Brand Research Articles

Roti Azan: post-pandemic competitive strategy

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, students are expected to demonstrate understanding of the process of strategy formulation (which include conducting situational analysis) and strategy implementation. Case overview/synopsis Perusahaan Azan, which trades under the brand name Roti Azan for its fresh bread and Azan for its dry bread or rusks, was established as a family business in 1968 by Haji Abu Bakar bin Ali in his hometown in Kuala Pilah, in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. In the mid-1980s, the management of the business was passed on by Haji Abu Bakar to one of his sons, Haji Mohd Ghazali bin Haji Abu Bakar. Haji Ghazali was named managing director in 1985 and officially inherited his father’s company in 1987. By 2004, Perusahaan Azan breads had started to penetrate major grocery stores nationwide, and later the business began to expand internationally in 2010, with Oman and Iraq among the first countries it ventured into. The company sold both its fresh and dry bread in local stores; however, in the international market, only dry bread types were sold, specifically wholemeal rusks and long rusks, which had longer shelf lives. Post-pandemic, by 2022, the company had exited the retail fresh bread market and had focused only on its contractual fresh bread and retail dry bread markets. He thought about the main strategic choices he had of going forward, either to revive its retail fresh bread segment or venture into a coffee shop business. The former was the bread and butter of the company in the last 50 years. However, he knew that re-entering this market was getting more difficult, as it requires competing head-to-head with the giant breadmakers. There were also issues of rising costs and high wastage. For the latter coffee shop project, the company did not have experience in directly “serving” the customers, with its businesses so far had been mainly in production. He pondered on the best decision to undertake to sustain the company’s profitability into the next generation. Few family businesses can pass this crucial stage. He knew he had to act fast to ensure that the company’s plans for the future could be successfully implemented. The case study is suitable for use in teaching courses in strategic management, organisational management and integrated case study for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in the programmes of business administration, Muamalat administration and accounting. Complexity academic level The case study is suitable for use in advanced undergraduate students in management, business administration, Muamalat administration and postgraduate students in MBA, Master in Muamalat Administration or other related master’s programmes with a course in strategic management, organisational management and integrated case study. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

From Farm to Fork: Transforming Egg Quality and Boosting Export Potential using Artificial Intelligence on Poultry Farming

Nothing can spoil fresh eggs that were laid by chickens, like dirty vent feathers, blood strains and minor cracks. Eggs play an important role in the context of human health due to its cheap cost and accessibility across the globe. But egg damage paves the way for a significant size of a shortage of nutritions, and creates demand which leads to an increase in price. The brand name of the company that supplies the eggs loses its reputation when damaged eggs reach the market along with good eggs and this can also lead to business loss. India is considered to be one of the worst farm poultry industries across the world, because of poor maintenance of farm, lack of cleanliness and non-compliance to the safety standards. Just because of this, the Indian market loses its power of negotiation on price and loses the opportunity to export the eggs to foreign countries even though India's egg production is close to the egg production margin of other countries. Not only from the perspective of commerce but also from the view of health this can lead to adverse consequences when the unclean eggs are consumed by the public or people who have less immunity. Every year a significant number of people are suffering from diseases when the eggs, which are poorly handled in the process of quality control, are consumed. This could also lead to a fixation of mindset to the consumer that these are usual eggs in india. The consequence of this mindset could result in more severe effects in consumerism over the period of time. This might also prevent people from purchasing the eggs for consumption. The major reason for this is unhygienic rearing practice and improper quality control measures. These are open invitations for egg contamination although India is the third largest country in the world in the production of eggs. There are more than forty seven million egg producers who do not meet safety standards, most of the produce are rejected for export due to chemicals used during the rearing process. Consumption of these eggs had led to a serious issue in india. A sizable number of people are resistant to antibiotics just because of the consumption of eggs that were produced using chemicals and eggs in which chemicals were intact on the shell of that egg. An article that was published by a renowned newspaper states that consumption of such contaminated eggs, which had heavy metal, has led to poisoning in children, paving the way for mental development problems, sometimes mental retardation. This study has attempted to reduce the severe consequences which are a result of consuming eggs with dirt or damaged eggs. A huge effort has been made to ensure that this scenario changes over the period of time, by incorporating AI in the field of Poultry industry in order to enhance the quality of egg production. The study we conducted clearly shows that most of the poor rearing practice happens due to human error. This can be changed by replacing the human efforts by machine, we could replace the entire quality control process especially removing the spoiled eggs from the the batch that is to be sent to the market. The model that we tried to build has given marvelous results in separating the spoiled from the good eggs. The algorithm will not only identify the spoiled eggs but also stores the final output in the database where the Organisations can access it at any point of time. The AI Object detection model will detect the cracked eggs, the eggs with dirt, the eggs with blood stain and many more. In nutshell our object detection model will detect all abnormal eggs which will help us prevent the abnormal eggs from reaching the consumer.

