Purpose The internationalisation of higher education is essential for global academic recognition and cross-cultural exchange. India, with its strong educational legacy, aspires to be a key global player but faces challenges in attracting international students despite initiatives like National Education Policy 2020 and Study in India. This study examines the barriers and strategic pathways to strengthening India's global higher education presence. Design/methodology/approach This study employs a systematic literature review (SLR), which is informed by a critical interpretive synthesis approach. It examines existing literature, policy documents and comparative global education frameworks to identify key determinants influencing international student mobility. It critically examines systemic issues within Indian HEIs and evaluates strategic interventions that can enhance India's appeal as a study destination. Findings The study highlights governance inefficiencies, infrastructure gaps, inadequate student support and curriculum misalignment as key barriers to India's global education competitiveness. However, India's affordability, cultural diversity and policy reforms offer growth potential. Strategic improvements in governance, curriculum, marketing and policy are crucial to closing the gap between aspirations and outcomes. Practical implications This article provides policymakers, educators and institutional leaders with a structured roadmap for strengthening India's position as an attractive international education destination. The recommendations focus on improving institutional frameworks, fostering international partnerships, enhancing student experience and leveraging India's competitive advantages to meet global benchmarks. Originality/value This study offers a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive and multidimensional analysis of the internationalisation of Indian HEIs, integrating governance, curriculum, infrastructure and global branding. Unlike prior research focusing on isolated aspects, it provides a holistic perspective, advancing discourse on higher education internationalisation in emerging economies and laying the groundwork for future empirical studies.

The rapid expansion of social media platforms has fundamentally transformed the marketing landscape, enabling brands to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries with unprecedented efficiency. This study investigates the role of social media marketing in enhancing cross-cultural brand visibility, with a specific focus on Indian consumers. Using a structured survey instrument administered to 120 respondents comprising students, working professionals, entrepreneurs, and homemakers, this research evaluates critical dimensions including social media platform usage, brand discovery patterns, cross-cultural content engagement, consumer trust, purchase influence, and overall satisfaction with brand communications across cultures. The study examines the differential effectiveness of platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter/X in facilitating cross-cultural brand exposure among Indian audiences. Findings reveal that Instagram and YouTube collectively dominate cross-cultural brand discovery, with a mean overall satisfaction score of 3.84 out of 5. Approximately 71.7% of respondents affirmed that social media marketing significantly enhances their awareness of international and culturally diverse brands. Key challenges identified include content language barriers, cultural misrepresentation, information overload, and lack of regional personalization. The study concludes with strategic recommendations for global brands seeking to optimize their cross-cultural visibility through targeted social media interventions in the Indian consumer market. INDEX TERMS Social Media Marketing, Cross-Cultural Branding, Brand Visibility, Indian Consumers, Digital Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Cultural Diversity, Brand Engagement.

Purpose: This commentary paper argues that the unauthorised commodification of African design patterns by global brands constitutes a form of neo-colonial extraction. It aims to distinguish this from ethical appreciation by analysing the roles of power, profit, and permission. Methodology/Design: The commentary employs a critical analysis of historical context and contemporary case studies (e.g., Vlisco, Louis Vuitton, Maasai IP Initiative) to trace patterns of appropriation and emerging models for equity. Findings: Appropriation systematically displaces artisan economies and distorts cultural identity, facilitated by a legal void in the protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs). Ethical models, however, demonstrate that collaboration based on consent, credit, and compensation is viable. Practical and Social Implications: The findings necessitate a shift in industry practice toward co-creation and revenue-sharing to remediate economic harm and cultural erosion. This supports the cultural sovereignty of African communities as authors and partners. Originality: The analysis uniquely frames appropriation as a continuous neo-colonial economic practice, moving beyond symbolic critique to propose concrete, relational frameworks for transforming cross-cultural engagement.

