Absurdist marketing, radical honesty, and entrepreneurial brand leadership: a netnographic study of the aldis burger phenomenon in Indonesia
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Abstract
This study examines how unconventional brand communication and entrepreneurial leadership jointly shape consumer trust in digital marketing. Using a contextual netnographic approach, 200 purposively sampled Instagram comments from five high-engagement Aldis Burger posts during its peak viral period (Q1–Q2 2026) were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five dominant themes emerged: Trust (30%), Humor (24%), Persona (20%), Uniqueness (14%), and Skepticism (12%), each reflecting a distinct leadership dimension. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial brand communication functions not only as a marketing strategy but also as an expression of leadership that strengthens consumer trust. Building on these findings, the study proposes three theoretically grounded constructs—Performative Honesty, Absurd Credibility, and Anti-Competitive Trust Signaling—together with the Persona-Congruence Mechanism as a moderating condition for trust formation. These constructs are presented as testable propositions for future research. The study contributes to the literature on brand leadership, digital marketing authenticity, and consumer trust while offering practical insights for entrepreneurial branding in the digital economy
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How to Cite
Saryono, U., Yulianto, Y., Trisnawati, E., Taryati Sukmawati, & Wahyuningsih, D. (2026). Absurdist marketing, radical honesty, and entrepreneurial brand leadership: a netnographic study of the aldis burger phenomenon in Indonesia. Enrichment : Journal of Management, 16(3), 114-123. https://doi.org/10.35335/enrichment.v16i3.2528
References
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Balaban, D. C., & Szambolics, J. (2022). A proposed model of self-perceived authenticity of social media influencers. Media and Communication, 10(1), 235–246.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership 2nd ed. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Beck, J. T., Rahinel, R., & Bleier, A. (2020). Company worth keeping: Personal control and preferences for brand leaders. Journal of Consumer Research, 46(5), 871–886.
Berger, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2012). What makes online content viral? Journal of Marketing Research, 49(2), 192–205.
Besharat, A., Whitler, K. A., & Kashmiri, S. (2024). When CEO pay becomes a brand problem. Journal of Business Ethics, 190(4), 941–973.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Campo, A. M. D. V., Avolio, B., & Carlier, S. I. (2021). The Relationship Between Telework, Job Performance, Work–Life Balance and Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviours in the Context of COVID-19. Global Business Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211049918
Carrillat, F. A., Plewa, C., Pupovac, L., Vanasse, C., Willmott, T., Legoux, R., & Napolova, E. (2025). Can consumers’ altruistic inferences solve the CSR initiative puzzle? A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Business Ethics, 196(3), 639–658.
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Costello, J. P., Walker, J., & Reczek, R. W. (2023). “Choozing” the best spelling: Consumer response to unconventionally spelled brand names. Journal of Marketing, 87(6), 889–905.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
De Hooge, I. E. (2025). Increasing the purchase intentions for suboptimal products: Comparing potential marketing strategies. Food Quality and Preference, 123, 105314.
Di Domenico, G., Premazzi, K., & Cugini, A. (2022). “I will pay you more, as long as you are transparent!”: An investigation of the pick-your-price participative pricing mechanism. Journal of Business Research, 147, 403–419.
Dyatmika, S. W., Suyanto, B., Setijaningrum, E., & Setioningtyas, W. P. (2023). Redefining Indonesia’s MSMEs Landscape: Unleashing digital virality for sustainable growth. JASF: Journal of Accounting and Strategic Finance, 6(2), 280–299.
Eisend, M. (2009). A meta-analysis of humor in advertising. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 37(2), 191–203.
Eisend, M. (2018). Explaining the use and effects of humour in advertising: an evolutionary perspective. International Journal of Advertising, 37(4), 526–547.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Redwood City: Stanford University Press. Organization Science, 23(4), 1077–1099.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Indianapolis: The Robert K/Greenleaf Center.
Grewal, D., Noble, S. M., Roggeveen, A. L., & Nordfalt, J. (2020). The future of in-store technology. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 96–113.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1989). Fourth generation evaluation. Sage.
Gupta, V., MacMillan, I. C., & Surie, G. (2004). Entrepreneurial leadership: developing and measuring a cross-cultural construct. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(2), 241–260.
Hajli, N., Sims, J., Zadeh, A. H., & Richard, M.-O. (2017). A social commerce investigation of the role of trust in a social networking site on purchase intentions. Journal of Business Research, 71, 133–141.
Hernández-Amorós, M. J., & Martínez Ruiz, M. A. (2018). Principals’ metaphors as a lens to understand how they perceive leadership. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 46(4), 602–623. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216688470
Hovland, C. I., Janis, I. L., & Kelley, H. H. (1953). Communication and persuasion.
