Organic Reputation Construction Through Stealth Marketing Based on Non-Academic Achievements: A Case Study of a Leading Islamic Junior High School

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the formation of an educational institution's reputation through a stealth marketing strategy based on non-academic achievements in one of the Islamic Junior High Schools in East Java. The method used is a qualitative approach with a case study design through data collection techniques in the form of in-depth interviews, participant observation, and documentation, and analyzed using a model of condensation, reduction, display, and data verification. The results of the study indicate that the institution's reputation is formed organically without formal promotion, but rather through the accumulation of student achievements, non-academic activities, and the dissemination of information through social media and word of mouth. These activities create strong social proof, thereby increasing public trust in the institution. The findings also indicate that students and alumni act as agents of reputation distribution indirectly. The implications of this study strengthen the concept of stealth marketing in the educational context and provide theoretical contributions to the development of a reputation model based on real activities and practical contributions for educational institutions in building an image without high promotional costs and more authentically sustainable.