Vidi Aldiano’s Personal Branding as an “Ambassador of Friendship”: The Construction of Digital Identity through Self-Representation and Audience Interpretation on Instagram

Abstract

This study aims to examine how Vidi Aldiano’s digital identity as a “friendship ambassador” is constructed through self-representation and audience interpretation on Instagram. The study employs Goffman’s Self Presentation Theory to explain the process of digital identity formation through self-representation and audience interpretation on social media. A qualitative descriptive approach was used with the Instagram account @vidialdiano as the research object. Data were collected through non-participant observation and documentation of 20 Instagram posts published between 2021 and early 2026 related to social activities and friendships, supported by audience comment analysis and triangulation data from the Instagram account @popbela_com. The findings reveal that Vidi Aldiano’s digital identity as a “friendship ambassador” a public figure perceived as having broad and close social relationships was not created through a consciously designed personal branding strategy. Instead, it was constructed through the consistent representation of social activities, audience interpretation, and social recognition from his friendship network. The study demonstrates that personal branding on social media is not entirely controlled by individuals but is also shaped by audience meaning-making processes. This study contributes to personal branding and digital communication scholarship by extending the application of Self Presentation Theory to explain the role of audiences as active participants in the construction of digital identity on social media.

Keywords: Digital Identity, Instagram, Personal Branding, Self Presentation Theory