Abstract This paper examines the structural and managerial tensions between the American franchise sports model and the English Premier League (EPL) model through a comparative case study of Manchester United under the ownership of the Glazer family since 2005. The study investigates whether the application of American sports management principles—characterised by financial engineering, revenue maximisation, and corporate governance—has contributed to the club’s relative decline in sporting performance within the open, merit-based EPL system. Drawing on a comparative analytical framework, the research contrasts the closed, stability-oriented American franchise model with the competitive, promotion–relegation structure of the EPL. It then analyses financial data, governance changes, commercial strategies, and on-field performance metrics during the Glazer era. The findings reveal that while American-style management significantly enhanced commercial revenues and global brand expansion, the leveraged buyout structure imposed sustained financial burdens that constrained reinvestment in sporting infrastructure, squad development, and long-term football strategy. The study further identifies governance misalignment, delayed modernisation of football operations, and cultural disconnection from supporters as critical factors exacerbating performance decline, particularly after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. The results suggest that the American management mindset, when applied without contextual adaptation, creates structural inefficiencies in an open and highly competitive football ecosystem. The paper concludes that successful cross-cultural sports ownership requires a hybrid approach that integrates financial discipline with deep contextual understanding of sporting, institutional, and cultural dynamics. It highlights broader implications for global sports governance, emphasising the need to balance commercial objectives with sporting performance and stakeholder legitimacy

The Reading Seed Programme (RSP) by PUSTAKA Negeri Sarawak has the potential to be the core nationwide literacy programme, especially to instil a reading culture. For instance, the RSP was invented to foster parent engagement with their children in an early intervention of childhood literacy and reading programmes since the mother started the programme during pregnancy. Therefore, this study seeks to gather empirical data to measure the extent to which this RSP met its objective of enhancing parents’ engagement in toddlers’ reading journeys. Purposive sampling was employed to collect the data among the RSP participants (parents who enrolled in the RSP). 385 completed online questionnaires, which yielded a 92.33% response rate. This research demonstrates that the RSP significantly enhances parents' engagement with their toddlers, particularly in reading. However, the programme needs to address individual learning capabilities, incorporate updates or monitoring systems, strengthen the training, establish a strategic roadmap for the RSP outcomes, and clarify the programme's attitudinal components with respect to the targeted outcomes. The RSP needs to continuously empower programme implementation to become a global brand of early childhood reading programmes.

Brand culture refers to the shared values, stories, symbols, and practices associated with a brand that influence consumer perception and engagement. This paper explores how brand culture is formed, how it affects consumer behavior, and how consumers, in turn, influence brand identity. Through case studies of global and local brands, the paper highlights the importance of authenticity, emotional connection, and community in shaping brand-consumer relationships.

ABSTRACT The metaverse is emerging as a key driver of digital transformation, offering companies unprecedented opportunities to reshape business practices and customer interactions. Contemporary corporate investments – from tech giants to global brands – demonstrate their rapid adoption across industries. Despite growing interest, the metaverse research field remains fragmented, with limited clarity of its development, business implications and strategic potential. This study addresses this gap by providing an integrated analysis of the current metaverse landscape, combining a systematic literature review with bibliometric and science mapping analysis. We identify the main characteristics of metaverse research and highlight the thematic areas explored by scholars and their temporal evolution. In this study, we identify and discuss the emerging dimensions of the Metaverse – namely, industries, technologies and sustainability – providing a comprehensive framework to understand its current development and strategic business potential. Therefore, by applying Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory and the metaverse technology development process, this study proposes a strategic opportunity map for the technological development process of the metaverse. By doing so, the study offers both theoretical and managerial insights and sets a foundation for future research and practice in the evolving metaverse ecosystem.

Research shows that users are more likely to engage with brand communication on social media when posts feature images of people, animals, or objects in motion. We argue that a comprehensive account of implied motion must also consider motion density—the number of distinct actions depicted within an image. A content analysis of 7,142 Instagram posts from 100 global brands reveals that posts receive more likes when they contain images depicting a single action, compared to multiple actions. A follow-up experimental study (N = 503) explains this effect. Images with multiple actions are perceived as messier and more difficult to process, ultimately reducing user interaction. Our research advances advertising literature by showing that audience responses depend not only on the presence of motion but also on how many actions are depicted. Practically, single-action (vs. multiple action) images elicit more user interaction, indicating that simpler visuals outperform more complex ones.

