When the education sector becomes a crucial driving force in transferring knowledge to support the strength of the Digital Ecosystem in this new world, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, a part of the University of Southern California (USC), a leading U.S. institution, stands out as a leader in creativity and deep research in the media industry. Associate Professor David Craig, a world-renowned scholar in social media, who has received a global academic research grant from the Fulbright Foundation (Fulbright Scholar), has developed the research project “Thai Creator Culture.” This is part of the broader research into “Local Creator Cultures” in regions such as Southeast Asia, South America, and the Middle East. The study aims to understand how creators in these areas compete with creators from the other side of the globe. Professor Craig also partnered on this research with Assistant Professor Jess Salathong from Chulalongkorn University and Saittawut Matt Yutthawaorakool, a graduate student at Asian Institute of Technology.
Sarath Ratanavadi, CEO of Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, Vice Chairman of Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS), and a member of the USC Annenberg Board of Councilors. Sarath places great importance on supporting industry networks and driving innovation in education to ensure that communication and media studies are modern and capable of adapting effectively to changes in the industry. This collaboration aims to answer the question of how creator culture will shape the future direction of the global economy and society.
As creators play an increasingly important role, studying to understand the characteristics of creators will allow digital technology to support them more effectively. This also helps connect with other ecosystems, with the main goal of enhancing work and creating new opportunities for the media industry and creators. It aims to enable them to showcase their potential and build upon their work on platforms and digital infrastructure efficiently.
The exchange of information and discussions during the Global Creator Culture Summit held in May 2024 between AIS and Professor David Craigmarks the beginning of an open platform that provides highly valuable perspectives for the research mentioned above.
Professor David Craig stated, “What we have found is that today, creators are an influential group, serving as a key driver of the global economy. They have the potential to be both a ‘brand’ in their own right, creators of online communities, and generate O2O (online to offline) revenue from their own spaces, platforms, and other channels. Furthermore, they add economic value to surrounding industries as well, such as driving the development of mobile services and features, making them a central hub for creating economic value for related platforms and ecosystems. Therefore, this exchange and research collaboration has provided valuable insights that will help shape the future direction of the global economy and society in a concrete way.”
The “Thai Creator Culture” study revealed four major categories of Thai creators:
- Commerce Creators: Blending product promotion, reviews, and direct sales, this group uses their influence to stimulate purchases through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and live sales.
- Socio-Cultural Creators: Focused on social and cultural issues, these creators engage their audiences in discussions about identity, community, and societal change.
- Multicultural and Diversity Creators: This group emphasizes diversity in race, gender, and culture, using their platforms to promote equality and inclusivity, such as LGBTQ creators.
- Nomad Creators: Frequent travelers who produce content from their experiences, promoting local tourism and products to national and international audiences.
Beyond benefiting Thailand’s creative industries, this collaboration underscores the value of global partnerships that will drive digital economic growth. Through robust digital infrastructure and support for creators, AIS and USC Annenberg aim to enhance the competitive edge of Thailand’s digital ecosystem in the global market.
