THE DYNAMICS OF NETIZENS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARD JENNIFER COPPEN’S PERSONAL BRANDING ON TIKTOK

Abstract

This study examines the dynamics of netizens’ perceptions toward Jennifer Coppen’s personal branding on TikTok across various phases of her personal life that attracted public attention. The study aims to understand how public perception is formed, negotiated, and transformed through digital interactions within the algorithmic environment of social media. This research employed a qualitative method with a narrative analysis approach by analyzing netizens’ comments on Jennifer Coppen’s TikTok account from May 2023 to August 2025. The research data consisted of nine TikTok posts and 72 netizen comments selected purposively and categorized into criticism, hate comments, disappointment, empathy, appreciation, and support. Data analysis was conducted using Stuart Hall’s reception theory and Peter Montoya’s Eight Laws of Personal Branding concept. The findings indicate that netizens’ perceptions of Jennifer Coppen’s personal branding are dynamic and influenced by social values, emotional engagement, and the consistency of the image presented on social media. During the phase of pregnancy before marriage, netizens’ responses were dominated by criticism and moral judgment. In the phase of family life and mourning, public perception shifted toward empathy, support, and appreciation of Jennifer as a resilient mother figure. However, when Jennifer introduced a new partner, public perception once again generated criticism and disappointment because netizens associated the action with narratives she had previously conveyed. This study concludes that personal branding on TikTok is not entirely controlled by public figures, but is continuously negotiated through audience reception, emotional attachment, and collective narratives within the digital sphere.