Three-Layer Model of Brand Authenticity Formation in Artisan Businesses: Perspectives of Loyal Customers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59261/bustechno.v7i4.806Keywords:
Brand Authenticity, Artisan Business, Loyal Customers, Case Study, Critical Incident TechniqueAbstract
Background: Brand authenticity is increasingly relevant to the sustainability of artisan enterprises, yet empirical research offers limited insight into how loyal customers come to perceive a brand as authentic, particularly in Indonesia's artisan sector.
Objective: This study investigates how loyal customers construct perceptions of brand authenticity through a single-case examination of Alazkalogy, an artisan brand located in Ponorogo, East Java.
Methods: The research used a qualitative single-case design and applied the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). Evidence was obtained from in-depth interviews with ten loyal customers whose relationships with the brand averaged seven years; the interview data were examined through open, axial, and selective coding.
Results: The findings reveal a three-layer model of brand authenticity formation, consisting of experience-based authenticity, process-based authenticity, and decision-based authenticity. These three layers represent a cumulative and temporal process in which customers develop deeper perceptions of authenticity as their relationship with the brand evolves over time. Customers with longer relationships accessed more advanced layers of authenticity, whereas newer customers primarily experienced the initial layer.
Conclusion: This study extends the brand authenticity literature by proposing a conceptual model that explains how perceptions of authenticity evolve through accumulated customer experiences within the context of artisan businesses.
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