Millet magic foundation: a social initiative for alleviating poverty of the indigenous tribes of Mayurbhanj

Research methodology The case study is based on a social entrepreneurial journey where the authors have used an interview method to get the insights from the protagonists and the employees. Rigorous interviews were conducted online and in person for deep analysis of the protagonist’s strategies and decisive dilemma. Secondary data was collected from company’s website for facts and figures. Case overview/synopsis This case study is a story of indigenous tribes of Odisha from the eyes of a woman who, with her co-founder, empathized with their vulnerable life and took on the challenge of creating sustainable livelihoods by establishing Millet Magic Foundation. The Millet Magic Foundation was established in 2021 by Shyama and her cofounder to uplift the indigenous tribe of Mayurbhanj by providing them livelihood through millet-based products. The foundation launched their millet-based snack products with the brand name WOWMOM. Millet Magic Foundation created social impact for the tribals by providing them with employment, fair wages, health care and social well-being. The specialty of the Millet Magic was reverse positioning and focusing on the bottom of the pyramid. The success of the Millet Magic Foundation relied on its mission to uplift the life of these indigenous tribal, especially the women, by overcoming the challenges with the strategies to establish Millet Magic as a social enterprise. Complexity academic level The case study is primarily suitable for postgraduate programme to teach the concept of social entrepreneurship in the entrepreneurship module. The case study can also be used for highlighting the role of social enterprise in sustainable economic development of emerging economies.

Impact of Forensic Marketing on Consumer Behavior: Evidence From Beauty Products\’ Purchase Decision

Marketing firms navigate a dynamic environment characterized with volatility and complexity, where survival hinges upon adaptability and responsiveness to external forces. The pursuit of rapid growth, profit and competitive advantage in the cosmetics market often leads some companies to engage in unlawful and unethical practices, including copyright and trademark infringement and misleading marketing, which creates problems for honest consumers and the entire industry’s sustainability and leads to legal cases of fraud. This has led to the emergence of a specific type of marketing ‒ forensic marketing, characterised by a thorough check (often in a legal context) of all the facts and data accompanying marketing policy. This study examines how forensic marketing dimension influence the consumer behavior using the case study of 3 skincare products in Nigeria, including the impact of copyright violation on brand awareness, trademark infringement on consumer patronage, and the impact of misleading advertising on consumer loyalty. In solving this problem, the article analyses the provisions of the Theory of Buyer Behaviour, the Nicosia Model and the Psychoanalytic Model. The study is based on the results of an online survey of 384 Nigerian consumers of cosmetic skincare products (a five-point Likert scale was used for answers, Bill Golden technique was used to determine the sample size, Cronbach’s Alpha test was used to confirm reliability, and SmartPLS software was used for data processing). Descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and skewness) and inferential (structural equation modelling (SEM) by utilising the partial least squares (PLS) version) analyses were carried out. The modelling empirically confirms the validity of all three hypotheses: 1) respondents perceive copyright infringement as having a significant relationship with brand awareness, with the strongest impact on a product idea, moderate impact on brand name, and weak impact on promotion strategy; 2) trademark infringement practices have a significant impact on consumer patronage, with design having the strongest impact, signs and symbols having a moderate impact, and colour having a weak impact; 3) deceptive marketing practices have a significant impact on customer loyalty, with advertising having the most significant impact, product quality having a moderate impact, and labelling and packaging having a weak impact. The article emphasises the importance of regularly informing consumers about the quality and features of products, as well as encouraging whistleblowers through reward systems. By adopting ethical marketing practices, companies can build a reputation that will ultimately benefit society, strengthen their reputation, and influence consumer purchasing decisions.