Ireland, R. D., Hitt, M. A., & Sirmon, D. G. (2003). A model of strategic entrepreneurship: The construct and its dimensions. Journal of Management, 29(6), 963–989.
Jusuf, D. I. (2023). Consumer Behavior Shifting in the Era of Disruption in Indonesia. International Journal of Professional Business Review: Int. J. Prof. Bus. Rev., 8(7), 102.
Kemp, S. (2024). Digital 2024: Indonesia. Datareportal. Dapat Diakses Di: Https://Datareportal. Com/Reports/Digital-2024-Indonesia (Diakses Pada 11 April 2026).
Khamitov, M., Rajavi, K., Huang, D.-W., & Hong, Y. (2024). Consumer trust: Meta-analysis of 50 years of empirical research. Journal of Consumer Research, 51(1), 7–18.
Kozinets, R. (2019). Netnography: The essential guide to qualitative social media research.
Kozinets, R. V, & Gretzel, U. (2024). Netnography evolved: New contexts, scope, procedures and sensibilities. Annals of Tourism Research, 104, 103693.
Lamberton, C. (2016). A thematic exploration of digital, social media, and mobile marketing: Research evolution from 2000 to 2015 and an agenda for future inquiry. In Journal of Marketing (Vol. 80, Issue 6, pp. 146–172). https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0415
Liu, H., Jayawardhena, C., Shukla, P., Osburg, V.-S., & Yoganathan, V. (2024). Electronic word of mouth 2.0 (eWOM 2.0)–The evolution of eWOM research in the new age. Journal of Business Research, 176, 114587.
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.
Lückenbach, F., Schmidt, H. J., & Henseler, J. (2023). Building brand meaning in social entrepreneurship organizations: the social impact brand model: F. Lückenbach et al. Journal of Brand Management, 30(3), 207–226.
Malterud, K., Siersma, V. D., & Guassora, A. D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: guided by information power. Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1753–1760.
McKnight, D. H., & Chervany, N. L. (2001). What trust means in e-commerce customer relationships: An interdisciplinary conceptual typology. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 6(2), 35–59.
Moulard, J. G., Garrity, C. P., & Rice, D. H. (2015). What makes a human brand authentic? Identifying the antecedents of celebrity authenticity. Psychology & Marketing, 32(2), 173–186.
Muniz Jr, A. M., & O’guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(4), 412–432.
Nahon-Serfaty, I. (2022). Understanding grotesque transparency as a strategy for fundamentalist radicalization: Implications for social marketing theory and practice. Social Marketing Quarterly, 28(4), 307–324.
Nesterenko, V., Miskiewicz, R., & Abazov, R. (2023). Marketing communications in the era of digital transformation. Virtual Economics, 6(1), 57–70.
Obermiller, C., Spangenberg, E., & MacLachlan, D. L. (2005). Ad skepticism: The consequences of disbelief. Journal of Advertising, 34(3), 7–17.
Ohanian, R. (1990). Construction and validation of a scale to measure celebrity endorsers’ perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Journal of Advertising, 19(3), 39–52.
Rainy, T., & Mou, A. J. (2025). Strategic use of engagement marketing in digital platforms: A focused analysis of ROI and consumer psychology. Available at SSRN 5340377.
Rudeloff, C., & Damms, J. (2023). Entrepreneurs as influencers: the impact of parasocial interactions on communication outcomes. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 25(2), 328–346.
Saldaña, J., & Omasta, M. (2016). Qualitative research: Analyzing life. Sage Publications.
Schouten, A. P., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2021). Celebrity vs. Influencer endorsements in advertising: the role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit. In Leveraged marketing communications (pp. 208–231). Routledge.
Stead, V., Elliott, C., & Gardiner, R. A. (2021). Leadership legitimacy and the mobilization of capital (s): Disrupting politics and reproducing heteronormativity. Leadership, 17(6), 693–714.
Tienari, J., & Savage, P. (2024). Leadership and humor, the Moomin way. Discourses on Culture, 22(1), 15–39.
Van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant leadership: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228–1261.
Waldman, D. A., & Balven, R. M. (2014). Responsible leadership: Theoretical issues and research directions. Academy of Management Perspectives, 28(3), 224–234.
Wang, R. W. Y., & Liu, I.-N. (2022). Temporal and electroencephalography dynamics of surreal marketing. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 949008.
Wei, Z. (2022). Impact of organizational brand-building strategies on organizational brand equity: A moderating role of brand-oriented leadership. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 919054.
Wieser, V. E., Luedicke, M. K., & Hemetsberger, A. (2021). Charismatic entrainment: how brand leaders and consumers co-create charismatic authority in the marketplace. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(4), 731–751.
