Coverage Communication Style as a Personal Branding Strategy for Captain Victor in PUBG Mobile Content on TikTok

Abstract

The development of TikTok has created opportunities for gaming content creators to establish distinctive digital identities through communication styles. This study aimed to analyze Captain Victor's personal branding through his news-style coverage of PUBG Mobile content based on Peter Montoya's eight laws of personal branding. A qualitative descriptive approach with a case study method was employed. Three informants were purposively selected, consisting of Captain Victor as the primary informant and two followers as supporting informants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and documentation. The data were analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña interactive model, which involved data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. Source and method triangulation were used to strengthen credibility. The findings indicated that The Law of Distinctiveness was the most prominent dimension, reflected in formal language, a distinctive voice, adaptive intonation, and news-style gameplay narration. Specialization, audience-perceived personality, and consistency also supported the development of his digital identity. The study concludes that communication-style differentiation constitutes the defining feature of Captain Victor's personal branding, although audience perceptions were not entirely uniform.