Brand Promotion of Asian Intangible Cultural Heritage via Social Media
Overview
Asia Intangible Cultural Heritage, in this case, refers to the expressions, representations, practices, skills, and knowledge that communities in Asia deem to be integral to their culture. Sheth (2011) argues that considering that most countries in Asia are considered to be high context, they place a lot of value on customs, values, and beliefs as opposed to the case in the United States and other Western countries. Additionally, Brondoni (2010) adds that understanding these cultures brings about a high degree of richness in knowledge regarding traditions and how people go about their daily lives. Some notable examples of intangible heritage include performing arts, oral traditions, traditional skills, and local knowledge.
Importance of the Topic
Whereas it might be fragile, this form of cultural heritage is a vital factor in the process of maintaining a high level of cultural diversity. In the current age of globalization, Asians can use this platform to express just how important their different cultures can work together to ensure richness in society. Ivanov and Mayorova (2015) state that social media is one of the most used tools to express different aspects of the context of culture. People can easily share photos, videos, artifacts, and other things that represent the intangible aspects of their cultures in Asia through the widely used social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
A high level of understanding or knowledge regarding the intangible cultural heritage of Asia aids in the process of ensuring active intercultural dialogue and encouraging respect for people’s diverse ways of life. People from different countries in Asia can easily understand how the differences in their cultures can ensure better relationships. For instance, Sri Lankans can share with Indians, Chinese, and Japanese people their heritage so that they can learn from each other. Alberti and Giusti (2012) state the ease of accessibility of social media nowadays makes things even much more comfortable.
The main essence of safeguarding these heritages is that they aid in creating awareness at a different level of society on the importance of cultural diversity. In that process, there is a mutual appreciation of the differences that exist among people and their communities. Chen (2012) argues that this is also a good platform in the process of ensuring international cooperation and necessary assistance. Social media platforms are globally accessible. In that case, sharing details on such networks makes it easier to broadcast information to a broader audience. This, in turn, elevates people’s knowledge of the need to appreciate Asian cultures.
So, Why Social Media?
The main reason why social media is the best approach to use in brand promotion of Asian Intangible Cultural Heritage is that it is globally available and accessible. People from all walks of life can easily use Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms to share information with friends, colleagues, family, and the rest of the world. In that same regard, Foroudi et al. (2016) add that Asians can use these tools to share artifacts, visuals, videos, and other resources that are geared at educating the rest of the world regarding the richness of their cultures. This is a great choice to make.
Social media also creates interest. Richards (2011) states that people who sample the information shared by Asians through this process will often want to visit Asia someday so that they can experience this richness. Platforms such as Facebook nowadays feature a myriad of interactive features. A notable aspect is the locator feature that shows exactly where the person posting the videos or images is located in Asia. In that regard, if someone wants to explore further, it becomes easier to find the places where these things happen. For those who like to travel a lot, this is something they can add to their itinerary.
References
Alberti, F.G., and Giusti, J.D., 2012. Cultural heritage, tourism, and regional competitiveness: The Motor Valley cluster. City, culture, and society, 3(4), pp.261-273.
Brondoni, S., 2010. Intangibles, global networks & corporate social responsibility. Global Networks & Corporate Social Responsibility, pp.6-24.
Chen, N., 2012. Branding national images: The 2008 Beijing summer Olympics, 2010 Shanghai World Expo, and 2010 Guangzhou Asian games. Public Relations Review, 38(5), pp.731-745.
Foroudi, P., Gupta, S., Kitchen, P., Foroudi, M.M., and Nguyen, B., 2016. A framework of place branding, place image, and place reputation: Antecedents and moderators — qualitative market research: an international journal, 19(2), pp.241-264.
Ivanov, G. and Mayorova, E., 2015. Intangible assets and competitive advantage in retail: case study from Russia. Asian Social Science, 11(12), pp.38-45.
Richards, G., 2011. Creativity and tourism: The state of the art. Annals of tourism research, 38(4), pp.1225-1253.
Sheth, J.N., 2011. Impact of emerging markets on marketing: Rethinking existing perspectives and practices. Journal of marketing, 75(4), pp.166-182.