ABSTRAK
NURUL LATIFAH. NIM : 211211060. Implementasi Strategi City Branding “Ngawi Ramah” Dalam Memperkuat Citra Kabupaten Ngawi. Skripsi, Program Studi Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam. Fakultas Ushuluddin dan Dakwah. Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Mas Said Surakarta, 2025.
City branding merupakan strategi penting bagi pemerintah daerah untuk membangun identitas, memperkuat citra, dan meningkatkan daya saing wilayah. Kabupaten Ngawi menerapkan branding “Ngawi Ramah” sebagai representasi nilai keramahan masyarakat dan komitmen terhadap kualitas pelayanan publik. Meskipun demikian, implementasi strategi ini belum banyak diteliti secara mendalam, terutama terkait bagaimana pemerintah daerah menjalankan proses branding secara strategis dan konsisten. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis penerapan strategi city branding “Ngawi Ramah” dengan menggunakan empat elemen dari teori Andrea Insch, yaitu identity, objective, communication, dan coherence.
Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif dengan pendekatan studi kasus. Data diperoleh melalui wawancara mendalam dengan Dinas Komunikasi dan Informatika, observasi, dan telaah dokumentasi digital. Analisis dilakukan untuk memahami proses, tujuan, serta konsistensi pelaksanaan branding di berbagai lini komunikasi dan pelayanan publik.
Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa nilai “ramah” menjadi fondasi utama identitas daerah dan telah diimplementasikan tidak hanya dalam elemen visual, tetapi juga melalui pelayanan publik yang komunikatif, responsif, dan humanis serta penyediaan fasilitas umum yang lebih inklusif. Pada aspek tujuan, branding “Ngawi Ramah” diarahkan untuk memperkuat budaya kerja dan pelayanan publik, namun belum dirumuskan secara terukur dalam dokumen perencanaan strategis sehingga implementasinya masih bersifat normatif. Pada dimensi komunikasi, pemerintah memanfaatkan kanal digital sebagai media utama penyebaran informasi, tetapi konten yang dihasilkan masih dominan informatif dan belum sepenuhnya menonjolkan narasi “ramah” sebagai identitas daerah. Sementara itu, koherensi visual branding sudah terlihat pada sejumlah publikasi resmi, namun konsistensi pesan lintas-instansi belum tercapai akibat belum adanya pedoman komunikasi terpadu dan koordinasi yang sistematis.
Kesimpulannya, strategi city branding “Ngawi Ramah” telah berjalan dengan cukup baik dalam membangun identitas dan memperkuat citra daerah, namun masih memerlukan penguatan pada aspek tujuan yang terukur, integrasi komunikasi antarinstansi, serta perluasan kolaborasi promosi. Penelitian ini diharapkan dapat menjadi dasar bagi pengembangan strategi branding yang lebih efektif dan berkelanjutan di Kabupaten Ngawi.
Kata Kunci: City Branding, Ngawi Ramah, Strategi Komunikasi, Identitas Daerah, Citra Kota, Branding Daerah.
ABSTRACT
NURUL LATIFAH. Student ID: 211211060. Implementation of the ‘Ngawi Ramah’ City Branding Strategy in Strengthening the Image of Ngawi Regency. Thesis, Islamic Communication and Broadcasting Study Programme. Faculty of Ushuluddin and Dakwah. Raden Mas Said State Islamic University Surakarta, 2025.
City branding is an important strategy for local governments to build identity, strengthen image, and enhance regional competitiveness. Ngawi Regency has implemented the ‘Ngawi Ramah’ branding as a representation of the community's hospitality and commitment to quality public services. However, the implementation of this strategy has not been studied in depth, especially in relation to how local governments carry out the branding process strategically and consistently. This study aims to analyse the implementation of the ‘Ngawi Ramah’ city branding strategy using four elements from Andrea Insch's theory, namely identity, objective, communication, and coherence.
This study uses a descriptive qualitative method with a case study approach. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews with the Communication and Information Agency, observation, and digital documentation review. Analysis was conducted to understand the process, objectives, and consistency of branding implementation in various lines of communication and public services.
The results show that the value of ‘Ramah’ is the main foundation of regional identity and has been implemented not only in visual elements but also through communicative, responsive, and humanistic public services and the provision of more inclusive public facilities. In terms of objectives, the ‘Ngawi Ramah’ branding is aimed at strengthening work culture and public services, but it has not been formulated in a measurable manner in strategic planning documents, so its implementation is still normative. In terms of communication, the government utilises digital channels as the main medium for disseminating information, but the content produced is still predominantly informative and does not fully highlight the narrative of ‘Ramah’ as the regional identity. Meanwhile, visual branding coherence is evident in a number of official publications, but consistency of messages across agencies has not been achieved due to the lack of integrated communication guidelines and systematic coordination.
In conclusion, the ‘Ngawi Ramah’ city branding strategy has been quite successful in building identity and strengthening the region's image, but it still needs to be strengthened in terms of measurable objectives, inter-agency communication integration, and expanded promotional collaboration. This study is expected to serve as a basis for the development of a more effective and sustainable branding strategy in Ngawi Regency.
Keywords: City Branding, Ngawi Ramah, Communication Strategy, Regional Identity, City Image, Regional Branding.