Digital Media–Empowered Revitalization Pathways of Intangible Cultural Heritage Brands: A Case Study of Guangzhou

HRMARS - In the context of accelerated globalization, urban transformation, and platform-driven digital media environments, the sustainable revitalization of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) has become a critical challenge for cultural governance and creative industries worldwide. Traditional ICH safeguarding approaches—largely centered on documentation, preservation, and institutional protection—have proven insufficient in maintaining cultural vitality, social relevance, and intergenerational transmission within rapidly changing urban societies. Against this backdrop, branding-oriented revitalization strategies supported by digital media technologies have emerged as an important pathway for reactivating ICH as living cultural practice. Focusing on Guangzhou, a major historical and cultural metropolis in southern China, this study investigates how digital media empowers the revitalization of ICH brands through systematic mechanisms and practical pathways. Adopting a pragmatic research paradigm and a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates qualitative case studies and semi-structured interviews with quantitative questionnaire analysis to examine representative Guangzhou ICH brands. Particular attention is paid to the roles of digital storytelling, social media communication, immersive technologies, and participatory platforms in reshaping brand identity, enhancing audience engagement, and translating cultural value into brand value. The findings indicate that digital media–empowered ICH brand revitalization operates through three interrelated dimensions: cultural reinterpretation, experiential innovation, and value co-creation. Digital media enables ICH brands to rearticulate traditional cultural meanings within contemporary urban contexts, create immersive and emotionally resonant experiences, and foster participatory relationships between practitioners and audiences. Based on these findings, the study proposes a digital media–driven revitalization pathway model that emphasizes a dynamic balance between cultural authenticity and commercial sustainability. This research contributes to international scholarship on digital heritage, cultural branding, and urban cultural sustainability by providing empirical evidence from an urban Chinese context. It also offers practical implications for policymakers, cultural institutions, and creative practitioners seeking to leverage digital media for sustainable ICH brand development.