Yulianto. (2025). LEADING ACROSS GENERATIONS Gaya Kepemimpinan & Strategi HR untuk Era multigenerasi. CV Bintang Semesta Media.
Zniva, R., Weitzl, W. J., & Lindmoser, C. (2023). Be constantly different! How to manage influencer authenticity. Electronic Commerce Research, 23(3), 1485–1514.
Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(3), 347–356.
Appel, G. (2020). The future of social media in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00695-1
Arnould, E., & Dion, D. (2023). Brand dynasty: Managing charismatic legitimacy over time. Journal of Marketing Management, 39(3–4), 338–366.
Arora, S. (2025). The impact of emotional storytelling on brand loyalty: a study of consumer engagement through social media advertising. J. Inf. Syst. Eng. Manag, 10, 750–761.
Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338.
Balaban, D. C., & Szambolics, J. (2022). A proposed model of self-perceived authenticity of social media influencers. Media and Communication, 10(1), 235–246.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership 2nd ed. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Beck, J. T., Rahinel, R., & Bleier, A. (2020). Company worth keeping: Personal control and preferences for brand leaders. Journal of Consumer Research, 46(5), 871–886.
Berger, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2012). What makes online content viral? Journal of Marketing Research, 49(2), 192–205.
Besharat, A., Whitler, K. A., & Kashmiri, S. (2024). When CEO pay becomes a brand problem. Journal of Business Ethics, 190(4), 941–973.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Campo, A. M. D. V., Avolio, B., & Carlier, S. I. (2021). The Relationship Between Telework, Job Performance, Work–Life Balance and Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviours in the Context of COVID-19. Global Business Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211049918
Carrillat, F. A., Plewa, C., Pupovac, L., Vanasse, C., Willmott, T., Legoux, R., & Napolova, E. (2025). Can consumers’ altruistic inferences solve the CSR initiative puzzle? A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Business Ethics, 196(3), 639–658.
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: a practical guide. Thematic Analysis, 9, 1–100.
Conger, J. A., & Kanungo, R. N. (1998). Charismatic leadership in organizations. Sage Publications.
Costello, J. P., Walker, J., & Reczek, R. W. (2023). “Choozing” the best spelling: Consumer response to unconventionally spelled brand names. Journal of Marketing, 87(6), 889–905.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
De Hooge, I. E. (2025). Increasing the purchase intentions for suboptimal products: Comparing potential marketing strategies. Food Quality and Preference, 123, 105314.
Di Domenico, G., Premazzi, K., & Cugini, A. (2022). “I will pay you more, as long as you are transparent!”: An investigation of the pick-your-price participative pricing mechanism. Journal of Business Research, 147, 403–419.
Dyatmika, S. W., Suyanto, B., Setijaningrum, E., & Setioningtyas, W. P. (2023). Redefining Indonesia’s MSMEs Landscape: Unleashing digital virality for sustainable growth. JASF: Journal of Accounting and Strategic Finance, 6(2), 280–299.
Eisend, M. (2009). A meta-analysis of humor in advertising. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 37(2), 191–203.
Eisend, M. (2018). Explaining the use and effects of humour in advertising: an evolutionary perspective. International Journal of Advertising, 37(4), 526–547.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Redwood City: Stanford University Press. Organization Science, 23(4), 1077–1099.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. Indianapolis: The Robert K/Greenleaf Center.
Grewal, D., Noble, S. M., Roggeveen, A. L., & Nordfalt, J. (2020). The future of in-store technology. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(1), 96–113.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1989). Fourth generation evaluation. Sage.
Gupta, V., MacMillan, I. C., & Surie, G. (2004). Entrepreneurial leadership: developing and measuring a cross-cultural construct. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(2), 241–260.
Hajli, N., Sims, J., Zadeh, A. H., & Richard, M.-O. (2017). A social commerce investigation of the role of trust in a social networking site on purchase intentions. Journal of Business Research, 71, 133–141.
Hernández-Amorós, M. J., & Martínez Ruiz, M. A. (2018). Principals’ metaphors as a lens to understand how they perceive leadership. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 46(4), 602–623. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143216688470
Hovland, C. I., Janis, I. L., & Kelley, H. H. (1953). Communication and persuasion.
Ireland, R. D., Hitt, M. A., & Sirmon, D. G. (2003). A model of strategic entrepreneurship: The construct and its dimensions. Journal of Management, 29(6), 963–989.
Jusuf, D. I. (2023). Consumer Behavior Shifting in the Era of Disruption in Indonesia. International Journal of Professional Business Review: Int. J. Prof. Bus. Rev., 8(7), 102.
