Indonesia's rapid digital transformation has reshaped how people shop and promote products online. Social commerce platforms such as TikTok have become important channels for businesses and individual creators, allowing users to earn commissions through affiliate marketing without managing inventory. As TikTok adoption continues to grow, the platform has also attracted participation from Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN), or Indonesian Civil Servants, creating new opportunities alongside ethical and regulatory challenges.
According to the study, internet penetration in Tuban Regency reached 78.5 percent in 2025, with an estimated 585,000 TikTok users. During the same period, the proportion of civil servants participating as TikTok affiliates increased from approximately 2 percent in 2023 to 7 percent in 2025, representing an estimated 612 government employees. This growth has sparked important discussions about how public officials can participate in digital commerce while maintaining neutrality, professionalism, and compliance with government regulations.
Studying Affiliate Marketing Within Bureaucratic Boundaries
The researchers adopted a qualitative descriptive-explanatory design to understand how active civil servants conduct affiliate marketing on TikTok despite institutional restrictions.
The study involved purposively selected government employees from Tuban Regency who actively promote products through TikTok affiliate programs. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation of digital activities, TikTok analytics documentation, and official regulations governing civil servant discipline. The researchers analyzed the information using the NVivo 15 software platform alongside an interactive qualitative analysis framework to identify recurring themes and strategic patterns.
Authentic Reviews Build Consumer Confidence
The research found that successful ASN affiliates consistently prioritize authenticity over promotional intensity.
Instead of promoting a wide variety of products, participants only recommend items they genuinely use in their daily lives, including office fashion, household products, and practical consumer goods. Their videos emphasize personal experience and functional product reviews rather than persuasive advertising.
The researchers also observed that these creators intentionally apply soft-selling techniques, allowing educational content and honest product evaluations to take precedence over direct sales messages. Attention-grabbing openings during the first few seconds of each video help retain viewers without creating the impression of excessive commercial promotion.
Professional Reputation Shapes Audience Trust
One of the study's most notable findings is the influence of the Halo Effect created by a civil servant's professional identity.
Rather than relying on celebrity status or entertainment value, government employees benefit from the perception that they are accountable to public institutions. Many consumers assume that civil servants are less likely to recommend poor-quality products because doing so could damage both their personal credibility and professional reputation.
The researchers explain that this institutional legitimacy significantly reduces perceived purchasing risk among consumers. However, they also emphasize that long-term success depends on maintaining honest, informative, and transparent product reviews rather than relying solely on occupational status.
Live Streaming Is Deliberately Avoided
Unlike many successful TikTok affiliates, most participating civil servants intentionally avoid live-streaming sessions.
The study found that respondents worry live commercial broadcasts could undermine their professional image if viewed by supervisors, colleagues, or members of the public. Instead, they prefer carefully prepared pre-recorded videos that can be reviewed before publication.
Audience interaction remains important, but responses are typically provided outside official working hours. Video replies to viewer comments serve as an alternative method for maintaining engagement while respecting government service responsibilities.
Key Challenges Identified by the Research
The study highlights several major obstacles faced by civil servants participating in TikTok affiliate marketing:
- Limited time because of official government duties.
- Physical and mental fatigue resulting from balancing two professional roles.
- Basic recording equipment and limited video editing skills.
- Fear of violating Government Regulation No. 94 of 2021 on civil servant discipline.
- Strict avoidance of government uniforms, official facilities, and workplace internet connections during commercial activities.
- Concern about public perception and maintaining professional dignity.
These constraints distinguish civil servants from full-time content creators, requiring a different marketing strategy built around ethics rather than continuous online activity.
A New Model for Ethical Digital Commerce
Based on their findings, the authors introduce a new conceptual framework called the Defensive-Organic Bureaucratic Affiliate Model.
The model combines two complementary dimensions. The defensive dimension emphasizes compliance with government regulations, careful time management, avoidance of live selling, and strict separation between public duties and commercial activities. The organic dimension focuses on authentic communication, relatable content, honest product evaluations, and trust-based relationships with audiences.
According to the researchers, this balance transforms bureaucratic restrictions into a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Instead of limiting commercial success, institutional integrity becomes a source of consumer confidence that can improve affiliate sales without relying on aggressive marketing techniques.
Implications for Digital Business and Public Policy
The study offers practical insights for governments, digital platforms, and content creators.
For policymakers, the findings demonstrate the importance of developing clear ethical guidelines for public employees participating in the digital economy. For businesses and affiliate marketers, the research reinforces that credibility, transparency, and authentic product recommendations may generate stronger consumer trust than highly promotional content.
As Khusnul Indayani and colleagues from Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya conclude, bureaucratic discipline—often viewed as a limitation—can instead become a strategic asset that strengthens authenticity and encourages purchasing decisions based on trust rather than persuasion.
Author Profiles
Khusnul Indayani is a researcher from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, whose research focuses on digital marketing, social commerce, and business strategy.
Ida Bagus Cempena is an academic at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, specializing in marketing management and strategic business development.
Estik Hari Prastiwi is an academic from the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, with expertise in management, digital marketing, and business innovation.
Source
Article Title: Analysis of the Affiliate Marketing Strategy of Civil Apparatus in Tuban Regency as Affiliators in Increasing Product Sales on the TikTok Platform
Journal: International Journal of Sustainability in Research (IJSR)
Publication Year: 2026
Authors: Khusnul Indayani, Ida Bagus Cempena, Estik Hari Prastiwi
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