Volume 11 (2026-27)

This interview explores the marketing significance of Super Bowl LX as a contemporary cultural event shaped by the convergence of sport, entertainment, media distribution and multicultural influence. It is argued that the event’s exceptional audience performance was driven not only by the halftime show, but by the NFL’s broader season-long narrative construction, global broadcast strategy and sustained cross-platform promotion. Within that larger ecosystem, Bad Bunny functioned as a cultural accelerator whose global visibility, digital influence and cross-audience resonance expanded the event’s relevance beyond traditional football viewership. The discussion challenges narrow definitions of ‘cultural relevance’ and instead shows how it can help brands and media bring together mainstream, multicultural, younger and global audiences at the same time. The interview further examines Spanish-language distribution as a source of incremental reach, highlighting the importance of Telemundo’s strong performance as evidence that culturally aligned media strategy can generate audience growth. More broadly, the conversation suggests that Latino culture and Spanish-language expression should not be understood as niche within US marketing strategy, but as central drivers of contemporary mainstream consumption and cultural meaning. The interview concludes with implications for marketers in the areas of audience measurement, global platform design, creative strategy, cultural partnership and return on investment beyond the broadcast itself. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: cultural relevance; multicultural marketing; super bowl LX; global broadcast strategy; Latino culture; Spanish-language media; cross-platform promotion; audience engagement

The rapid growth of clone fragrances is transforming the competitive landscape of the luxury perfume industry. Affordable perfume ‘dupes’ increasingly attract consumers seeking access to luxury olfactory experiences without paying premium prices, while social media platforms amplify awareness and legitimise clone consumption. This paper examines the strategic implications of clone fragrances for luxury perfume brands and proposes actionable managerial responses suitable for practitioners and brand strategists. Drawing on contemporary branding, luxury consumption, and influencer marketing literature, the paper identifies the principal threats associated with clone fragrances, including revenue erosion, brand dilution, consumer confusion, and weakened incentives for innovation. The analysis also highlights how digital communities, influencers, and online fragrance culture have normalised clone consumption among mainstream consumers by reframing imitation products as rational and value-conscious alternatives rather than stigmatised substitutes. The paper argues that luxury fragrance firms should move beyond purely legal and defensive responses and instead reinforce authenticity, emotional branding, experiential differentiation, innovation, transparency, and consumer education. Specific managerial recommendations include emphasising craftsmanship and heritage, creating exclusive experiences, accelerating innovation cycles, strategically leveraging influencer partnerships, and strengthening sustainability communication. The paper contributes practical guidance for managers navigating a democratised and digitally mediated fragrance marketplace in which symbolic luxury boundaries are increasingly contested. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: clone fragrances; luxury branding; perfume dupes; influencer marketing; brand dilution; luxury consumption

Although online product reviews act as a key element of electronic word of mouth that aids consumer purchase decision making, research regarding the effect of reviewer ethnicity on review effectiveness has been scarce. This 2 (reviewer ethnicity) by 2 (participant ethnicity) by 2 (positive vs. negative review) experiment investigated influences of ethnicity, ethnic identification, and review valence on review effectiveness with a Caucasian and Asian American sample in the USA. Results showed that while Asian Americans (minorities) demonstrated higher attitude and adoption intention towards the review from an Asian American reviewer (compared to a Caucasian reviewer), this effect was stronger with participants with strong ethnic identification. Caucasian people tended to comply with a Caucasian reviewer more (compared to an Asian American reviewer) only when the review was positive. This study advanced understanding of ethnic-matching effects in consumer-to-consumer markets, and brought significant insights for marketers and promotion managers who are faced with an increasingly diverse market. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: ethnic matching; online product review; review valence; distinctiveness theory; ethnic identification; social identity

This paper examines reverse acculturation as a framework for understanding attitudinal convergence in multicultural America. Traditional acculturation models generally assume that minority groups adapt to a dominant majority culture. Yet many US cities now represent the opposite condition: non-Hispanic White people are no longer the numerical majority, and multicultural consumers increasingly define the social and commercial context of everyday life. Using a nine-city survey of 1,183 non-Hispanic White, African American, and Hispanic respondents, this paper analyses six constructs: two exposure measures (direct contact and childhood multicultural exposure) and four attitudinal outcomes (interethnic contact attitudes, ethnic-related political attitudes, cultural diversity attitudes, and receptivity to multicultural advertising). Notably, results show non-Hispanic White people in multicultural-majority cities report higher contact, greater childhood exposure, and stronger receptivity to multicultural advertising than those in White-majority cities. The paper’s findings suggest that both acculturation theory and marketing segmentation models must be updated for a multicultural-majority marketplace, where cultural influence is increasingly bidirectional and shaped by sustained intergroup contact rather than one-way minority adaptation. The findings also help address marketplace concerns that multicultural strategies may alienate non-Hispanic White consumers, showing instead that such strategies can resonate more broadly in markets where consumers share sustained multicultural contact and exposure. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: reverse acculturation; bidirectional acculturation; multicultural marketing; cultural convergence; intergroup contact; multicultural advertising

This paper examines representations of US–French cross-cultural marketing conflict in Emily in Paris and considers their value for marketing education. Using qualitative media-based case analysis, it applies an integrated framework combining Hofstede, Hall, Trompenaars, Meyer, and Ter-Minasova to three campaign cases: Hästens Beds, Maison Lavaux, and McDonald’s McBaguette. The analysis shows that the conflicts arise from contrasting approaches to communication, persuasion, risk, brand positioning, symbolic meaning, and performance evaluation. Across the cases, resolution occurs through strategic hybridisation: the negotiated integration of global brand consistency, local cultural meaning, symbolic legitimacy, and performance objectives rather than the dominance of one marketing logic. The paper contributes a multidimensional framework and a proposed instructional model for cross-cultural marketing education, treating fictional scenes as analytical simulations rather than evidence of actual French or US marketing practice. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: cross-cultural marketing; media-based learning; cultural dimensions; marketing education; hybridisation strategy; intercultural competence

This paper investigates the determinants of consumer repurchase intention in the context of self-medication, with particular emphasis on perceived usefulness, purchase convenience, interpersonal influence, and information quality. Data were collected from 664 respondents in Punjab, India, using a structured questionnaire, and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling using Smart PLS 4. The findings reveal that all four factors positively and significantly influence repurchase intention, with perceived usefulness emerging as the strongest predictor (β = 0.405), followed by purchase convenience (β = 0.325), interpersonal influence (β = 0.260), and information quality (β = 0.245). The proposed model explains 37.4 per cent of the variance in repurchase intention (R2 = 0.374), indicating moderate predictive power. These findings enhance understanding of consumer repurchase behaviour in self-medication by identifying the key drivers of repeat purchase decisions and provide practical insights for healthcare policymakers and pharmaceutical marketers to develop strategies that promote informed, responsible, and consumer-centred self-medication practices. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection, which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: self-medication; repurchase intention; perceived usefulness; purchase convenience; information quality; interpersonal influence