Bubung Awa, Character Licensing Strategies for City Branding: Harnessing Technology to Promote Bengkulu’s Tourism Potential

This study aims to develop a city branding strategy incorporating character design, merchandising, and digital media platforms for Bengkulu’s tourism potential. We surveyed 35 respondents to assess their familiarity with Bengkulu’s distinctive cultural and natural elements and tourism potential. This strategy utilize social media as a promotional tool to market Bengkulu’s tourism potential. The findings suggest that implementing a comprehensive city branding system could increase Bengkulu’s tourism appeal and economic growth. Therefore, the author intends to design a business strategy for a character-licensed base intellectual property that can elevate Bengkulu’s culture, nature, and tourism with the function of city branding with a tourism approach