Celebrity Endorsers in Government Communication: A Plausible Option amidst Uncertainty and Declining Public Trust

Abstract

This paper examines the harness of celebrity endorsers by government organizations as a strategy of political public relations. The purpose of this study was to broaden understanding of how celebrity endorsers and key opinion leaders work in the political realm, notably in supporting government policy. This descriptive-qualitative research uses a single case study on the promulgate efforts of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination program using celebrity endorsements. Literature research and social media material from a celebrity endorser were used as data collection techniques. To discover propaganda techniques, content analysis was performed on Raffi Ahmad’s social media posts. Next, a group discussion with six key informants was held to confirm the findings. Given the context and focus of this study lies on government organizations, we offer a different approach in examining celebrity endorsements by using propaganda theories and concepts. Kahneman’s dual-system theory of fast and slow thinking was also fruitful to rationalize the work of endorsement and relevant to propaganda and other persuasion theories. We found that the key messages that Raffi Ahmad published on his social media contained propaganda elements that had the potential to influence public opinion before making a decision. Therefore, the use of celebrity endorsements by government organizations is likely to be effective in influencing public behavior, or at least in raising awareness of government policies. We conclude that celebrity endorsement can be a plausible option to be implemented in the government communication strategy to achieve certain objectives.

Opinion Leaders and Health Information: A Systematic Literature Review in Indonesia

“…However, each SMI uses different message packaging techniques. For example, Dr Tirta presents scientific information sourced from journal articles or Arief, which provides information based on community needs and conveys it in simple language (Valdez & Dhani, 2021). In addition, several SMIs are also intensively conducting education by inviting the public to succeed in government policies such as vaccination by using specific hashtags.…”

When the President Endorses the Nation’s Next Leader: Detecting the Concept of Power in Javanese Culture Through Presidential Communication

“…However, Sanders added that "it would be naïve to believe that government communication can pursue civic goals in a way fully divorced from its specific structural contingencies, which include the political environment in which it operates" (Sanders, 2020). In addition, many references associate the government communication strategy with propaganda techniques to strengthen the intended goals and improve message delivery (Jowett & O'Donnell, 2015;Moloney, 2006;Valdez & Dhani, 2021). In this study, the authors employ a definition from Jowett and O'Donnell (2015) of propaganda as "the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist".…”

“…Jokowi has proven his ability to influence the people based on the above-mentioned political public relations techniques and thereby increase his power. In their study, Valdez and Dhani (2021) also explain several propaganda techniques used by Jokowi as part of his political public relations efforts. Meanwhile, soft propaganda tactics that may be highly effective when used at the right moment, in front of the right audience, and with the appropriate choice of words can be used to track the president's communication in this scenario.…”

Retorika Pidato Celebrity Maudy Ayunda sebagai Juru Bicara Presidensi G20

“…Penelitian sebelumnya banyak mengkaji keterlibatan dan manfaat selebriti sebagai juru bicara pada iklan layanan masyarakat, yang telah terbukti memiliki dampak positif dalam meningkatkan kesadaran masyarakat (shead et all, 2010). Selebriti sebagai juru bicara juga dapat menjadi salah satu bagian strategi public relations politik pemerintah (Valdez & Dhani, 2021). Walaupun pada penelitian (Abu-Akel, Spitz & West, 2021) dinyatakan juru bicara selebriti paling kurang efektif dampaknya dalam mengajak masyarakat untuk bersedia membagikan kembali seruan-seruan mengenai protokol kesehatan, dibandingkan dengan pakar imunologi pada peringkat pertama dan juru bicara pemerintah itu sendiri.…”