Digital-Cultural Verification of Brand Authenticity among Indonesian Generation Z: A YouTube-Based Netnography and Digital Elicitation Study
Keywords:
brand authenticity, Generation Z; netnography, YouTube comments, cultural embeddedness, influencer credibility, greenwashing, woke washing
Abstract
This study explains how Indonesian Generation Z consumers verify brand authenticity in platformed consumer discourse. Instead of treating authenticity as a stable brand attribute or a managerial claim, the study conceptualizes authenticity as an evaluative achievement produced through scrutiny of public comments, operational proof, creator credibility, cultural legitimacy, and conditional support. The research employed a YouTube-based qualitative netnography, supplemented by digital elicitation interviews. The YouTube corpus began with 61 candidate videos and 4,241 public comments. After relevance screening and cleaning, the analysis retained 17 videos, 2,562 substantive comments, and 524 theoretically rich excerpts for close coding. The interview layer included 32 Indonesian Gen Z participants aged 18-27, with 18 extended elicitation interviews and 14 confirmatory interviews. A Gioia-inspired coding structure, supported by reflexive thematic analysis, identified six linked themes: peer comments as counter-promotional evidence, operational proof as an authenticity test, local pride as conditional rather than automatic support, reciprocal cultural participation, candor as creator credibility, and reversible trust under value-action gaps. The study contributes to brand authenticity theory by shifting attention from authenticity as perceived genuineness to authenticity as digital-cultural verification. It also extends debates on consumer culture, eWOM, influencer credibility, and purpose-washing by showing how Indonesian Gen Z consumers assess localness, sustainability, cultural symbolism, and moral claims through evidence-seeking routines on platforms.
References
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Alhouti, S., Johnson, C. M., & Holloway, B. B. (2016). Corporate social responsibility authenticity: Investigating its antecedents and outcomes. Journal of Business Research, 69(3), 1242-1249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.09.007
Audrezet, A., de Kerviler, G., & Guidry Moulard, J. (2020). Authenticity under threat: When social media influencers need to go beyond self-presentation. Journal of Business Research, 117, 557-569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.008
Becker, M., Wiegand, N., & Reinartz, W. J. (2019). Does it pay to be real? Understanding authenticity in TV advertising. Journal of Marketing, 83(1), 24-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242918815880
Beverland, M. B. (2005). Crafting brand authenticity: The case of luxury wines. Journal of Management Studies, 42(5), 1003-1029. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2005.00530.x
Beverland, M. B., & Farrelly, F. J. (2010). The quest for authenticity in consumption: Consumers' purposive choice of authentic cues to shape experienced outcomes. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(5), 838-856. https://doi.org/10.1086/615047
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Toward good practice in thematic analysis: Avoiding common problems and be(com)ing a knowing researcher. International Journal of Transgender Health, 24(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2022.2129597
Bruhn, M., Schoenmüller, V., Schäfer, D., & Heinrich, D. (2012). Brand authenticity: Towards a deeper understanding of its conceptualization and measurement. Advances in Consumer Research, 40, 567-576.
Bulmer, S., Palakshappa, N., Dodds, S., & Harper, S. (2024). Sustainability, brand authenticity and Instagram messaging. Journal of Business Research, 175, 114547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114547
Cammarota, A., & Branca, G. (2025). Generation Z consumers' perspective: How and why should (not) brands engage in activism? Italian Journal of Marketing, 2025(1), 21-50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43039-025-00109-x
Campbell, C., & Farrell, J. R. (2020). More than meets the eye: The functional components underlying influencer marketing. Business Horizons, 63(4), 469-479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.03.003
Caruelle, D. (2025). Is woke advertising necessarily woke-washing? How woke advertising and (mis)aligned corporate practices influence perceived woke-washing. International Journal of Advertising, 44(4), 743-765. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2024.2427517
Charters, S., & Spielmann, N. (2014). Characteristics of strong territorial brands: The case of champagne. Journal of Business Research, 67(7), 1461-1467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.07.020
Chaudhuri, A., & Holbrook, M. B. (2001). The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: The role of brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 65(2), 81-93. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.65.2.81.18255
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Darsana, N. L. P. A. K. P., & Setiobudi, A. (2025). The influence of perceived online reviews credibility and importance towards intention to use online reviews of Indonesian fashion brand consumers in Surabaya on Shopee e-commerce. JMBI UNSRAT (Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Bisnis dan Inovasi Universitas Sam Ratulangi), 12(2), 599-619.
Delgado-Ballester, E., & Munuera-Alemán, J. L. (2005). Does brand trust matter to brand equity? Journal of Product & Brand Management, 14(3), 187-196. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420510601058
Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2010). Maximizing business returns to corporate social responsibility: The role of CSR communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2009.00276.x
Eggers, F., O'Dwyer, M., Kraus, S., Vallaster, C., & Güldenberg, S. (2022). Brand authenticity in marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 56(6), 1649-1674. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-03-2021-0205
Fitriani, L. K., Nurhasanah, A., & Rahmantya, Y. E. K. (2025). Unveiling the power of authenticity: How can influencer and brand authenticity drive Gen Z's purchase intention through customer involvement in Indonesia. APMBA (Asia Pacific Management and Business Application), 14(2), 179-204. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.apmba.2025.014.02.5
Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 343-373. https://doi.org/10.1086/209515
franzke, a. s., Bechmann, A., Zimmer, M., Ess, C., & the Association of Internet Researchers. (2020). Internet research: Ethical guidelines 3.0. Association of Internet Researchers.
