The Digital-Cultural Nexus: Brand Development Mechanisms of Small and Medium-sized Tea Enterprises in Guizhou, China

Abstract

This study investigates how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in traditional industries leverage digital platforms and cultural resources for brand building amid digital transformation. Focusing on China’s Guizhou tea sector, it integrates Resource Orchestration and Institutional Theory to propose a Digital–Cultural Coupling Framework (DCCF). A qualitative multiple-case design was adopted, drawing on triangulated data from interviews, firm documents, policy reports, and digital platform analytics. Thematic analysis reveals three core coupling mechanisms: (1) the institutionalization and narrative transformation of cultural resources, (2) the strategic use of digital platforms as infrastructures for meaning-making and trust-building, and (3) entrepreneurial orchestration across institutional and technological networks. The study extends existing theories by explaining how resource-constrained SMEs achieve brand legitimacy and differentiation through digital–cultural synergy. Practically, the DCCF offers transferable insights for SMEs and policymakers in developing economies seeking to integrate digital governance with cultural value creation to enhance regional competitiveness.