Public Relations in a Digital Era: Localising the Global Corporations’ Activities and Social Media Uses in Tanzania

Public Relations concepts and practice in different democracies vary according to the nature of their political, cultural, social, and the level of technological orientation or advancement. With the digital age and the increasing trend in globalization, Global or Multinational Corporations have both challenges and opportunities towards meeting their business goals as to win hearts and minds of customers/publics in a diverse environment. Public Relations in Digital Age: Localising Global Corporations Activities and Social Media Uses in Tanzania, using Standard Chartered Bank, Coca Cola Company, and Barrick (Acacia) Mines, as case, has investigated the activities done by the Corporations, social media engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility activities and comparing local and global activities of the Corporations. The three Corporations’ profiles were surveyed to grasp their natures - activities and new media uses while a three- year content analysis was done through Corporations’ social networking sites (SNS) – Facebook, Twitter and You Tube to understand their uses of SNS in enhancing their roles through Public Relations. The findings show that despite their differences in nature, they all use their global business experiences in dealing with local activities. They have been responding to silent calls for glocalisation by identifying the basic needs of their customers/publics, for example, localizing the brand (Coca Cola to Coca Cola Kwanza), changing the brand name altogether (Barrick to Acacia), as well as stretching their Corporate Social Responsibility activities in health, education, environment and sports and entertainment while strengthening their ties with the government by not only responding to legal obligations like paying taxes but also supporting communication and health sectors. However, more glocalisation process is still in need as compared to what has been done in other countries in responding to cultural-centric and polycentric PR approaches. Moreover, the MNCs use both asymmetric and symmetric communication through Facebook, Twitter and You Tube. Twitter has been the mostly used SN especially in a symmetrical communication followed by Facebook. It has been also observed that the sensitivity of Corporation’s activities increases the engagement in CSR activities. Since, the area has not been extensively researched, the researcher calls for more studies on glocalisation of MNCs and new media uses in developing countries and Tanzania in particular in attempt to exploit the potentials of Public Relations.

Highlights on Fluorine-containing Drugs Approved by U.S. FDA in 2023.

Fluorine continues to show its potential applications in drug discovery and development, as reflected by twelve drugs being fluorinated out of the fifty-five approved by the FDA in 2023. This concise review highlights the discovery of each of these fluorine-containing drugs in the past year, including its brand name, date of approval, composition, sponsors, indication, and mechanism of action. The relevant future trend is also briefly discussed.

CONSUMER PERSUASION IN DISGUISE: THE ROLE OF CELEBRITY INFLUENCE IN SURROGATE ADVERTISING

In this changing world, we came from the era where there is no TV, social media, digital, newspapers are not available. People sell their product on the basis of their quality, goodwill, or price. Now the era has been changed, we have stepped into generation alpha where everything is available on your mobile. We can search in just on click, if a company want to sell something they just have to do right advertising at right time. In today’s world advertising play an important role for the companies as much as food in the life of human, advertising is basically done through newspapers, TV, radios, Pamphlets, social media, YouTube ads, celebrity influencing etc. There are many types of advertising done by the company to sell their products and make profit out of them. One of them is “Surrogate advertising ” which refers to the ads which replace some specific product with a general product under the same Brand name, packaging. Hence, advertising for some products which are prohibited by GOI (which are Tobacco, alcohols, liquor) but the company is advertising that product by using the same name, taglines, packaging, that recalls the banned product again in the mind of customers. Consumer perception is in disguise because the advertising is done by masking products which are banned to advertise by GOI. Celebrity influence also plays an important role in advertising the prohibited product. Wherever, they promote water, soda, kesar pan masala, red & white etc. that indirectly hint towards a product which is restricted. And customers who see their favorite influencer consuming that product buy those products which they were hinting at in those ads because those ads are not clear about specific products.