INTRODUCTION . The interpretation of visual and linguistic codes, legal and ethical security, the application of technologies such as artificial intelligence, and the need to develop regulatory standards to prevent conflicts and increase consumer trust have been analyzed. The aim of the study is to analyze advertising text not as a static unit, but as a dynamic process of meanings generation, regulated by cultural codes and legal restrictions. MATERIALS AND METHODS . The research used a descriptive method to collect and analyze materials, identify key problems, and adaptation practices in advertising. This approach facilitated the systematization of marketing strategies, understanding of intercultural communication, and the features of textual and visual implementation of advertising messages across different cultures. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . A comprehensive theoretical analysis of marketing linguoculturology as a dynamically developing scientific field that synthesizes the tools of linguistics, marketing, and cultural studies has been carried out. Special attention is given to issues of interpreting polycode texts, the specifics of functioning of linguocultural scenarios, and the legal and ethical boundaries of language game and euphemism in advertising discourse. Based on the analysis of doctoral dissertations from 2021–2025 and current judicial practice materials, patterns of global brands adapting to national worldviews and the role of non-profit values in shaping consumer behavior have been identified. CONCLUSION . Drawing on the analysis, it is proposed to improve advertising legislation and practice, including prohibiting the use of phonetic, graphic, and visual equivalents of swear words, and introducing the concept of “associative meaning reconstruction” for linguistic examinations. It is recommended to require mandatory preliminary linguocultural expertise, establish an expert council, and develop automated verification systems using AI. Additionally, training specialists and regularly updating regulatory standards are essential for increasing ethical standards and ensuring culturally safe communication in advertising.

Introduction. Advertising formats are transforming as a result of technological developments. One manifestation of this transformation is interactive elements in heterogeneous brand advertising messages. Timely research into this transformation will allow us to systematise knowledge about interactive advertising formats and determine their degree of effectiveness. Relevance and purpose. The focus of the work is on examples of interactive advertising from global and local brands, research that supports their effectiveness, and evidence against it. The purpose of the study is to outline the specifics of using interactive formats. Methodology. Content analysis was used, based on advertising campaigns of brands that demonstrate various interactive elements and ways of using them. For the objectivity of the study, the systematisation of existing works on the effectiveness of interactive advertising formats was also used. Results. Content analysis of advertising allowed us to determine that interactive elements include videos with a choice of plot, 360-degree videos, VR and AR advertising, and online games. It was found that the effectiveness of such formats is due to high customer engagement and novelty of experience, but at the same time, some arguments are ambiguous, and some advertising formats can lead to negative consequences such as disorientation. Conclusions. The study shows an increase in demand for the use of interactive elements in advertising. Private companies use heterogeneous interactive advertising, but it is impossible to unequivocally confirm the effectiveness of a particular format.

Abstract This study explores how brands and users communicate through emojis across culturally distinct markets, focusing on Turkish- and English-speaking users on social media platform X. It examines cross-cultural differences in emoji usage patterns, specifically their prevalence, diversity, preferences, and emotional meanings, by applying statistical and information theory methods to large-scale social media data collected over an extended period. Our analysis combines descriptive statistics with two empirical studies. The first examines differences in emoji frequency, richness, and preference between the two language groups. The second explores the emotional semantics of emojis by comparing their co-occurrence with emotion-related words, allowing us to assess cross-cultural variation in their emotional interpretation. The findings indicate that brands use more emojis in Turkish posts, whereas English-speaking users tend to use multiple emojis once they do. Although the most frequently used emojis show increasing convergence over time, the emotional meanings assigned to them vary, particularly for positive and neutral emojis, which display greater divergence than negative ones. These results suggest a shared but culturally distinct visual language of emotion in branding. This study enhances marketing communication theory by demonstrating that emoji usage embodies both universal and culturally specific trends in brand messaging. Unlike prior work that often contrasts Western and East Asian cultures, this research includes Turkey as an intermediary case, both as a moderately individualistic society and as an emerging market. By providing a comprehensive cross-cultural analysis of emoji use, the study offers evidence for the potential emergence of a global emoji language while emphasizing the importance of cultural context in interpretation. These insights are valuable for global brand managers seeking to tailor emoji strategies for culturally adaptive and emotionally compelling messaging.

