Purpose This research examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on marketing communications strategies and processes, a gap within the empirical knowledge. Design/methodology/approach Using a multi-case study methodology based on three leading global companies: a beverage company that uses generative AI, a beauty distributor that uses conversational AI and an athletic apparel company that uses predictive AI, we explore the pervasive impact of AI. Findings Our framework reveals three overarching structural transformations: the dissolution of linear time barriers (real-time processing), the intensification of personalization (1:1 predictive analytics) and the offloading of strategic decisions to machines (machine learning). As part of our model development, we propose a new conceptual framework, the Adaptive Engagement Loop (AEL), which re-casts marketing communications as a perpetual, self-evolving process of five stages through AI. Originality/value This research serves as a theoretical intervention to transform AI from part of brand storytelling to a distributed brand storyteller, and from communication to collaboration, content to experience and segmentation to identity formation. From a managerial point of view, it provides direction to the responsible use of AI by proposing the setting of creative boundaries, investing in clear data models and user consent mechanisms and fostering cross-functional collaboration.

While digital transformation is crucial for the sustainability of family businesses, existing frameworks inadequately explain how digitalization capabilities develop during succession, particularly in emerging markets. Through a qualitative comparative case study of six Croatian family firms undergoing simultaneous first-time succession and digitalization, this study examines how founder engagement influences the development of dynamic capabilities (DC). Drawing on DCs framework, this study identified three patterns: (1) actively supportive founders enable comprehensive capabilities (sensing, seizing, and transforming) through structured efforts, facilitating successful transitions (2) traditional control with selective permission (i.e., passive support by founders); yields moderate capabilities for partial adaptation; and (3) founders' resistance, despite successors’ enthusiasm, limits firms to basic sensing. These manifest through three pathways: technological adaptation fosters integrative capabilities, external knowledge integration builds absorptive capacity, and internal development enhances organizational learning, each shaped by founder-successor dynamics. This research advances theory by revealing how family relationships can override market forces in capability building, thereby challenging assumptions about the inevitability of digital technology. Findings emphasize that success requires aligned intergenerational support, with founder attitudes as critical gatekeepers. The Croatian context—characterized by institutional voids and cultural tensions—makes these dynamics particularly visible for emerging economies.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to synthesize the fragmented body of knowledge on COO effects in the context of luxury brands’ international marketing strategies. The study aims to uncover how luxury marketers utilize COO images to shape consumer perceptions and decision-making processes. Additionally, it seeks to bridge gaps in the literature by providing a structured research agenda for future studies that addresses the unique role of COO-based international marketing strategies in luxury markets. Design/methodology/approachThis study conducts a systematic literature review of 79 research articles on international marketing strategies used by luxury brands leveraging country-of-origin effects. The PRISMA protocol guides article selection, while bibliometric analysis identifies publication trends, theories, methods, and contexts. Finally, the Antecedent–Decision–Outcome (ADO) and Theory–Context–Method (TCM) frameworks are applied to structure the literature into key strategic drivers, consumer responses, and outcomes related to country-of-origin strategies. FindingsThe review identifies six categories of antecedents: four strategy-related (COO competence and image strategies, international brand management strategies, international product management and attribute differentiation strategies, and international pricing and marketing investment strategies) and two context-related (cultural and psychographic dynamics of international consumers, and economic and market entry conditions). These antecedents influence two decision categories: brand and product evaluation, and consumer identity expression. These decisions lead to three key consumer-level outcomes: purchase likelihood, value assessment, and brand performance. Overall, the review provides a structured understanding of how COO-based strategies impact luxury brand marketing and consumer behaviour across global markets. Originality/valueThis review is the first systematic synthesis of country-of-origin strategies in international luxury marketing. By using the ADO and TCM frameworks together, it offers a clear, structured view of how luxury product manufacturers use country-of-origin cues to influence consumers across global markets. Its originality lies not just in organizing past research, but in exposing key gaps in theories, methods, and contexts. It shows the overuse of narrow information-processing models and highlights opportunities to apply richer theories like identity and cultural frameworks. The study also presents a detailed agenda for future research and provides practical insights for managers on how to use international country-of-origin related strategies more effectively in the marketing of luxury products.

