Extending Community Event Value through Digital Marketing: Sustainable Consumption in the Satu Nagari Satu Event Programme
This study evaluates the Indonesian "Satu Nagari Satu Event" programme to demonstrate that while digital marketing effectively boosts community cohesion and cultural visibility, it fails to sustain economic benefits without a structured "Digitally Extended Community-Event Model" that integrates digital tools with local resources to convert short-term attention into long-term sustainable consumption.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Imagine a village festival that brings a community together, fills local pockets with money for a few days, and leaves behind a sense of pride. For decades, event organizers have measured success by how many people showed up and how much cash changed hands while the music was playing. But a new perspective in community development asks a harder question: what happens when the crowd goes home? Does the festival leave behind a lasting legacy, or does the village return to exactly how it was before, with the economic boom vanishing as quickly as the confetti? This inquiry sits at the intersection of cultural preservation, local economics, and the modern power of digital tools. It explores whether the attention generated by a celebration can be transformed into a steady stream of support for local artisans and traditions, or if it remains a fleeting moment of excitement that fades the next morning. The core challenge is understanding how to turn a temporary spike in activity into a permanent improvement in a community's well-being.
Researchers in Indonesia recently investigated this exact problem by looking at a program called "Satu Nagari Satu Event," which translates to "One Village, One Event." In the Tanah Datar region of West Sumatra, this initiative encourages each local community, known as a nagari, to organize a celebration rooted in their unique culture, food, and history. The goal is not just to host a party, but to strengthen the community and boost the local economy. A team of scholars analyzed data from a 2023 evaluation of this program, which included surveys and interviews with 105 community members. They wanted to see if the digital marketing used to promote these events actually helped the villages retain value after the event ended, or if the online buzz was just noise.
The findings revealed a clear split between different types of value. On the social and cultural side, the program was a resounding success. About 76 percent of the people surveyed felt that their relationships with neighbors had grown stronger. The process of preparing for the event—rehearsing dances, organizing food, and planning together—acted as a glue that held the community closer. Cultural groups that might have been quiet became active, and knowledge about local traditions was passed down to younger generations. These benefits, built on trust and shared effort, seemed to stick around even after the festival was over.
However, the economic picture told a different story. While the event days brought a surge of visitors and sales, that financial energy did not last. A significant majority, 62 percent of respondents, reported that the economic value they saw after the event was less than half of what it was during the festival itself. The market created by the event was temporary; once the tourists left, the demand for local products dropped sharply. The researchers found that while the event successfully created a "market moment," it failed to sustain a "market" that could support local businesses year-round.
Digital marketing played a complex role in this story. About 54 percent of the communities said they continued to post about their culture on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook after the event ended. This showed that the digital tools were being used to keep the village visible. Yet, the researchers discovered that visibility alone was not enough. The posts often lacked the practical details needed to turn a viewer into a customer. A video of a traditional dance might get thousands of views, but if it did not include information on how to book a workshop, where to buy the crafts, or who the artisans were, that attention did not translate into money for the community. The digital content was often inconsistent, and the skills needed to manage these accounts varied widely among the villages.
The study concluded that the problem was not a lack of technology, but a lack of a system to convert attention into action. The researchers proposed a new way of thinking called the "Digitally Extended Community-Event Model." This approach suggests that digital marketing should not just be a tool to sell tickets before an event starts. Instead, it should be treated as a piece of infrastructure that works before, during, and long after the event. For digital tools to truly help, they must do more than just show pretty pictures; they must provide clear, trustworthy information that guides people to local businesses, explains the cultural significance of what they are seeing, and offers easy ways to support the community.
The researchers emphasized that for a community event to be truly sustainable, it must meet four specific conditions. First, the money spent must stay within the local economy. Second, the cultural representation must be accurate and controlled by the community itself. Third, the environmental impact must be managed responsibly. And fourth, the demand for local products must be spread out over time, rather than just happening on a single weekend. The study found that while the Indonesian villages were strong on the first two conditions during the event, they struggled with the last two. The digital gap was the missing link: without a structured way to connect online viewers to local producers, the potential for long-term growth remained untapped.
Ultimately, the paper argues that a successful community event is not defined by how many people attend on the day of the festival, but by what remains when they leave. The social bonds and cultural pride built during the preparation can last for years, but the economic benefits require a deliberate effort to maintain. By treating digital platforms as a permanent bridge between the community and the outside world, rather than just a temporary billboard, villages can ensure that the value of their traditions continues to support their people long after the music stops. The path forward involves building better systems for sharing information, training locals to manage these digital tools effectively, and ensuring that every post or video serves a purpose beyond just being seen.
Drowning in papers in your field?
Get daily digests of the most novel papers matching your research keywords — with technical summaries, in your language.