Learning outcomes Upon completion of this case study, students will be able to describe the core tenets of customer experience, the customer journey and touchpoints; create customer journey maps incorporating emotional mapping; explain the importance of social media listening, response and service recovery; apply social media analytics in enhancing customer experience; apply the expectation–confirmation paradigm to explain customer satisfaction, dissatisfaction and intention to reuse; and analyse the implications of customer expectations and perceptions and evaluate the challenges of delivering customer experience excellence in a digitized and online world. Case overview/synopsis Air India embarked on a transformation journey under the Tata Group to compete and lead the dynamic aviation market in not only India but also globally. The market environment was upbeat with the launch of a new global brand identity, huge orders for new planes, technology integration and an enhanced customer experience promise. Despite visible positives and growth in market share, Air India faced significant challenges in delivering a consistent, frictionless experience and was falling short of meeting customer expectations. The airline continued to receive mixed feedback from customers, regulatory notices from DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), poor reviews on third-party websites and a lot of customer angst on social media. While the brand underwent a visual overhaul and introduced various customer-centric initiatives such as the use of AI for real-time customer support, branded uniforms, amenities and enhanced in-flight services, these efforts did not fully translate into improved customer satisfaction on ground. The challenge for Air India was balancing the long-term strategic objectives, focusing on growth and responding to the current customer experience. Complexity academic level This case is suitable for undergraduate/MBA and executive education students. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS8: Marketing.

In International Political Economy (IPE), brands appear across debates on intangible assets, managerialism, supply-chain governance, value capture, and hidden costs; yet, their role in organizing value globally remains secondary. This article advances a critique of the political economy of global branding, arguing that global branding organizes value worldwide through the metamorphoses of brand capital into four forms: commercial, constant, fictitious, and neocolonial. These metamorphoses generate a specular ‘infinite mirrors’ dynamic that magnifies the distance and complexity between the production and realization of value across space and time. Grounded in Marxist value theory and drawing on Harvey’s relational space-time of value, and in dialogue with François Chesnais, who contended that financial capital overflows into other forms of capital, we develop an analytical framework of brand capital metamorphosis through empirical cases from IPE and Business and Management literature. The article’s contribution to IPE is twofold: It centers global branding as a mechanism of value organization that connects dispersed debates into a processual account of capital’s movement, and it offers an analytical tool for examining supply chains, digital platforms, and extractive sectors, revealing mechanisms of valorization and the tensions that sustain accumulation.

• Five studies (N = 4,337) test fact-check label corrections on brand misinformation. • No evidence was found that correcting misinformation causes a familiarity backfire. • Stronger corrections even reverse the harmful effect of repeated misinformation. • Corrections benefit unknown brands more than well-known global brands. • Correction cues are effective, even when absent in later misinformation encounters. Misinformation poses a growing threat to firms, distorting consumer beliefs and damaging brand evaluations. A common corrective strategy involves attaching fact-checking labels to false claims, yet concerns persist that such corrections may backfire by strengthening familiarity with the misinformation. Across five studies (N = 4337), this article systematically compares the competing effects of repetition and correction on belief in corporate misinformation and brand evaluations. Repetition reliably increases belief in misinformation (illusory truth effect), while correction typically offsets this effect and even reverses it with strong, unambiguous labels. This research finds no evidence of a familiarity backfire effect: in none of the studies, repetition increases belief in the misinformation more than correction reduces it. While brand evaluations are less affected by repetition, they do decline following exposure to misinformation and are only partially restored by corrections. The article further examines how brand familiarity and the timing of assessment shape these effects. Corrections are effective both immediately and after a delay, and benefit unfamiliar brands more than familiar ones. Finally, corrections issued at first exposure, reaching new audiences, also reduce belief in misinformation without backfiring during future exposures. These findings inform managerial decisions on misinformation response and contribute to understanding how misinformation familiarity and correction compete in shaping consumer judgments.

The translation of advertising texts is a multifaceted process that transcends simple linguistic substitution, requiring a deep integration of semiotics, cultural studies, and marketing psychology. This article explores the specific translation transformations employed when rendering English advertising content into the Uzbek language. Given the structural divergence between English (an analytic language) and Uzbek (an agglutinative language), as well as the profound cultural differences between Western and Central Asian consumer markets, literal translation often fails to preserve the persuasive impact of the original message. Through a qualitative and comparative analysis of various global and local brand campaigns, this study identifies and categorizes the most effective transformation strategies, including transposition, modulation, adaptation, and transcreation. The findings suggest that successful advertising translation in the English-Uzbek pair is primarily governed by functional and pragmatic equivalence, where the target text is reconstructed to evoke a specific emotional response in the Uzbek-speaking audience.

