ϳԹ

HomeInternational Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Researchvol. 6 no. 2 (2025)

‘Gemoy’ Campaign: A Strategic Electoral Communication of Prabowo Subianto

Lintang Annisa | Sabrina Rahmadhanty Maghfira

Discipline: Social Sciences

 

Abstract:

Prabowo Subianto, an ambitious politician in Indonesia, ran for the presidency in the 2024 election after experiencing defeats in 2014 and 2019. This study examines the strategic political communication of Prabowo Subianto during the 2024 Indonesian presidential election, focusing on his rebranding efforts and digital media strategies. The objective of this research is to analyze how Prabowo’s strategic communication shaped public perception and attracted a broader voter base. This study employs a case study approach by analyzing campaign ma-terials, social media content, and public discourse to assess Prabowo’s strategic communication transformation. Data sources include digital media analysis, interviews with political analysts, and public opinion surveys. The findings indicate that Prabowo successfully transformed his image from a rigid military figure to a more approachable and humorous persona through digital communication strategies. The "Ge-moy" campaign, executed on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, effectively engaged young voters and increased public interaction. His shift towards a more audience-oriented political marketing approach significantly contributed to his electoral success in 2024. This study highlights the importance of adapting political communication strategies to changing voter demographics and the role of digital media in modern political campaigns.



References:

  1. Afaf, N., Basit, A., Nurlukman, A., Wahyono, E., & Fadli,  Y.  (2019,  November).  Social  media in the public sphere, network society, and political branding. In International Conference on Democratisation in Southeast Asia (ICDeSA 2019)(pp. 76–79).
  2. Annisa &Maghfira, 2025 /‘Gemoy’ Campaign: A Strategic Electoral Communication of Prabowo SubiantoIJMABER 481Volume 6| Number 2| February| 2025Atlantis Press.
  3. Bingarrayni,     E.,     &     Kholisoh,     N.     (2021, September   28–29).   Political   marketing communication    strategy    of    Prabowo–Sandiaga     in     the     2019     presidential elections.   In MICOSS   2020[Conference presentation], Jakarta, Indonesia.
  4. CNN.  (2024,  February  11). Indonesia  election young voters.CNN.
  5. Conley,  B.,  Cosgrove,  K.,  &  Lees-Marshment,  J. (2014). Political  marketing  in  the  United States(1st ed.). Routledge.
  6. Damayanti, N., & Hamzah, R. E. (2017). Strategi kampanye    politik    pasangan    Jokowi-JK pada   politik   pemilihan   presiden   2014. Jurnal    Ilmiah    Ilmu    Komunikasi,6(2).
  7. Databox.  (2019,  April  26). Hasil  pemilu:  Inilah perolehan  suara  Jokowi  dan  Prabowo  di Pilpres 2014. Katadata.
  8. Hallahan,  K.,  Holtzhausen,  D.,  van  Ruler,  B., Verčič,  D.,  &  Sriramesh,  K.  (2007). Defining strategic communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication,1(1), 3–35.
  9. Herpamudji,  D.  H.  (2015).  Strategi  kampanye politik Prabowo-Hatta dan perang pencitraan  di  media  massa  dalam  Pemilu Presiden 2014. Politika: Jurnal Ilmu Politik Undip, 6(1), 13–24.
  10. Hoffjann,  O.  (2021).  The  politician  as  a  player: Political   strategic   communication   as   a play. Journal  of  Communication  Inquiry, 45(3).
  11. Holtzhausen,  D.,  Fullerton,  J.,  Lewis,  B.  K.,  & Shipka,   D.   (2021).   Introduction   to   the theory   of   strategic   communication.   In Principles of Strategic Communication(pp. 1–27). Routledge.
  12. Jokowi. (n.d.). Instagram. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/jokowi/Lees-Marshment,  J.  (2001).  The  marriage  of politics  and  marketing. Political  Studies, 49(4), 692–713.
  13. Lees-Marshment, J., Conley, B., Elder, E., Pettitt, R.,  Raynauld,  V.,  &  Turcotte,  A.  (2019). Political marketing: Principles and applications (3rd ed.). Routledge.
  14. Lindsey,  T.  (2024,  February  14). Cute  grandpa or    authoritarian    in    waiting:    Who    is Prabowo  Subianto,  the  favourite  to  win Indonesia’s   presidential   election?Indonesia at Melbourne.
  15. Mahoney,  J.  (2024). Strategic  communication and  the  2022  Australian  federal  election campaign:   A   brutal   business(1st   ed.). Routledge.
  16. Pemilukita. (2024, March 30). Prabowo ungkap biang   kerok   kekalahannya   saat   pilpres 2014 dan 2019. Republika. https://pemilukita.republika.co.id/berita/s7x8iw330/prabowo-ungkap-biang-kerok-kekalahannya-saat-pilpres-2014-dan-2019Prabowo. (n.d.). Instagram. Instagram.
  17. Priamarizki,  A.  (2023).  Prabowo  Subianto’s electoral  strategy:  Jokowi,  new  persona, and    national    prestige.    S.    Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
  18. Puspenpol. (n.d.). Instagram. Instagram.
  19. Sihabudin,  M.  M.  R.,  Laila,  H.  N.  A.,  Kharis,  K., Rismayanti,   &   Fatimah,   R.   S.   (2023). Strategi   positioning   "Gemoy"   Prabowo Subianto melalui media digital. HUMANUS: Jurnal Sosiohumaniora Nusantara, 1(1), 146–154.
  20. Strömbäck,  J.,  &  Kiousis,  S.  (2014).  Strategic political communication in election campaigns. In Political Communication. DE GRUYTER.
  21. Ulfa,  K.,  Purnomo,  E.,  &  Kasiwi,  A.  (2020).  The campaign  strategy  of  2019  presidential and  vice-presidential  elections  on  social media. Society, 8(2), 284–297.
  22. We  Are  Social.  (2023,  January). The  changing world   of   digital   2023.   We   Are   Social.