Pesan Komunikasi Politik Pasangan Illiza- Afdhal Pada Pemilihan Kepala Daerah Kota Banda Aceh

This study analyzes digital political communication in the 2024 Banda Aceh mayoral election through the Instagram account of Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal and Afdhal Khalilullah. It aims to examine how social media is utilized to construct political messages, shape public perception, and mobilize voters. This research employs a qualitative descriptive approach using content observation of Instagram posts during the campaign period, supported by relevant literature. The analysis is based on four dimensions: mediatization of politics, political branding, communication forms (visualization and personalization), and communication effects such as agenda-setting and voter mobilization. The findings show that Instagram functions as a strategic political space where candidates adapt to media logic by producing consistent, visually appealing, and emotionally engaging content. The “KolaborAksi” narrative strengthens political identity and differentiates the candidates. Visual and personalized communication fosters emotional closeness with voters, while agenda-setting practices help control issue framing and maintain a positive campaign tone. However, the dominance of image-based communication may reduce policy depth. Overall, effective digital political communication relies on the integration of media use, message consistency, and contextual relevance.