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| Illustration by Ai |
Herbal medicine advertising on Central Java radio systematically uses Javanese language, traditional healer figures, ancestral narratives, and cultural symbols to build product authenticity, according to a 2026 study by Intan Nurlaili and Teguh Priyo Sadono of Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya. Published in the International Journal of Applied and Advanced Multidisciplinary Research (IJAAMR), the study analyzed 24 radio advertisements from 12 herbal brands broadcast between 2024 and 2025. The researchers found that cultural heritage is not simply being represented in these advertisements but is being transformed into commercial value, creating risks for the authenticity and community ownership of Javanese cultural traditions.
When Cultural Heritage Becomes a Marketing Tool
Indonesia's herbal medicine industry has expanded alongside
growing public interest in natural and traditional remedies, particularly after
the COVID-19 pandemic. Radio remains an important advertising medium in Central
Java because of the region's strong radio-listening culture and extensive
network of local broadcasting stations.
The study argues that herbal advertisements on Central Java
radio have developed a distinctive communication style. Advertisers frequently
combine regional languages, traditional healers, ancestral wisdom, ethnic
symbols, and traditional sounds to create an impression of authenticity.
The researchers describe this process as Structured
Cultural Exploitation (SCE). The concept refers to a systematic process in
which commercial actors appropriate, transform, and monetize cultural heritage
without equitable redistribution or sufficient participation from the
communities associated with that heritage.
This issue extends beyond advertising. When cultural
heritage becomes a commercial resource, traditional knowledge can be
simplified, communities can lose control over their representation, and
cultural identity can increasingly be treated as an economic asset.
How the Researchers Studied Radio Advertisements
Nurlaili and Sadono used a qualitative research design based
on Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis. The approach
examined not only the words used in advertisements but also the broader social,
cultural, institutional, and economic relationships surrounding them. The
researchers also incorporated theories of representation, commodification,
hegemony, myth, and popular culture.
The researchers examined advertisements broadcast on public,
local private, and national network radio stations in Central Java from January
2024 through December 2025. Using purposive sampling, they selected 24
advertisements from 12 herbal brands that contained Javanese language,
traditional cultural symbols, ancestral narratives, or explicit ethnic
references.
The advertisements were transcribed and compared with
digital marketing materials. The researchers also used source and theoretical
triangulation, member checking with traditional healers and community leaders,
and an audit trail to strengthen the credibility of the analysis.
Three Dominant Ways Culture Appears in Herbal Advertising
The analysis identified three recurring patterns of cultural
representation.
First, synthetic representation. Advertisements
sometimes combine cultural elements from different regions to create a
generalized image of Indonesian tradition. One example cited in the study is an
advertisement associated with Sido Muncul that combines Javanese batik motifs,
Sundanese gamelan music, and Malay-language narration from Riau. The
researchers argue that this creates a cultural collage that may blur
differences between distinct regional traditions.
Second, nostalgic-temporal representation.
Advertisements frequently portray herbal knowledge as an inheritance from an
idealized ancestral past. This strategy links the product to historical
continuity and collective cultural memory while leaving the origins and
ownership of traditional knowledge less clearly defined.
Third, authoritative-hierarchical representation. Traditional
healers, shamans, and village elders are presented as trusted sources of
knowledge. This pattern appeared in 17 of the 24 advertisements, or 70.8%
of the sample. Their voices, age, dialects, and speaking styles were repeatedly
used to construct authority.
Overall, 91.7% of the advertisements contained
nostalgic-temporal representation, while 79.2% used synthetic cultural
representation. In 58.3% of advertisements, two or more cultural
representation patterns appeared together.
Cultural Symbols Help Legitimize Products
The study identified five major strategies used to connect
herbal products with traditional culture.
These included historical claims that present products as
having ancient origins, the use of Javanese language as an authenticity marker,
selective use of ethnic figures, presentation of health claims through cultural
narratives, and incorporation of ritual or spiritual elements.
