From cultural heritage to public value co-creation intention: the role of place identity activation and information diversity in digital dissemination

Purpose This study aims to: (1) examine the mechanism through which digital dissemination of cultural heritage influences public value co-creation intention and (2) test the mediating role of place identity activation and the moderating role of information diversity in this process. Design/methodology/approach This study employs three experimental studies using video-based stimuli to analyze the impact of digital dissemination of local cultural heritage on public co-creation. Data were collected from the online platform Credamo (N1 = 148, N2 = 150, N3 = 249) with participants randomly assigned to experimental conditions. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about how digital dissemination of cultural heritage significantly enhances public place identity activation and value co-creation intention. The study further identifies place identity activation as a full mediator and information diversity as a significant moderator – under the high information diversity condition, the positive effect of dissemination on place identity activation is not significant. Research limitations/implications This study examines only two types of cultural heritage: forestry cultural heritage and tea cultural heritage. Practical implications This study contributes to realizing the digital value of cultural heritage and offers targeted recommendations for its dissemination and development in the new era. Social implications This study contributes to enhancing digital interaction between the public and culture by engaging in culture dissemination and re-creation, advancing the development of digital-humanistic relationships on a deeper level. Originality/value The findings provide a theoretically grounded and empirically tested mechanism explaining how digital heritage communication influences public value co-creation intention, while clarifying the boundary condition of information diversity.