Gioia, D. A., Corley, K. G., & Hamilton, A. L. (2013). Seeking qualitative rigor in inductive research: Notes on the Gioia methodology. Organizational Research Methods, 16(1), 15-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428112452151
Han, J., & Balabanis, G. (2024). Meta-analysis of social media influencer impact: Key antecedents and theoretical foundations. Psychology & Marketing, 41(2), 394-426. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21927
Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), 38-52. https://doi.org/10.1002/dir.10073
Holt, D. B. (2002). Why do brands cause trouble? A dialectical theory of consumer culture and branding. Journal of Consumer Research, 29(1), 70-90. https://doi.org/10.1086/339922
Kawibawa, A. (2025). Gen Z's desire for authenticity in advertising: Relatability, transparency and shared values in Indonesian digital marketing. Jurnal Komunikasi Indonesia, 14(1), 45-61.
Kelley, H. H. (1973). The processes of causal attribution. American Psychologist, 28(2), 107-128. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034225
Kozinets, R. V. (2020). Netnography: The essential guide to qualitative social media research (3rd ed.). SAGE.
Labrecque, L. I., Markos, E., & Milne, G. R. (2011). Online personal branding: Processes, challenges, and implications. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 25(1), 37-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2010.09.002
Lewin, L. D., & Warren, D. E. (2024). Hypocrites! Social media reactions and stakeholder backlash to conflicting CSR information. Journal of Business Ethics, 196(2), 419-437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-024-05700-4
Lim, S., & Keni, K. (2025). The power of digital influence: How social media drives brand awareness and purchase intentions among Gen Z. DeReMa (Development Research of Management): Jurnal Manajemen, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.19166/derema.v20i1.9181
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE.
Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 19(1), 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2018.1533501
Mahmud, R., & Guzmán, F. (2025). The cost of contradiction: Exploring consumer negative responses to activist brands' moral transgressions. Journal of Business Research, 200, 115635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115635
Markham, A., & Buchanan, E. (2012). Ethical decision-making and internet research: Recommendations from the AoIR Ethics Working Committee, Version 2.0. Association of Internet Researchers.
Mirzaei, A., Wilkie, D. C., & Siuki, H. (2022). Woke brand activism authenticity or the lack of it. Journal of Business Research, 139, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.09.044
Morhart, F., Malär, L., Guèvremont, A., Girardin, F., & Grohmann, B. (2015). Brand authenticity: An integrative framework and measurement scale. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(2), 200-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2014.11.006
Moulard, J. G., Raggio, R. D., & Folse, J. A. G. (2016). Brand authenticity: Testing the antecedents and outcomes of brand management's passion for its products. Psychology & Marketing, 33(6), 421-436. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20888
Muntinga, D. G., Moorman, M., & Smit, E. G. (2011). Introducing COBRAs: Exploring motivations for brand-related social media use. International Journal of Advertising, 30(1), 13-46. https://doi.org/10.2501/IJA-30-1-013-046
Napoli, J., Dickinson, S. J., Beverland, M. B., & Farrelly, F. (2014). Measuring consumer-based brand authenticity. Journal of Business Research, 67(6), 1090-1098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.06.001
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
O'Sullivan, H., Babaee, F., Polkinghorne, M., & Chapleo, C. (2026). Brand activism: Gen Z and socio-political branding. Encyclopedia, 6(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia6010027
Özsomer, A. (2012). The interplay between global and local brands: A closer look at perceived brand globalness and local iconness. Journal of International Marketing, 20(2), 72-95. https://doi.org/10.1509/jim.11.0105
Papadopoulou, C., Hultman, M., & Oghazi, P. (2024). Authenticity perceptions of informational and transformational advertising: Decoding the role of construal level mindset. Psychology & Marketing, 42(3), 817-841. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.22153
Pradhan, D., Kuanr, A., Pahi, S. A., & Akram, M. S. (2023). Influencer marketing: When and why Gen Z consumers avoid influencers and endorsed brands. Psychology & Marketing, 40(1), 27-47. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21749
Pratiwi, I. C., Chandra, Y. E. N., Kathrine, Rosalina, E., Purwinarti, T., & Firdaus, R. Z. (2025). Social media marketing role in building brand awareness and purchase intention among Generation Z. Jurnal Manajemen dan Kewirausahaan, 13(2), 202-213. https://doi.org/10.26905/jmdk.v13i2.16398
Riboni, G. (2017). Discourses of authenticity on YouTube: From the personal to the professional. LED Edizioni Universitarie.
Sajid, M., Zakkariya, K. A., Suki, N. M., & Islam, J. U. (2024). When going green goes wrong: The effects of greenwashing on brand avoidance and negative word-of-mouth. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 78, 103773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103773
Schallehn, M., Burmann, C., & Riley, N. (2014). Brand authenticity: Model development and empirical testing. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 23(3), 192-199. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-06-2013-0339
Södergren, J. (2021). Brand authenticity: 25 years of research. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4), 645-663. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12651
Steenkamp, J.-B. E. M. (2019). Global brand strategy: World-wise marketing in the age of branding. Palgrave Macmillan.
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Published
2026-06-23
How to Cite
Raintung, M., Saerang, D., Soepeno, D., & Rudy Steven Wenas. (2026). Digital-Cultural Verification of Brand Authenticity among Indonesian Generation Z: A YouTube-Based Netnography and Digital Elicitation Study. International Journal of Economics, Business and Innovation Research, 5(04), 2153-2180. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijebir.v5i04.4604
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