Family-owned B2B firms must navigate the dual challenge of cultivating long-term business relationships while rapidly adapting to market disruptions, particularly during generational transitions. Although marketing agility is crucial in dynamic business environments, little attention has been paid to its evolution across generations in family firms. Drawing on dynamic capabilities theory, we conduct a longitudinal multiple-case study of nine Croatian B2B family firms during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent crises. Based on 76 in-depth interviews and archival data covering the period from 2022 to 2024, we found that marketing agility emerges not as a standalone capability but rather as an outcome of the way founders' relational expertise and successors' digital and analytical capabilities are combined over time. We propose that such intergenerational integration is conceptualized as “layered marketing agility,” which explains how firms reconcile the need to maintain stable relationships with the need for rapid market adaptability. This research contributes to the marketing agility theory by situating it within dynamic capability processes and also extends family business research by explaining how intergenerational interaction acts as a source of adaptive advantage in turbulent B2B markets.

Purpose: This article uncovers the changes in sports sponsorship and its marketing, economic and social effects due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews and an online survey were conducted on a dyadic longitudinal sample of sports properties and corresponding sponsors in 2020, 2021 and 2022. ANew scales were developed to map the specific influence of Covid-19 on sports sponsorship, with validity and reliability. Conceptual model is proposed and tested with regression models. Findings: The research findings suggest that the changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic influence sponsorship effects by altering the expectations of various sponsorship stakeholders. Surprisingly, the changes in consumer behaviour do not directly influence the changes in the expectations of the different sponsorship stakeholders at the beginning of the pandemic, and the trends do not influence the expectations or the relationships among the sponsorship stakeholders now, when all of them have already adapted to the new reality of Covid-19. AMoreover, changes in the expectations of different sponsorship stakeholders only affect sponsorship effects when the relationship is moderated by a sustainable stakeholder engagement. Originality: This research highlights the importance of sponsors and sports properties collaborating with other stakeholders (consumers, society and government). The collaboration between these stakeholders is at the heart of the newly proposed model of a network of relationships in sponsorship, which opens up this field for future research.

This study examines customer prioritization, a strategic practice where businesses allocate resources and efforts based on customer value. While its significance in international marketing continues to grow, limited research exists on how customer prioritization is understood and applied in international firms operating across diverse cultural contexts. Addressing this gap, the study explores how international-marketing managers conceptualize customer prioritization and identifies its key components. Using a qualitative methodology, the study conducted in-depth interviews with Slovene international-marketing and sales managers from 13 export-oriented firms. Thematic analysis, guided by the Gioia methodology, identified four central themes: prioritization tactics and strategies, international customer profitability, headquarters–subsidiary relationships, and customer relationship management. The results indicate that companies adopt varied prioritization strategies influenced by factors such as product lines, customer size, industry significance, and the importance of foreign markets. Furthermore, subsidiaries play a pivotal role in collecting and relaying local market knowledge to headquarters, facilitating effective customer prioritization. This research advances the conceptual understanding of customer prioritization as a dynamic capability that shapes customer relationship management strategies in international firms and can enhance profitability in foreign markets.

Purpose The research article aims to delineate and place into context consumer resistance within the realm of global consumer culture (GCC). It delves into exploring its fundamental forms, establishing a conceptual foundation and outlining implications for future inquiry. Design/methodology/approach The article adopts a comprehensive conceptual outlook by amalgamating existing insights from a systematic analysis of 110 articles spanning diverse fields like sociology, psychology, marketing and economics. It devises an innovative framework that encapsulates the varying manifestations of consumer resistance based on intensity and target, while proposing an integrative antecedents-decisions-outcomes (ADO) model to elucidate the stimuli, forms and repercussions of resistance within the GCC landscape. Findings The article categorizes and delineates different consumer dispositions that underpin resistance, showcasing a spectrum of consumer resistance at micro, meso and macro levels and distinguishing between passive and active behaviors. The ADO framework uncovers identity-based, culture-based and socio-economic motivations as pivotal triggers of resistance, various resistance actions as decisions, and multifaceted outcomes that influence consumers, brands, businesses, markets and the GCC itself. Additionally, the study acknowledges notable research gaps and sets forth a comprehensive research agenda for future exploration. Originality/value This research offers a distinctive theoretical contribution by furnishing an exhaustive and unified framework for comprehending consumer resistance within the realm of GCC. It establishes connections between diverse disciplinary perspectives, introduces crucial new conceptualizations of resistance manifestations and delineates a research roadmap to enhance the comprehension of this increasingly salient phenomenon in the domain of international marketing.

This study presents a focused and cohesive investigation into the demand side of the informal economy through a systematic literature review (SLR) of 76 peer-reviewed articles. While previous research has predominantly addressed supply-side dynamics, this study shifts the focus to consumer related factors within informal markets. The review follows a rigorous protocol using Web of Science and Scopus databases, adhering to PRISMA guidelines and applying established frameworks: theories–contexts–methods (TCM) and antecedents–decisions–outcomes (ADO). Our findings highlight that while consumer antecedents—such as economic, social, and contextual drivers—are well documented, decisions and outcomes remain underexplored. This study contributes by developing an integrative model that maps the complex interplay between consumer behavior, firm strategies, and policy responses. Theoretically, it advances understanding by bridging informal economy literature with marketing and behavioral theories. Practically, it offers actionable insights for policymakers, businesses, and informal actors, enabling more inclusive and responsive approaches to economic governance and consumer empowerment.