Analisis Pengembangan Usaha Kuliner Sebagai Peluang Usaha Rumahan di Desa Lau Gumba

This research shows that culinary businesses, especially tanghulu strawberries, can increase business opportunities and the family economy in the application of the 4P marketing mix development strategy which includes strategies through products, namely producing products from local products, using traditional bamboo skewer equipment, not using food preservatives. Strategy through price, namely by setting prices according to the quality of the products produced and the market area. Furthermore, the promotion strategy is sales promotion by using banners, placing brand signs in front of the house, placing brand name stickers on the packaging, and selling directly to buyers. Furthermore, the distribution place strategy is to distribute culinary businesses directly to consumers. As for the obstacles faced by home-based entrepreneurs, where internally seen from the financial aspect, the capital used still comes from business owners, from the human resources aspect, namely the lack of knowledge about marketing methods and technology utilization. Furthermore, the infrastructure used is still very simple and traditional. While externally there is competition among home-based culinary business entrepreneurs.

Linguistic and Extralinguistic Factors of Brand Name Formation in Kazakhstan

The current research considers the basics of the formation of brand names from linguistic and extralinguistic aspects. The material of the study was the brand names of Kazakh manufacturers. The interpretation of the term brand as an object of linguistic research is presented, the functions of brand names as a type of commercial nomination are identified and considered as nominative, informative, differentiating, aesthetic, influential and attractive. At the same time, special attention is paid to the types of brand names: by structure, by degree of expression, by origin, by degree of formality and by degree of motivation. The analysis of lexical material made it possible to differentiate linguistic factors that have a decisive influence on the process of brand name formation, including phonetic, graphic, lexical, stylistic, semantic and morphological aspects. Among the extra-linguistic factors, the cultural context, competitive environment, target audience, features of the national character, purpose and pragmatics were identified. The methods of name formation were studied, among which the most frequent were nomination according to the anthropological criterion, as well as the use of Kazakh vocabulary, neologisms and foreign words. The analysis and interpretation of the factual material from the sociolinguistic aspect made it possible to identify language units that represent the processes that take place in modern society: the revival of public interest in national culture and language, the strengthening of the position of the state language and the involvement of Kazakhstani society in the processes of globalization.

The Impact of Polymers on Enzalutamide Solid Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System and Improved Bioavailability.

Enzalutamide (ENZ), marketed under the brand name Xtandi® as a soft capsule, is an androgen receptor signaling inhibitor drug actively used in clinical settings for treating prostate cancer. However, ENZ's low solubility and bioavailability significantly hinder the achievement of optimal therapeutic outcomes. In previous studies, a liquid self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (L-SNEDDS) containing ENZ was developed among various solubilization technologies. However, powder formulations that included colloidal silica rapidly formed crystal nuclei in aqueous solutions, leading to a significant decrease in dissolution. Consequently, this study evaluated the efficacy of adding a polymer as a recrystallization inhibitor to a solid SNEDDS (S-SNEDDS) to maintain the drug in a stable, amorphous state in aqueous environments. Polymers were selected based on solubility tests, and the S-SNEDDS formulation was successfully produced via spray drying. The optimized S-SNEDDS formulation demonstrated through X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry data that it significantly reduced drug crystallinity and enhanced its dissolution rate in simulated gastric and intestinal fluid conditions. In an in vivo study, the bioavailability of orally administered formulations was increased compared to the free drug. Our results highlight the effectiveness of solid-SNEDDS formulations in enhancing the bioavailability of ENZ and outline the potential translational directions for oral drug development.

