The Indonesian National Police's Public Relations Branding Management Strategy in Managing Issues and Crises Regarding Anarchist Demonstrations

Abstract

In the era of digital transparency, the Indonesian National Police (Polri) faces mounting challenges in maintaining institutional legitimacy amid anarchic demonstrations that threaten public trust. This study analyzes the branding management strategies of Polri’s Public Relations Division (Humas Polri) during the anarchic demonstrations held from August 25–30, 2025. The research aims to explore how issue and crisis communication were managed to preserve the institution’s credibility. Using a qualitative literature-based approach, this study systematically reviews academic publications, reports, and media analyses related to branding management, crisis communication, and police public relations. Data were processed through thematic content analysis to identify strategic patterns and challenges. The findings indicate that Humas Polri employed a three-stage branding strategy: pre-crisis monitoring, real-time crisis communication, and post-crisis recovery. While these efforts ensured message consistency and mitigated misinformation, weaknesses were found in two-way engagement, digital responsiveness, and empathy-based messaging. The research concludes that Polri’s branding approach remains structurally sound but communicatively limited, emphasizing information control over relational trust-building. Strengthening digital engagement, emotional resonance, and institutional coordination are key to improving public perception in future crises.