Pemanfaatan Media Sosial Instagram dalam Membangun Brand Awareness UMKM Kuliner: Studi Kasus SAR Pizza Bandar Lampung - Regita Cahya Devanto; Wawan Hernawan; M. Denu Poyo (Edutik : Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi, 2026)
ABSTRAK              Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis upaya pemanfaatan media sosial Instagram dalam membangun brand awareness Sar Pizza Bandar Lampung serta mengidentifikasi kendala yang dihadapi dalam prosesnya. Latar belakang penelitian didasari oleh semakin pentingnya brand awareness bagi UMKM kuliner yang memiliki keterbatasan sumber daya di tengah persaingan yang ketat, serta masih terbatasnya kajian yang secara khusus mengkaji proses pemanfaatan konten Instagram sebagai sarana komunikasi brand pada UMKM kuliner dari perspektif tingkatan brand awareness Aaker. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif dengan metode studi kasus. Data diperoleh melalui observasi non-partisipan digital terhadap akun Instagram Sar Pizza, wawancara semi terstruktur dengan 10 informan (pemilik, admin Instagram, 4 followers, dan 4 non-followers), serta dokumentasi. Keabsahan data dijaga melalui triangulasi sumber dan teknik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Sar Pizza telah memanfaatkan Instagram sebagai media komunikasi pemasaran melalui penyajian konten visual produk, penyampaian informasi produk dan promosi, serta interaksi dengan konsumen melalui fitur feed, stories, reels, highlights, caption, dan direct message. Berdasarkan tingkatan brand awareness Aaker, Sar Pizza berhasil mengurangi kondisi Unaware of Brand dan mencapai tahap Brand Recognition melalui identitas visual merek dan konten Instagram yang konsisten. Namun, Brand Recall belum optimal karena konsumen belum mampu mengingat Sar Pizza secara spontan, dan Top of Mind belum tercapai karena brand pizza mapan seperti Pizza Hut masih lebih dominan di benak konsumen. Kendala utama yang diidentifikasi meliputi intensitas unggahan yang belum konsisten, keterbatasan pengelolaan akun Instagram, dan persaingan dengan brand pizza yang lebih dikenal. Implikasi penelitian ini memberikan kerangka evaluatif berbasis piramida Aaker bagi UMKM kuliner dalam mengukur dan meningkatkan efektivitas pemanfaatan Instagram untuk pembentukan brand awareness. ABSTRACT              This study aims to analyze the efforts of using Instagram social media to build brand awareness of Sar Pizza Bandar Lampung and identify the obstacles faced in the process. The study is motivated by the growing importance of brand awareness for culinary SMEs with limited resources amid intense competition, and the limited research specifically examining the use of Instagram content as a brand communication tool for culinary SMEs through the lens of Aaker's brand awareness levels. A descriptive qualitative approach with a case study method was employed. Data were collected through digital non-participant observation of Sar Pizza's Instagram account, semi-structured interviews with 10 informants (owner, Instagram admin, 4 followers, and 4 non-followers), and documentation. Data validity was maintained through source and technique triangulation. Results show that Sar Pizza has utilized Instagram as a marketing communication medium through visual product content, product and promotional information, and consumer interaction via feed, stories, reels, highlights, caption, and direct message. Based on Aaker's brand awareness levels, Sar Pizza successfully reduced the Unaware of Brand condition and reached the Brand Recognition stage through brand visual identity and consistent Instagram content. However, Brand Recall has not been optimal as consumers cannot spontaneously recall Sar Pizza, and Top of Mind has not been achieved as established pizza brands such as Pizza Hut remain more dominant in consumer memory. Key obstacles include inconsistent upload intensity, limited Instagram account management, and competition from more well-known pizza brands. The implications of this research provide an Aaker pyramid-based evaluative framework for culinary SMEs to measure and improve the effectiveness of Instagram use for brand awareness building.