Discursive Construction of Authenticity in Culinary MSME Branding: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Mentari Putri P. Sinaga; Maxymilianus Soter Mite Kombong; Penomakrius Kairmo

doi:10.24256/ideas.v14i2.12701

Authors

Mentari Putri P. Sinaga Administrasi Bisnis, Politeknik Negeri Kupang, Indonesia
Maxymilianus Soter Mite Kombong Administrasi Bisnis, Politeknik Negeri Kupang, Indonesia
Penomakrius Kairmo Administrasi Bisnis, Politeknik Negeri Kupang, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v14i2.12701

Keywords:

CDA, Multimodality, Authenticity, Branding

Abstract

Although authenticity has increasingly been examined in food and digital branding, less attention has been given to how Indonesian culinary MSMEs construct authenticity through comparative multimodal branding practices. This study investigates how authenticity is constructed in the branding of two Indonesian culinary MSMEs, The House of Raminten and Bebek Kaleyo, using Fairclough’s three-dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis integrated with Kress and van Leeuwen’s multimodal discourse analysis. The analysis draws on 12 publicly available digital materials produced during 2021–2025, comprising nine Instagram posts, two photographs retrieved through Google Images, and one Google Maps customer review. The materials were examined to identify the interplay of textual, visual, and interactive resources in the construction of brand authenticity. Verbal data were analyzed for lexical choices, evaluative language, and interdiscursive patterns, while visual materials were examined in terms of representational, compositional, and interactive meanings. The findings reveal that authenticity is not an inherent attribute but a dynamic discursive achievement produced through distinct branding strategies. The House of Raminten constructs authenticity through cultural immersion, employing Javanese heritage, cultural symbolism, and experiential narratives, whereas Bebek Kaleyo constructs authenticity through modernized tradition by combining culinary heritage and historical continuity with contemporary branding and service practices. The findings further demonstrate that authenticity is a relational process that is reinforced not only through brand discourse but also through consumer-generated discourse and audience participation. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of authenticity in culinary MSME branding by positioning it as an evolving process negotiated at the intersection of heritage, multimodal communication, and audience participation.

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