The researchers found that these strategies can shift
attention away from scientific verification. Claims such as products being
trusted for generations or representing ancestral heritage can create an
impression of credibility even when the advertisement does not provide specific
evidence supporting the health claim.
An Unequal Relationship Between Industry, Radio, and
Communities
The study also identifies an economic dimension. According
to the sources cited by the researchers, herbal advertisements contribute an
estimated 12% to 18% of total radio advertising revenue in Central Java.
The researchers argue that such financial dependence can discourage
broadcasters from challenging questionable cultural representations.
The analysis further found that herbal advertisements were
concentrated during peak listening periods, particularly in the early morning
and midday. At the same time, the researchers found no evidence in the
advertisements they analyzed of consultation with, compensation for, or
participation by the cultural communities whose symbols were used.
This creates an important imbalance: commercial companies
and broadcasters gain economic value from cultural representations, while the
communities associated with those traditions may have limited influence over
how their heritage is presented.
What Structured Cultural Exploitation Means for Cultural
Preservation
Nurlaili and Sadono identify three major cultural risks: fossilization,
trivialization, and privatization.
Fossilization occurs when living traditions are presented as
static and unchanging. Trivialization occurs when complex cultural practices
are reduced to simplified commercial symbols. Privatization occurs when
companies increasingly claim authority over cultural representations that
originate from communal heritage.
The researchers therefore argue that radio advertising
should be viewed not merely as commercial communication but also as a cultural
institution capable of shaping how audiences understand local heritage.
As Intan Nurlaili and Teguh Priyo Sadono of Universitas
17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya explain through their Structured Cultural
Exploitation framework, the issue is systematic rather than limited to isolated
cases: commercial appropriation can become normalized when cultural symbols,
traditional authority, and advertising interests are repeatedly presented as
naturally connected.
Implications for Broadcasting Policy and Industry
The findings have direct implications for Indonesian
broadcasting regulation. The researchers note that existing broadcasting rules
primarily address the accuracy of health claims and restrictions on particular
products, while cultural representation receives less explicit attention.
Nurlaili and Sadono recommend stronger cultural
representation standards for advertising. Their proposals include consultation
with cultural communities before cultural symbols are used, clearer standards
for tradition-based health claims, sanctions for representations that fossilize
or trivialize heritage, and stronger participation by cultural communities in
regulatory decision-making.
For advertisers and broadcasters, the findings suggest that
cultural heritage should not be treated solely as a branding resource. Ethical
advertising should recognize the communities behind cultural knowledge and
avoid presenting commercial narratives as unquestionable cultural truths.
The researchers also acknowledge limitations. Their sample
focused on companies with sufficient resources to advertise on radio and did
not include smaller local herbal producers that might use culture differently.
Audience responses were also not examined in depth.
Ultimately, the study proposes Structured Cultural
Exploitation (SCE) as a framework for understanding how representation,
commercial interests, power relations, cultural myths, and economic value
interact in herbal advertising. The researchers conclude that protecting local
cultural heritage requires systemic solutions involving regulatory reform,
ethical advertising practices, community participation, and stronger media
literacy.
Author Profile
Intan Nurlaili is a researcher affiliated with Universitas
17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, with this study focusing on communication,
cultural representation, broadcasting, and critical discourse surrounding
herbal medicine advertising.
Teguh Priyo Sadono is also affiliated with Universitas
17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya and contributes to the study's analysis of media
discourse, cultural representation, commodification, and broadcasting.
The article does not provide the authors' academic degrees
or more specific individual fields of expertise in the available author
information. Accordingly, those details cannot be stated reliably without
information beyond the source article.
Source
Article Title: Structured Cultural Exploitation in
Herbal Medicine Advertising on Radio: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Local
Cultural Representation in Central Java Broadcasting
Authors: Intan Nurlaili and Teguh Priyo Sadono
Journal: International Journal of Applied and
Advanced Multidisciplinary Research (IJAAMR)
Publication: Volume 4, Number 7, 2026, pages 583–596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijaamr.v4i7.258
Official Journal: https://nvlmultitechpublisher.my.id/index.php/ijaamr/index
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