The Perception of Cosmetic Brand Names among Saudi Consumers: Implications for Intercultural Advertising

As the global cosmetics market expands rapidly, the importance of cultural sensitivity in advertising becomes evident. However, certain brand names used internationally may unintentionally offend specific audiences due to linguistic and cultural differences. This study examines the perceptions and attitudes of 770 Saudi individuals toward brand names deemed inappropriate or provocative within the Saudi sociocultural context. The research aims to shed light on the implications for intercultural advertising targeting Saudi consumers. The findings reveal strong negative reactions to brand names with sexual references, with respondents using terms such as "disgusting," "shocking," and "shameless" in their descriptions. The study also highlights the impact of these names on religious and moral values cherished in Saudi society. The implications for international cosmetic companies targeting Gulf consumers include careful consideration of name translations and connotations in Arabic-speaking markets, involvement of local expertise in advertising campaigns, and enhanced cultural sensitivity training for marketing professionals operating abroad. This research contributes to the understanding of intercultural advertising and provides insights for improving cultural competence in English language education, particularly in the context of teaching English for advertising. By raising awareness of these issues, appropriate choices of brand identifiers can be discussed to benefit both businesses and target audiences.

Customer-Based Brand Equity Drivers: A Leading Brand of Beer in Estonia

Based on the trust/commitment theory and the customer-based brand equity theory, this study aims to ascertain which of the brand equity drivers of A. Le Coq beer have an impact on attachment and its overall brand equity in the Estonian brewery market. In order to achieve this goal, an empirical study was conducted based on the 17 customer-based/consumer-based brand equity models: the 15 brand equity models, including the beer/beverage brand equity models, the 2 internal brand equity models, as well as 3 other related models. The study utilised a sample of convenience of 120 University of Tartu students. The questionnaire was placed on Google’s online survey administration service. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through AMOS29 was used for testing the fit of the model and covariances (through AMOS29) were used for testing the hypotheses. Additionally, t-test analysis was used for the differences in the means between the demographic characteristics and the items of the model. The results show that brand meaning has a strong positive effect on attachment strength, which significantly influences relationship factors—commitment, trust, and satisfaction. Another major finding is that the relationship factors—commitment, trust, and satisfaction—play a significant role in the development of the brand equity of A. Le Coq beer. This study provides useful insights for brewery marketing managers by exploiting the strong positive relationships found between beer brand equity drivers, such as the strong positive relationships found within consumers of beer, i.e., the relationships between brand reputation and brand image, brand meaning and attachment strength, attachment strength and commitment, attachment strength and satisfaction, attachment strength and trust, satisfaction and brand equity, commitment and brand equity, and trust and brand equity. This finding contributes to the literature on brand equity related to the Estonian environment. Five differences in demographic characteristics seem to play a role in designing strategies by the management teams of different brands for increasing the consumption of their competing brands of beer. A replication of a model previously used for a non-product is part of the novelty of this paper. In addition, all the examined relationships are found to be positive and significant, which provides a contribution to the existing literature.

Corporate naming from a branding perspective: an analysis of naming criteria applied to company names

This article analyses the views of branding professionals on the types of brand names for companies. Brand naming is an important part of corporate branding that is hardly addressed from an academic perspective. The few works on naming deal with products or services, but not with companies. Based on personal in-depth interviews and semi-structured questionnaires with renowned and prestigious experts from the professional branding sector, the relevance of common naming criteria for corporate brand names is measured. It is found that certain naming criteria seem to be more appropriate depending on the sector of activity of the company or the family or non-family character of the company. It is also found that their view of naming methods depends on their academic background and the specific professional field of activity in relation to brand management (design, advertising, marketing, linguistics or law, among others).