Kemp, S. (2024). Digital 2024: Indonesia. Datareportal. Dapat Diakses Di: Https://Datareportal. Com/Reports/Digital-2024-Indonesia (Diakses Pada 11 April 2026).
Khamitov, M., Rajavi, K., Huang, D.-W., & Hong, Y. (2024). Consumer trust: Meta-analysis of 50 years of empirical research. Journal of Consumer Research, 51(1), 7–18.
Kozinets, R. (2019). Netnography: The essential guide to qualitative social media research.
Kozinets, R. V, & Gretzel, U. (2024). Netnography evolved: New contexts, scope, procedures and sensibilities. Annals of Tourism Research, 104, 103693.
Lamberton, C. (2016). A thematic exploration of digital, social media, and mobile marketing: Research evolution from 2000 to 2015 and an agenda for future inquiry. In Journal of Marketing (Vol. 80, Issue 6, pp. 146–172). https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0415
Liu, H., Jayawardhena, C., Shukla, P., Osburg, V.-S., & Yoganathan, V. (2024). Electronic word of mouth 2.0 (eWOM 2.0)–The evolution of eWOM research in the new age. Journal of Business Research, 176, 114587.
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.
Lückenbach, F., Schmidt, H. J., & Henseler, J. (2023). Building brand meaning in social entrepreneurship organizations: the social impact brand model: F. Lückenbach et al. Journal of Brand Management, 30(3), 207–226.
Malterud, K., Siersma, V. D., & Guassora, A. D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: guided by information power. Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1753–1760.
McKnight, D. H., & Chervany, N. L. (2001). What trust means in e-commerce customer relationships: An interdisciplinary conceptual typology. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 6(2), 35–59.
Moulard, J. G., Garrity, C. P., & Rice, D. H. (2015). What makes a human brand authentic? Identifying the antecedents of celebrity authenticity. Psychology & Marketing, 32(2), 173–186.
Muniz Jr, A. M., & O’guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(4), 412–432.
Nahon-Serfaty, I. (2022). Understanding grotesque transparency as a strategy for fundamentalist radicalization: Implications for social marketing theory and practice. Social Marketing Quarterly, 28(4), 307–324.
Nesterenko, V., Miskiewicz, R., & Abazov, R. (2023). Marketing communications in the era of digital transformation. Virtual Economics, 6(1), 57–70.
Obermiller, C., Spangenberg, E., & MacLachlan, D. L. (2005). Ad skepticism: The consequences of disbelief. Journal of Advertising, 34(3), 7–17.
Ohanian, R. (1990). Construction and validation of a scale to measure celebrity endorsers’ perceived expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. Journal of Advertising, 19(3), 39–52.
Rainy, T., & Mou, A. J. (2025). Strategic use of engagement marketing in digital platforms: A focused analysis of ROI and consumer psychology. Available at SSRN 5340377.
Rudeloff, C., & Damms, J. (2023). Entrepreneurs as influencers: the impact of parasocial interactions on communication outcomes. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 25(2), 328–346.
Saldaña, J., & Omasta, M. (2016). Qualitative research: Analyzing life. Sage Publications.
Schouten, A. P., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2021). Celebrity vs. Influencer endorsements in advertising: the role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit. In Leveraged marketing communications (pp. 208–231). Routledge.
Stead, V., Elliott, C., & Gardiner, R. A. (2021). Leadership legitimacy and the mobilization of capital (s): Disrupting politics and reproducing heteronormativity. Leadership, 17(6), 693–714.
Tienari, J., & Savage, P. (2024). Leadership and humor, the Moomin way. Discourses on Culture, 22(1), 15–39.
Van Dierendonck, D. (2011). Servant leadership: A review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228–1261.
Waldman, D. A., & Balven, R. M. (2014). Responsible leadership: Theoretical issues and research directions. Academy of Management Perspectives, 28(3), 224–234.
Wang, R. W. Y., & Liu, I.-N. (2022). Temporal and electroencephalography dynamics of surreal marketing. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 949008.
Wei, Z. (2022). Impact of organizational brand-building strategies on organizational brand equity: A moderating role of brand-oriented leadership. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 919054.
Wieser, V. E., Luedicke, M. K., & Hemetsberger, A. (2021). Charismatic entrainment: how brand leaders and consumers co-create charismatic authority in the marketplace. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(4), 731–751.
Yulianto. (2025). LEADING ACROSS GENERATIONS Gaya Kepemimpinan & Strategi HR untuk Era multigenerasi. CV Bintang Semesta Media.
Zniva, R., Weitzl, W. J., & Lindmoser, C. (2023). Be constantly different! How to manage influencer authenticity. Electronic Commerce Research, 23(3), 1485–1514.