Islamic Values in Digital Marketing Practices of Pesantren: Toward an Ethical Educational Branding Model

Abstract

The rapid development of digital technology has encouraged Islamic educational institutions to adopt digital marketing strategies to enhance institutional visibility and competitiveness. However, limited studies have examined how Islamic ethical values shape digital marketing practices within pesantren. This study aims to explore the implementation of Islamic values in the digital marketing practices of Ummul Quro As-Suyuty Islamic Boarding School and to formulate an ethical educational branding model. This research employed a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the head of public relations, media team members, and teachers, supported by participant observation and document analysis. The data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, including data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that digital marketing practices are guided by four core Islamic values: ṣidq (truthfulness), amānah (trustworthiness), tablīgh (educational communication), and faṭānah (wisdom and creativity). These values are manifested through content validation mechanisms, transparent communication, the integration of promotional and da'wah messages, and adaptive innovation aligned with Islamic ethics. The interaction of these four dimensions forms the Ethical Educational Branding Model, which positions Islamic ethical values as the foundation of sustainable institutional branding. This study contributes theoretically by extending Islamic marketing ethics into the field of educational branding and offers practical guidance for Islamic educational institutions in developing credible, value-based, and ethically responsible digital marketing strategies.