Building a brand name for universities: A case study of Ho Chi Minh City Open University

In the era of globalization and internationalization, students have many choices when pursuing their educational paths. Students today are more mobile and willing to leave their homes to study at their desired university. Building a brand name in this increasingly competitive landscape can be the primary tool for higher education institutions, particularly universities, to differentiate themselves and gain a competitive advantage. However, research on university branding is scarce, and the concept of university branding remains largely unexplored in the Vietnamese context. This study explores how a university can use banding strategies to build its brand name. The analysis utilizes an organizational perspective to gather valuable information and insights into a university’s activities to build and enhance its brand name. Ho Chi Minh City Open University (OU), a top-tiered public university with its main campuses and learning precincts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is selected to conduct this study. The nature of the study is qualitative, and data is collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with current leaders and staff at the University. The sample utilized in this study includes staff from various departments within the university and current and former executives to gain a comprehensive understanding and capture diverse perspectives. The key findings can be summarized as follows. First, primary stakeholders such as students, parents, staff, and others targeted by the University require different branding strategies. Second, OU can build its brand name through its students and alumni who have studied at the university. Third, OU needs a comprehensive strategy concerning brand name-building and enhancing activities with a focus on students’ affairs and communication. Recommendations have emerged based on these findings for building and enhancing the brand name of Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Vietnam.

Patterns of Antibiotic Use, Knowledge, and Perceptions among Jordanian Population: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Practices concerning antibiotic use have detrimental impacts on body immunity, bacterial resistance, and the overall health of the general population. Misconceptions regarding antibiotic use can lead to improper use and malpractice, posing numerous health threats. Objectives: This study aims to assess the knowledge, practices, and awareness of Jordanian adults about antibiotics. This includes an analysis of their understanding of antibiotic uses and the sources from which they acquire such knowledge. Methods: A representative sample of Jordanian adults was invited to participate in an online survey distributed through social media platforms. Key findings: The results showed that 77.6% of the participants had received an antibiotic at least once in the past 12 months. About two thirds reported no problems with using a different brand name (alternative) for the prescribed antibiotic. The majority of respondents trust the decisions made by pharmacists. Moreover, participants with higher ages, female participants, those with a higher level of education, uninsured participants, and those with a medicine-related degree showed better antibiotic knowledge compared to others (P<0.05 for all). Conclusion: There is a good level of antibiotic-related knowledge amongst Jordanian adults. However, prevalent misconceptions and improper use also exist, indicating the need for focused attention on correcting such practices that might adversely impact the health of the community as a whole.

How consumers assess retailer brand substitution strategy: Impact of perceived similarity and consumer attachment

The objective of this study is to examine how consumers assess brand substitution strategies implemented by retailers, focusing specifically on the transition from Promogro to MG (Magasin Général) retailer brand. A quantitative study involving 351 Tunisian customers who regularly patronize supermarkets (Promogro and MG) was conducted to test hypotheses and analyze the impact of various factors in April 2022. The research model was evaluated through structural equation modeling (SEM) using the AMOS 22 software. The results indicate a negative correlation between consumers’ attachment to the old retail brand and their attitude toward the brand substitution process (β = –0.09*, p < 0.01). Furthermore, perceptions of the retailer brand emerged as a significant mediating factor influencing the relationship between attitudes and consumers’ intention to revisit the new retailer brand (β = 0.29**, confidence interval [0.17; 0.51]). Additionally, the study found that the association between consumer attachment and perceptions of the new retailer brand is positively moderated by perceived similarity (β = 0.226, p = 0.00). Specifically, when there is a high degree of resemblance between the two retailer brands, customers with a stronger attachment to the former brand tend to have a more favorable perception of the new retailer brand. This study provides valuable insights for managers, helping them identify critical success criteria that facilitate customer acceptance of brand changes and offering guidance on effectively substituting retailer brand names.

Automotive culture of China and Russia

INTRODUCTION. The study is devoted to considering the problem of the specifics of Chinese and Russian automotive cultures and is focused on the explication of linguistic facts. The purpose of the study is to analyze the “linguocultural space” of automotive culture, which can be a certain marker of the names of car brands as a specific category of proper names in Chinese and Russian linguistic cultures.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The empirical material for the study was the names of famous car brands in China and Russia, taken from scientific and popular science publications on the history of automotive culture. To describe the facts of the language, a continuous sampling method, a descriptive method and an interpretation method, and definitional analysis were used.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. It has been established that automotive culture, being a component of national culture, reflects a specific way of human activity. Automotive culture is strengthened by local car brands and plays an important role in the economy of any country. Nowadays, Chinese automobile culture plays an important role in the global market, providing people with increasingly competitive cars and services, and taking an active place in the life of modern society. The future of the Chinese automotive industry will pursue a path of self-reliant and highquality development to create a favorable living environment for people.CONCLUSION. The development of automotive culture is largely determined by the degree of significant semantic indicators, which include “prestige”, “reliability”, “comfort”, “price”, “fashion”. These indicators for native speakers of both Chinese and Russian languages are assigned to the names of car brands and give an idea of automotive culture, reflected in the form of the so-called “image of the world,” which explicates the linguistic component, taking into account the specifics of the national culture and the native speaker at the same time, reflecting important information about different linguistic cultures in the context of synchrony.

