VIRTUAL ETHNOGRAPHY STUDY ON INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @GADINGFESTIVAL AS PROMOTION MEDIA OF FOOD FESTIVAL

Technological developments have changed the communication process, including in promotional activities. This study aims to identify the use of Instagram social media as a form of marketing communication and a form of promotion of Sedayu City at a food festival conducted by the Instagram account @gadingfestival. The research uses a qualitative method with a virtual ethnographic approach. In-depth virtual observation revealed that the Gading Festival committee was promoting tourism through the @gadingfestival account by uploading digital posters, photos, videos and photo clips. Of the four forms of digital promotion on the @gadingfestival account, posters are the main promotional tool because posters contain considerable amount of information, including the time and place of the festival, performers, contact numbers that can be contacted and social media that can be traced. The use of social media, especially Instagram, is one of the media that is widely used for food promotion because it can increase public awareness to be able to attend a real place with the help of information from cyberspace. The use of social media is one of the media that is often used for tourism promotion because it can increase public awareness to be able to attend a real place with the help of information from the virtual world.