remains seasonal with very simple packaging. In addition to not meeting the aesthetic standards of the modern market, most of these local products lack brand identity (branding) and standard legal information labels—even though packaging and visual identity function as silent salespeople that shape consumers’ perceptions of value and purchasing decisions in the digital age.

To address these needs, the service-learning team implemented an interactive learning method based on a collaborative, participatory approach and digital learning. Participants not only received theoretical training on the requirements for legal labels and the protective functions of packaging but also gained hands-on experience designing product visual identities independently using the Canva digital design application.

To ensure that the self-directed learning process continues after the training, the service team also distributed interactive guide brochures equipped with QR codes (barcodes) and access to digital tutorial resources. Through ongoing mentoring between FE Unsri academics and the village’s MSME operators, the market value of local culinary products is expected to increase significantly, thereby expanding market reach and strengthening the economic self-reliance of the Tanjung Dayang Selatan village community.