Promoting the fashion industry through digital marketing: The relationship of digital marketing strategies to consumer behavior and fashion. & beauty trends

This research aimed to spotlight the role of digital marketing in modernizing the beauty and fashion sector. It sought to uncover the relationship between digital marketing strategies promoting the fashion industry and their influence on consumer behavior. The study also explored how marketing campaigns designed to attract consumers impact the shaping of trends in the world of fashion and beauty. Finally, a SWOT analysis was conducted to discern expected strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges in this trend. Employing an analytical and descriptive approach, the researcher analyzed responses from 100 consumers and social media followers in the Republic of Iraq. The questionnaire, aligned with the research hypotheses, was divided into four axes. Computer statistical methods, including SPSS ver. 23 and T-test and F-test, were employed to test the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The research verified the hypothesis, establishing a significant relationship between the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies in promoting the fashion industry and their impact on consumer behavior and fashion and beauty trends. The findings suggested that fashion trends positively influence brands in both commercial and digital marketing. The research concluded with proposals advocating for the adoption of innovative and interactive digital marketing strategies in the fashion industry. Emphasis was placed on building relationships through social media, enhancing consumer experiences, and organizing interactive digital marketing campaigns to guide new trends in the dynamic world of fashion and beauty

NIAAA/NIDA animal study: Diet drug may help treat AUD

Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and collaborators from The Scripps Research Institute, have found that semaglutide (brand name for the injection drug is Wegovy) — a gut hormone that promotes a feeling of fullness and thus promotes weight loss — can help reduce alcohol consumption and binge‐like drinking. The research is based on a rodent model. Published in the June 2023 issue of the journal JCI Insight, the study adds to growing preclinical evidence that the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) system plays a role in alcohol and other substance use disorders, and that GLP‐1 receptor agonists show potential for treating people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Assessing the Reproducibility of Research Based on the Food and Drug Administration Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience Data.

This article aims to assess the reproducibility of Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) data-driven studies by analyzing the data queries used in their research processes. Studies using MAUDE data were sourced from PubMed by searching for "MAUDE" or "Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience" in titles or abstracts. We manually chose articles with executable queries. The reproducibility of each query was assessed by replicating it in the MAUDE Application Programming Interface. The reproducibility of a query is determined by a reproducibility coefficient that ranges from 0.95 to 1.05. This coefficient is calculated by comparing the number of medical device reports (MDRs) returned by the reproduced queries to the number of reported MDRs in the original studies. We also computed the reproducibility ratio, which is the fraction of reproducible queries in subgroups divided by the query complexity, the device category, and the presence of a data processing flow. As of August 8, 2022, we identified 523 articles from which 336 contained queries, and 60 of these were executable. Among these, 14 queries were reproducible. Queries using a single field like product code, product class, or brand name showed higher reproducibility (50%, 33.3%, 31.3%) compared with other fields (8.3%, P = 0.037). Single-category device queries exhibited a higher reproducibility ratio than multicategory ones, but without statistical significance (27.1% versus 8.3%, P = 0.321). Studies including a data processing flow had a higher reproducibility ratio than those without, although this difference was not statistically significant (42.9% versus 17.4%, P = 0.107). Our findings indicate that the reproducibility of queries in MAUDE data-driven studies is limited. Enhancing this requires the development of more effective MAUDE data query strategies and improved application programming interfaces.