Aim: This study focused on the interdependence of the informal economy and sustainable consumer behaviour. By using cluster analysis, it challenges traditional views that categorise the informal economy as marginal and economically backward. Methodology: A survey was used to collect the data from a group of respondents from Poland, representing generation Z (n = 115). Results: The research results made it possible to distinguish between two groups: one that actively chooses informal markets based on values, such as concern for the environment, social equality and identification with the global community, and another one that leans towards more traditional market approaches. The paper highlights that participation in the informal market involves a value-based choice influenced by ethical, environmental and ideological considerations, among others. Implications and recommendations: The findings offer valuable implications for policymakers and businesses, stressing the need for adaptive action that is in line with emerging consumer priorities and the changing role of the informal economy in sustainable development. Originality/value: This study links economic behaviour with psychological constructs. Previous research in this area focused on informal market participation to a very limited extent, mainly among marginalised groups (e.g. low-income populations). In turn, consumers with other characteristics, such as greater concern for the environment and a perceived need for equality, also engage in the informal economy, suggesting that ethical and sustainability considerations may guide informal market choices.

The purpose of this study is to examine the current factors that influence the attitudes and intentions of experienced dual-role consumers toward collaborative consumption (CC), an area that has received less attention in previous research. Based on a multi-theoretical perspective, we propose a conceptual model that incorporates rational choice theory to explain consumers' beliefs. This model also integrates a sociocultural perspective and establishes a link between consumers' beliefs, their attitudes toward CC, and their intentions to participate in CC, by employing the Beliefs-Attitudes-Intentions framework. A study conducted on a sample of 501 individuals involved in CC as both providers and consumers found a significant and positive relationship between CC attitudes and intentions. In addition, the study found that age negatively influences this relationship, suggesting that the strength of the relationship varies depending on the age of the participants. The effect of risk of property damage, self-utility, and eco-utility on CC attitudes and intentions is significant. The relationship between trust and CC intention is fully mediated by CC attitude. However, consumer resistance to CC only has a positive direct effect on CC intention, but not on CC attitude. No evidence was found that perceived helpfulness of CC has an influence on attitudes toward CC and the desire to participate in CC. The results of this study suggest that for experienced individuals who both consume and provide in the CC context, the decision to continue to participate in CC can be considered a rational choice.

Purpose - This study aims to conduct a thorough literature review to map current studies on international marketing capabilities (IMCs) applying dynamic capabilities view (DCV). The aim of this study is to increase the chances for more conceptual and terminological rigor in future research in this particular research area.Design/methodology/approach - This is a systematic literature review following the established review process of reviews in leading (international) marketing journals. A multilevel analytical approach was adopted, combining inductive coding with deductive coding and following the logic of antecedents-phenomena-consequences.Findings - Synthesis of 20 rigorously selected previous empirical studies on IMCs applying DCV reveals that academic interest in these capabilities is well justified and growing and there are some well researched antecedents to focal capabilities (e.g. inter-organizational capabilities, outside-in market orientation) as well as their prevalent consequences (e.g. export and innovation performance). There is little knowledge of moderators to these links, especially with regard to consequences. This review illustrates that the current research lacks consistency in how key constructs are defined and measured, provides the guide to future conceptualization and measurement of so-called International Dynamic Marketing Capabilities (IDMCs) and proposes some concrete research directions.Originality/value - The authors extend prior research in the investigated topic by critically evaluating prior works, providing improved conceptualization of IDMCs as well as concrete research agenda for IDMCs structured along recommendations for Theory, Context and Methods (TCM framework).

