Synergizing District Night Markets and Cultural Innovation: A Study on Shenyangs Internet-Famous City Branding Strategy

The innovative development of nighttime economies is becoming a key driver of urban cultural consumption. As a major industrial city in Northeast China, Shenyang faces challenges in its night market development, including indistinct cultural identity, homogeneous business formats, and superficial visitor experiences, which hinder its transition into a youth-oriented, digitally-savvy city brand. This study explores pathways to establish Shenyang as an internet-famous destination by integrating district-based night markets with cultural and creative initiatives. Through case analysis and consumer behavior research, it proposes the creation of an Industrial Elf IP system to enhance urban cultural memory through differentiated thematic designs. The study innovatively designs a cross district consumption linkage mechanism, combined with viral marketing strategies, to form a cohesive night market cluster model. Key findings include: (1) A dual phase implementation approach balancing short term pilot projects with long term cultural authenticity preservation; (2) Gamification techniques that effectively encourage inter district visitor flow and spontaneous consumption; and (3) Leveraging user generated content for cost efficient, high impact promotion. These outcomes provide actionable solutions for Shenyangs cultural tourism challenges while offering valuable insights for similar industrial cities undergoing brand transformation.