This study employs a netnographic approach to examine audience engagement with animated non-human influencers in the film K-Pop Demon Hunters, analyzing online discussions to explore how K-pop-inspired animated characters captivate global audiences. Through analysis, the study identifies five key engagement themes. Findings reveal that source- and content-related factors foster parasocial relationships through K-pop-inspired personas, authentic cultural portrayals, and compelling narrative arcs. The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how K-pop-based animated non-human influencers function as credible agents within the Hallyu wave, leveraging actor-network theory to highlight networked interactions among characters, cultural content, and global audiences. Practical implications suggest that media creators and entertainment professionals can enhance global engagement by designing culturally resonant animated characters and cross-media campaigns.

This research aims to analyze global branding strategies in the digital era, focusing on the development of a strong brand, efficient distribution networks, and adaptation to the dynamics of the global market. The primary objective is to explore the key elements of global branding strategies that can enhance a company's competitiveness in the highly competitive global market. The findings indicate that in the digital era, global brands have significant opportunities to increase brand awareness and reach broader markets. The identification of the right target market, the establishment of a universally appealing brand, and effective and consistent communication are key success factors in creating value for companies. Furthermore, the research highlights the importance of brand adaptation to the dynamics of the global market influenced by globalization and digitalization. Optimizing branding strategies through a strong online presence, valuable content, and the utilization of technology and data is crucial to enhancing a company's competitiveness in this digital era

The fashion industry in Indonesia has experienced rapid growth, marked by intense competition among both international and local brands. Adidas, as one of the leading global brands, faces challenges due to a decline in its brand index in recent years, which necessitates effective marketing strategies to sustain consumer loyalty. This study aims to analyze the influence of brand awareness and brand ambassador on consumer purchase decisions for Adidas products in Surabaya. A quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing the Partial Least Square (PLS) method to examine the relationships among variables. The population of this study consists of Adidas consumers in Surabaya, with samples selected through purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaires and tested for validity and reliability prior to analysis. The findings are expected to demonstrate that brand awareness plays a crucial role in building consumer trust and brand image, while brand ambassadors strengthen emotional connections between consumers and the brand. This research contributes theoretically to marketing management and consumer behavior studies, while also providing practical insights for companies in designing more effective marketing strategies. Specifically, the study highlights the importance of optimizing brand awareness and carefully selecting brand ambassadors to enhance consumer purchase decisions in the dynamic fashion market.

Copycat strategies are increasingly used by local brands to leverage global brand associations to influence consumer purchase intentions. However, the effectiveness of this strategy depends on the product context and the form of imitation used. This study aims to analyze the influence of product type (utilitarian vs. hedonic) and copycat strategy (attribute vs. theme) on purchase intention, as well as to test the potential interaction effect between the two factors. The study used a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design with a quantitative approach. Data were collected through a survey of 400 Generation Z and Millennial consumers in Surabaya who were exposed to copycat product stimuli. Data analysis was performed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results showed that product type and copycat strategy independently had a significant effect on purchase intention. However, no significant interaction effect was found between product type and copycat strategy. This finding indicates that the influence of these two variables on purchase intention works separately without forming a combined effect.

The rapid integration of Virtual Reality (VR) into the digital ecosystem is transforming brands from passive content delivery into a powerful spatial entertainment. Within them, global brands are designing complex, themed virtual brandscapes to secure deep user engagement. This article adopts a critical, qualitative semiotic analysis to investigate the multimodal sign systems (visual, spatial, auditory, and interactive) within three distinct branded VR worlds: Gucci Town, IKEA’s Co-Worker Game, and NIKEland. The analysis synthesizes classical semiotic theory with Sherry’s brandscape theory. Results illustrate how a curated architecture of meaning can emulate brand worlds virtually, manage user attention, and spatial orientation through curated zones. This semiotic infrastructure functions as an enticing virtual entertainment, encoding brand attributes as gamified rewards and interactive cues designed to initiate specific consumption behaviors. The conceptual advancement demonstrates how VR environments translate semiotic systems into motivational constructs that transform users into participants within a choreographed brand narrative. Within these persuasive spatial presences, lines are blurred between entertainment, sociality, and branding, establishing a strong mechanism of influence. The article concludes by arguing that strategically designed VR brandscapes have the potential to foster addictive and exploitative user engagement.