The Quest for Inauthenticity: How Indonesia Bikers Co-Produce Value through Brand Camouflage

Simamora, Bilson (2015) The Quest for Inauthenticity: How Indonesia Bikers Co-Produce Value through Brand Camouflage. The Quest for Inauthenticity: How Indonesia Bikers Co-Produce Value through Brand Camouflage.

Text Brand Camouflage for Gamaiceb-Proceeding.pdf Download (1MB)

Abstract

The service-dominant logic (SDL) concept posits that the co-production of value process occurs during pre-production stages. This study holds that that process can also occur during the consumption stage through brand camouflage. To prove this notion, the author studied Indonesia's most successful China-made motorcycle Kaisar Ruby Moge consumers, among which brand camouflage is almost a must. Netnography was utilized as the research method. Data are collected from brand community websites, motorcycle blogs, and virtual forums of fans. This research found that bikers co-create experiential, social values, self-expression, and collective self-esteem values through brand camouflage. Values are hierarchical in nature and the main source of them is objective inauthenticity. The author suggests that ‘easy to camouflage’ can be used as a unique selling proposition in motorcycle marketing. Other researchers are suggested to study brand camouflage further to ensure its external validity.

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