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.
Al Qalhati, N., Karim, A. M., Al Mughairi, B., Al Hilali, K., & Hossain, M. I. (2020). Technology and HR Practices in Educational Sector in Sharqiya Governate of Oman. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 10(10), 435-443.
Al Qalhati, N., Karim, A. M., Al Mughairi, B., Al Hilali, K., & Hossain, M. I. (2020). Study on Job Satisfaction among Teachers in Sultanate of Oman. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 10(10), 422-434.
Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism (Rev. ed.). Verso.
Denes, A., Koanantakool, P. C., & Davis, P. (2013). Critical reflections on safeguarding culture: The intangible cultural heritage and museums field school in Lamphun, Thailand. Heritage & Society, 6(1), 23–24.
Giaccardi, E. (Ed.). (2012). Heritage and social media: Understanding heritage in a participatory culture. Routledge.
Holt, D. B. (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Harvard Business School Press.
Hossain, M. I., Jamadar, Y., Alam, M. K., Pal, T., Islam, M. T., & Sharmin, N. (2024). Exploring the Factors Impacting the Intention to Use Metaverse in the Manufacturing Industry Through the Lens of Unified Technology Acceptance Theory. In Research, Innovation, and Industry Impacts of the Metaverse (pp. 43-61). IGI Global.
Hossain, M. I., Jamadar, Y., Momo, N. B., Hafiz, N., & Saiba, R. N. (2024). Unlocking the Potentials and Constraints of Metaverse Implementation in Manufacturing Firms. In Research, Innovation, and Industry Impacts of the Metaverse (pp. 223-246). IGI Global.
Islam, M. T., Hossain, M. I., & Kumar, J. (2025). Adoption of contactless payment systems at Mamak restaurants: evidence from Malaysia. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 17(3), 367-375.
Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York University Press.
Katsouli, E. F. (2017). Innovative technologies for intangible cultural heritage education and preservation: The case of i-Treasures. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 21(2), 1–13.
Khaled, A. S., Ahmed, S., Tabash, M. I., Al-Homaidi, E. A., & Hossain, M. I. (2019). The Impact of Technological and Marketing Innovations on Retailing Industry: Evidence of India. Journal of Reviews on Global Economics, 8, 948-957
Li, W. Y. (2017). Study on the mechanism of Intangible Cultural Heritage education transmission in schools from the perspective of system coupling. Research of Ethnic Education, 107–112.
Musinguzi, D. K. (2009). The role of cultural and heritage education at Bakoni Malapa Open Air Museum: Demonstrations of cultural practices and craft work techniques. International Journal of Intangible Heritage, 4(6), 151–158.
Nur, A.S.N., Sahabuddin, M., Hossain, M.I., Ismail, N. (2024). Examining the influence of functional, social and psychological antecedents on attitude towards Chatbot usage: an emerging market context. International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets. 10. 1504/IJBEM.2025.10064107.
Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage. Routledge.
Sun, F. (2007). Educational inheritance: A proposal for setting up a course entitled “Masterpieces of Chinese Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage” (pp. 205–209). Huang Zhong (China) Journal of Wuhan Conservatory of Music.
UNESCO. (2003). Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO.
Zheng, J., Farhana, N., & Karim, A. M. (2026). Digital Media–Empowered Revitalization Pathways of Intangible Cultural Heritage Brands: A Case Study of Guangzhou. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(2), 1806–1825.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