Purpose In this paper, the authors aim to introduce international dynamic marketing capabilities (IDMCs) theoretically derived from marketing capabilities (MCs), dynamic marketing capabilities (DMCs) and international marketing capabilities (IMCs) and provide a novel conceptualization of the concept by applying a holistic view of the international enterprise. Design/methodology/approach This is a literature review that maps the current research on MCs, DMCs and IMCs and serves as a basis for the theoretical conceptualization of a novel IDMCs concept as well as for the identification of research gaps and the development of future research directions on this phenomenon. Findings Existing typologies of MCs, DMCs and IMCs are classified into four categories: strategic, operational, analytical and value creation capabilities. A new typology of IDMCs is proposed, consisting of digital MC and dynamic internationalization capability as strategic capabilities, agile IMC, IM excellence and absorptive capability in IM as operational capabilities, IM resilience capability, IM knowledge management capability, AI-enabled IDMC and Industry 4.0-enabled IDMC as analytical capabilities, and ambidextrous IM innovation capability as value creation capability. Finally, the authors identify research gaps and develop research questions that open future research avenues for the coming years. Originality/value This paper offers a novel view of MCs, DMCs and IMCs and argues that, in contrast to the majority of previous research, a comprehensive understanding of these is only possible if all levels are considered simultaneously: the strategic, the operational, the analytical and the value creation level. A new conceptualization and typology of IDMCs follows this logic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has expedited the integration of social robots within the healthcare sector. This research employs a tripartite methodology, combining Google Trends analysis, bibliometric analysis, and a systematic literature review, to gauge both public and research interest in social robots within the healthcare domain. In the Google Trends analysis, search query data for "Social Robots" was retrieved, encompassing both "all categories" and the specific "health" category. Seasonal effects on relative search volumes (RSV) were assessed through the cosinor model. The analysis confirmed statistically significant seasonal patterns in RSV for "social robots" within the "health" category. Conversely, for the broader "all categories," only the intercept showed significance, while sinw and cosw were deemed insignificant. For bibliometric analysis, the global literature on "robotics" and "healthcare" was examined in the SCOPUS database. From the extensive pool of publications, 144 relevant studies were identified out of 4037 publications. These studies were further analyzed using VOSviewer, providing insights into recent trends and hot topics concerning social robots in healthcare. The systematic literature review focused on 46 articles published from 2019 to the end of 2023. The findings revealed a lack of consensus on the drivers, barriers, and outcomes associated with social robot acceptance and human-robot interaction (HRI). The study systematically maps the existing research on these aspects, introducing a novel categorization and presenting the concept of a "robot user's ecosystem." This concept emphasizes the imperative involvement of all stakeholders in the development and understanding of social robots. Ultimately, this methodological approach not only identifies nine research gaps in the current literature but also formulates numerous research questions to guide future researchers in this domain.

This study addresses the challenges of digitally transforming teams from conventional to virtual environments in response to the unique conditions of a global pandemic lock-down and the need for business survival, rather than as a proactive strategic move initiated and encouraged by senior management. Based on dynamic capabilities theory, we use 18 in-depth interviews to identify the skills and capabilities required for successful transition at the individual and organizational levels. First, at the individual level, communication differences (i.e., informal vs. formal, spontaneous vs. structured, and synchronous vs. sequential) were identified when comparing conventional and virtual teams. Second, at the organizational level, this study identified several challenges related to the digital transformation of teams (e.g., onboarding challenges, barriers in the virtual environment, structural challenges, new team roles such as change manager, chief officer of happiness, etc.). Finally, seven different digital dynamic capabilities are proposed for teams transforming to a virtual environment.

This paper addresses the emergence of greenwashing and examines its implications for the development of green marketing strategies. It starts from the premise that companies face vigilant environmental activism when developing B2B marketing strategies, focusing on identifying discrepancies between intended marketing messages and actual practices, as well as an increasingly tightening regulatory environment. The core of the paper is a systematic review of interdisciplinary research on greenwashing in the B2B context with a focus on B2B marketing implications. In particular, this study contributes to a modern understanding of greenwashing by providing a new framework for the typology, drivers, and consequences of greenwashing. It also contrasts theories that help explain the greenwashing phenomenon through an interdisciplinary perspective. Finally, this study points out the gaps in existing research on this phenomenon and offers rich future research directions.

The aim of this study is to show how consumers' pursuit of social identity drives collaborative consumption. A survey conducted among active participants in various forms of collaborative consumption found four types of users with clearly distinguishable characteristics: Social Followers, Distrustful Prosumers, Doubtful Laggards and Traditional Spenders. We use social identity theory to explain why those users who engage in collaborative consumption because of sociability and seeking excitement are also highly environmentally conscious (Social Followers), while very frugal users show the least trust towards what collaborative consumption has to offer (Distrustful Prosumers). We observe favourable social identity for collaborative consumption in the Social Followers segment and unfavourable social identity in the Doubtful Laggards segment. Our findings suggest that social identity plays an important role in forming consumers' intentions to participate in collaborative consumption. At the general level of collaborative consumption, our study confirms previous findings that social values outweigh environmental and economic values. However, this study contributes to the discussion and closes the research gap by explaining that each component may predominate depending on the type of collaborative consumption user.