Personal Branding in Digital Political Marketing: Ferry Irwandi as a Non-Party Political Influencer in Indonesia
Keywords:
Digital Political Marketing, Personal Branding, Political Influencer, Voter Preferences, Social MediaAbstract
The development of digital media has transformed the landscape of political marketing in Indonesia, reshaping both the channels of communication and the actors who shape public opinion and political preferences. Beyond political parties and electoral candidates, non-party actors particularly political influencers have emerged as consistent producers and distributors of political content across digital platforms. This study examines the practice of digital political marketing through personal branding, focusing on Ferry Irwandi as a political influencer in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative approach with a single case study design, data were gathered through systematic observation and documentation of digital political content on YouTube and Instagram, supplemented by audience response analysis. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis. Findings reveal that Ferry Irwandi's personal branding is constructed through an intellectual-critical image, a sustained non-partisan position, and a consistently rational communicative narrative. This form of digital political marketing contributes to shaping audience political preferences through symbolic meaning-making rather than direct electoral mobilization. The study advances political marketing scholarship by foregrounding the role of non-party actors in Indonesia's evolving digital democracy.
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