CRAFTING MARKETS: INTEGRATED INNOVATIVE MEDIA FOR SUSTAINABLE HANDICRAFT ECONOMIES IN THA DIN DAM, LOPBURI PROVINCE, THAILAND

Abstract

Community-based handicraft enterprises in Thailand face persistent challenges in articulating the cultural significance and economic value of their products to wider markets. Existing promotional approaches often fail to integrate cultural revitalization with digital ^enterprise upgrading, leaving a gap in both theory and practice regarding how integrated marketing communication (IMC) can be adapted to grassroots economies. This research and development study respond to that gap by co-designing and testing an IMC media innovation for the reed handicraft cluster in Tha Din Dam, Lop Buri Province. Drawing on the ADDIE framework and participatory rural appraisal, the study advances a theoretically informed model that situates IMC not only as a marketing tool but also as a mechanism for cultural transmission and sustainable community development. Findings demonstrate that a co-created IMC package can strengthen product identity, enhance community capacities in digital storytelling, and provide a replicable pathway for linking local wisdom with contemporary market systems. This contribution extends theoretical discussions on IMC by embedding it within rural development and sustainability discourses, offering implications for policy, donor engagement, and future research on adapting IMC to other intangible cultural heritage sectors.