- Beauty Pageant Business as a Soft Power Instrument: An Integrated Analysis of Marketing Strategies, Image Communication, and Sustainability: -

Ntapat Worapongpat

Authors

Ntapat Worapongpat Eastern Institute of Technology Suvarnabhumi (EIT) And Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mahasarakham Rajabhat University

Keywords:

Beauty Pageant, Soft Power, Marketing Strategy, Image Communication, Sustainability

Abstract

This study examines the integration of marketing strategies, image communication, and sustainability within the beauty pageant industry as a multidimensional platform of Soft Power. The research aims to: (1) analyze marketing strategies at national and international levels, (2) investigate image communication as a mechanism of Soft Power, and (3) explore sustainability practices across social, cultural, and economic dimensions. A qualitative research design was employed using documentary analysis and thematic content analysis. Data were collected from academic literature, media content, and selected case studies of international pageants. The findings reveal three core dynamics: (1) marketing strategies have evolved into integrated global branding systems driven by digital media and storytelling; (2) image communication functions as a mediating mechanism transforming cultural representation into Soft Power outcomes; and (3) sustainability is embedded as a strategic extension of branding and Soft Power rather than a separate dimension. The study proposes the “Sustainable Soft Power Branding Model,” demonstrating how marketing inputs are transformed through communication processes into long-term socio-cultural and economic impacts. This research contributes to interdisciplinary scholarship by integrating marketing communication, cultural studies, and sustainability into a unified analytical framework.

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