Lesson 3. Ethical Considerations in Marketing ICH

Introduction

The broad promotion of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is not only about visibility and engagement; it also requires the ethical treatment of cultural objects and expressions belonging to all peoples and groups. With the rise of digital tools and especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), important questions emerge: How can technologies remain inclusive and respectful of indigenous cultures? How can we avoid misuse, cultural bias, and exclusion?

Theory

UNESCO has emphasized the importance of ethics in ICH promotion, particularly in its Report on Indigenous Peoples (2023) (Pinto, 2024). The report highlights major risks associated with the development of AI technologies for ethnic and indigenous communities, including:

• Misuse of data;
• Cultural biases in digital systems;
• Exclusion from participation in technological developments.

The key themes of the report are:

1. Data sovereignty – Indigenous communities should maintain control over their cultural data to prevent exploitation and misappropriation.
2. Inclusive AI development – Communities must be actively involved in designing AI systems so their cultural values are respected and embedded.
3. Cultural bias – Developers and promoters must avoid reinforcing stereotypes or misrepresenting cultural practices.
4. Digital divide – Many indigenous communities have limited access to digital tools. Bridging this gap is essential so that they can benefit from AI applications.

The report also stresses that traditional knowledge and cultural expressions – such as music, songs, stories, ceremonies, dances, symbols, languages – are usually oral, collectively owned, and passed down across generations. UNESCO calls for legal recognition and protection of these expressions to prevent misuse and commodification.

In line with these recommendations, all promotional techniques for ICH should follow ethical protocols for cultural heritage conservation (Adjei, n.d.).

Examples

• Australia: The Australian Government has published ethical protocols on how to promote indigenous cultural works of art and heritage, including training scenarios for applying these protocols in arts, cultural expressions, and knowledge promotion (Creative Australia, n.d.).
• Citizen engagement: Strategies for branding and ethical promotion of local communities – highlighting local identity while supporting sustainable development – are increasingly developed with active community participation. See: Protocols for using First Nations cultural and intellectual property in the arts (City Nation Place, 2024).

Application

Task: Analyze one example of ICH promotion (local or international) and evaluate it against the four ethical principles outlined in the UNESCO Report:

1. Was data sovereignty respected?
2. Was the process inclusive of community voices?
3. Were cultural biases avoided?
4. Did the initiative address or widen the digital divide?

Prepare a short reflection on how the promotion could be improved ethically.

Reflection questions

• Should all communities have the right to control how their ICH is represented digitally?
• What risks do AI and digital promotion pose to vulnerable cultural groups?
• How can ethical protocols be enforced in cross-national or commercial projects?
• Can marketing ever be neutral, or does it always carry a cultural and ethical responsibility?

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