Research on the Inheritance Path and the Branding Inheritance Model of Traditional Crafts

• Published in: Sustainability 2023-04, Vol.15 (7), p.5878
• Main Authors: Zhong, Yiming, Tang, Shukun, Lan, Mei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Brand identity; Brand image; Causality; Consciousness; Crafts; Cultural heritage; Culture; Ecology; Grounded theory; Handicraft; Heredity; Inheritances; Intellectual property; Minority & ethnic groups; Qualitative research; Research methodology; Social aspects; Social life & customs; Social science research; Sustainability
• ISSN: 2071-1050; 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su15075878

The inheritance of traditional crafts has contemporary value in the economy and socio-culture and, hence, the development of human civilization. China is well known for its traditional crafts and is the main subject of international traditional craft research; the Chinese government is the first leading force in traditional craft inheritance. This paper employs the grounded theory to analyze the content of 79 national policies on traditional crafts in China from 1960 to February 2022, and induces, compares, refines, and formulates an inheritance path for traditional crafts under the guidance of current public cultural policies in China. The path clarifies the Chinese government’s overall structure for traditional craft inheritance and can also serve as a reference for the international community in revitalizing traditional crafts and maintaining cultural continuity. The path contains five models, among which, the branding inheritance model is key to the revitalization of traditional crafts, yet in both theory and practice, there is a lack of implementation plans. This paper reviews branding theories, sorts out the four attributes of brand “Identification, Communication, Value, and Culture”, and then analyses the advantages of the branding inheritance model for traditional craft inheritance in four dimensions—recognition, identification, acquisition, and survival. Subsequently, this study selects the classical brand model focusing on each of the four attributes, explores the path to constructing the four attributes of traditional craft brands with a distinct operational logic, integrates the results of constructing the four attributes, forms a three-stage model of traditional craft branding inheritance, and analyzes the logical relationships of the components in the model. The model is a concrete implementation plan of the traditional craft branding inheritance, which aims to help public institutions formulate policies and guide practices in traditional craft inheritance, by providing a scientific strategic framework with a high degree of universality.