Strategi Manajemen Impresi Dalam Mewujudkan Citra Agen Pada Bisnis Multi-Level Marketing: Studi Kasus Oriflame Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the impression management practices carried out by Oriflame agents through Instagram social media in building a professional image and credibility of the Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) business. In the context of an industry that often faces negative stigma, social media is a strategic arena for agents to display professional, moral, and social identities that can increase public trust. This study uses a qualitative approach with case study methods and data collection techniques through content observation, in-depth interviews with seven informants, and digital documentation analysis. The validity of the data is strengthened through triangulation of sources and techniques. The results of the study show that ingratiation strategy is the most dominant form of impression management, manifested through a narrative of togetherness, empathy, and social support that builds a friendly and trustworthy image. Self-promotion and exemplification strategies are used selectively to affirm professional competence, credibility, and morality, while supplication is applied in a limited way to maintain a balance between emotional closeness and professional image. Goffman's dramaturgical analysis shows that Instagram serves as a front stage where agents display an ideal image, while private spaces such as direct messages and close friends become a backstage to manage personal realities that are not exposed to the public. These findings show that impression management in the digital age is dynamic and multidimensional, involving ongoing negotiations
between authenticity, visual strategy, and algorithmic logic. Theoretically, this study emphasizes the corporate
representation function of impression management practices. Practically, the results of this study recommend the importance of digital communication ethics guidelines that emphasize transparency, empathy, and consistency in building a network-based business reputation in the digital economy era