Short answer
To effectively sell intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, focus on creating short video content that prioritizes building social presence and evoking deep empathy through storytelling and relatable narratives, rather than solely relying on aesthetic appeal.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- PaperAsia (2026)
- Method
- Mixed-methods research (semi-structured interviews and quantitative survey)
- Sample
- 421 participants (for the quantitative phase)
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Short videos that combine strong visual appeal and compelling narratives significantly increase purchase intention for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) souvenirs by fostering social presence and various forms of empathy. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2026 study published in PaperAsia. Using Mixed-methods research (semi-structured interviews and quantitative survey) with 421 participants (for the quantitative phase), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: To effectively sell intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, focus on creating short video content that prioritizes building social presence and evoking deep empathy through storytelling and relatable narratives, rather than solely relying on aesthetic appeal.
Empathy-Driven Sales: Visuals and Narrative in Short Videos Boost ICH Souvenir Purchases
Short videos that combine strong visual appeal and compelling narratives significantly increase purchase intention for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) souvenirs by fostering social presence and various forms of empathy.
PaperAsia · 2026
Key Findings
- 01Visual appeal and narrative significantly enhance social presence.
- 02Social presence is a prerequisite for activating affective, cognitive, and identification empathy.
- 03Empathy (affective, cognitive, and identification) is a stronger predictor of purchase intention than visual appeal or narrative alone.
- 04Social presence mediates the relationship between visual/narrative elements and purchase intention via empathy.
Application
Design takeaway
To effectively sell intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, focus on creating short video content that prioritizes building social presence and evoking deep empathy through storytelling and relatable narratives, rather than solely relying on aesthetic appeal.
How to apply
When developing marketing campaigns for heritage crafts or cultural products, create short video content that emphasizes the human stories, craftsmanship, and cultural significance, aiming to build an emotional connection with the audience before presenting the product for sale.
Project actions
- 01When designing your product or marketing materials, think about how you can tell a story that evokes emotion and a sense of connection.
- 02Consider how visual elements can be used not just to look nice, but to convey meaning and build a narrative.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Employs a mixed-methods approach for robust findings.
- +Integrates theoretical frameworks (attention economy, sensory marketing, empathy) with practical application in e-commerce.
Limitations
It can be challenging to objectively measure 'empathy' or 'social presence' in a design project without formal research methods.
Reliability & validity
The use of a quantitative survey with a validated model (CB-SEM) and a mixed-methods approach likely contributes to good reliability and validity. However, the specific context of Chinese ICH may limit generalizability.
Think critically
To what extent can the 'empathy first, purchase later' model be applied to products that are not rooted in cultural heritage?
Design Principles
"Empathy-driven marketing: Design content that fosters emotional and identification resonance to drive purchase intent."
This research highlights how digital content can be a powerful tool for revitalizing traditional crafts and driving commerce. By understanding the psychological pathways from visual and narrative elements to purchase intent, designers and marketers can create more effective campaigns for heritage products.
What This Means for Your Design
Making short videos about cultural crafts that look good and tell a good story makes people feel connected, which makes them more likely to buy the crafts.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use the findings to justify the importance of narrative and emotional appeal in your design brief or user research.
- 2.Reference the 'empathy first, purchase later' mechanism when explaining your design choices for marketing or product presentation.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research indicates that for intangible cultural heritage products, effective marketing via short videos relies on fostering viewer empathy. By prioritizing compelling narratives and relatable storytelling, alongside strong visual appeal, designers can cultivate social presence and emotional resonance, which are primary drivers of purchase intention, suggesting an 'empathy first, purchase later' model.
Source
PaperAsia
The Impact of Visual Appeal and Narrative in Intangible Cultural Heritage Short Videos on Souvenir Purchase Intention
journal · 2026
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about empathy-driven sales: visuals and narrative in short videos boost ich souvenir purchases?
- To effectively sell intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, focus on creating short video content that prioritizes building social presence and evoking deep empathy through storytelling and relatable narratives, rather than solely relying on aesthetic appeal. Evidence: PaperAsia (2026).
- Why does "Empathy-Driven Sales: Visuals and Narrative in Short Videos Boost ICH Souvenir Purchases" matter for design?
- This research highlights how digital content can be a powerful tool for revitalizing traditional crafts and driving commerce. By understanding the psychological pathways from visual and narrative elements to purchase intent, designers and marketers can create more effective campaigns for heritage products.
- How can designers apply this research?
- To effectively sell intangible cultural heritage souvenirs, focus on creating short video content that prioritizes building social presence and evoking deep empathy through storytelling and relatable narratives, rather than solely relying on aesthetic appeal.
- What were the main findings?
- Visual appeal and narrative significantly enhance social presence.. Social presence is a prerequisite for activating affective, cognitive, and identification empathy.. Empathy (affective, cognitive, and identification) is a stronger predictor of purchase intention than visual appeal or narrative alone.. Social presence mediates the relationship between visual/narrative elements and purchase intention via empathy.
- What research method was used?
- Mixed-methods research (semi-structured interviews and quantitative survey) with 421 participants (for the quantitative phase).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2026 journal from PaperAsia.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing marketing campaigns for heritage crafts or cultural products, create short video content that emphasizes the human stories, craftsmanship, and cultural significance, aiming to build an emotional connection with the audience before presenting the product for sale.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on specific case studies of Chinese ICH, and findings may vary across different cultural contexts and product types. The 'attention economy' context might also influence generalizability.