Communication Innovation: Cultural Narrative in the Omni-Media Era
Xiaopeng Zhang *
College of Foreign Studies, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China.
Huofeng Tang
College of Foreign Studies, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China.
Limin Chen
College of Foreign Studies, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
In the preceding chapter, we systematically devised brand-building strategies for Guangxi tea, established the core value proposition of “Mellow Heritage, Nature’s Choice,” constructed a visual system for the brand image, and mapped out a multi-dimensional communication matrix. However, the transmission of brand value and the establishment of a brand image ultimately depend on specific communication content and forms. In the omni-media era, the communication ecosystem has undergone profound transformations: communication channels have shifted from a single channel to multiple channels, communication forms from static to dynamic, and the relationship between communicators and audiences from one-way transmission to interactive engagement. The central question explored in this chapter is how to adapt to this transformation, innovate communication methods, and tell the story of Guangxi tea in a compelling manner.
Several illustrative examples of communication innovation have emerged from contemporary communication practices involving Liupao tea: the documentary The Tea Boat Route was broadcast simultaneously on three television stations across two countries, becoming a benchmark for cultural exchange under the Belt and Road Initiative; the convergent media project Four Seasons of Liubao, organised around the 24 solar terms, was broadcast in ASEAN countries in short-video format, reaching an audience of over ten million (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Radio and Television Administration, 2024a); the China Dark Tea Conference and Wuzhou Liupao tea Culture Festival brought together global tea industry elites, propelling dark tea from being a “frontier trade tea” and “diaspora tea” toward the international high-end market; and during the China-ASEAN Expo, Wuzhou debuted a “multi-enterprise AI digital human livestreaming matrix,” achieving an experiential upgrade from “display” to “dialogue.” These cases provide practical material for our exploration of communication innovation for Guangxi tea.
This chapter will systematically design the cultural narrative strategies for Guangxi tea in the omni-media era across five dimensions: in-depth narrative through documentaries, fragmented communication via short videos, experiential communication through cultural festivals, innovation in digital communication, and an integrated communication matrix.
Keywords: Guangxi tea, Liupao tea, Cultural narrative, Omni-media communication, Cross-cultural communication, Documentary storytelling, Short-video communication, Cultural festivals, Digital heritage, Artificial intelligence, Integrated communication matrix