In today’s rapidly evolving world, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has become paramount, offering unparalleled value propositions and unparalleled consumer experiences. This study delves into the transformative impact of five AI activities on brand experience and consumer-based brand equity within the retail banking landscape of Lebanon. Employing a quantitative deductive approach and a sample of 211 respondents, the research employs structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The findings underscore the significant influence of four AI marketing activities on brand experience, revealing that factors such as information, accessibility, and customization play pivotal roles, while interaction has a less pronounced effect. Importantly, the study unveils that brand experience acts as a partial mediator between AI marketing activities and consumer-based brand equity. These revelations not only illuminate pathways for retail banks in Lebanon to refine their AI strategies but also underscore the importance of leveraging AI-driven marketing initiatives to bolster customer equity, acquisition, and retention efforts in an increasingly competitive market age.

The lack of attention from mining companies to the majority of areas still affected by mining activities can result in regional economic disparities and high levels of social violence. It is crucial to have policy strategies for mining contributions to rural development equity and social violence reduction through CSR assistance and other aid funds. This research employs the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis method using the MULTIPOL analysis tool. Recommended action programs include the construction of schools, provision of scholarships, job openings, business capital, and infrastructure development, supported by strong regulations and law enforcement. Cracking down on illegal mining permits is essential to reduce environmental damage. Holistic and sustainable integration policies, alongside effective law enforcement, are necessary to achieve the goals of equitable development and social violence reduction. These steps should be reinforced with incentives for traditional/community leaders and increased police/military presence in villages within the next 2 years, particularly in zones 2 and 3 of the mining areas. Failure to implement these measures could escalate social violence, jeopardize security, and impede the operations of mining companies in Kolaka. The findings of this research support the priority of security and orderliness in development and underscore the importance of diverse research methods for mining area development policies.

The bubble milk tea industry in Malaysia which was thought to have slowed down in the recent years since its first appearance in 2010 has made a comeback. At the point of conducting this research, there are almost 100 brands of bubble milk tea in Malaysia and it is not surprising that some of these shops are selling more than a thousand cups a day. However, there has been limited research conducted on factors influencing brand equity on bubble milk tea brands in Johor Bahru. This study is to investigate whether brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand awareness and brand association influence brand equity on bubble milk tea brands in Johor Bahru through distribution of online questionnaires. This study novelty is at the examining the factors influencing brand equity in the context of bubble milk tea in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Data derived from responses of 400 respondents through sampling were analysed using SPSS v29. Hypotheses testing performed through simple linear regression revealed that brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand awareness and brand association have significant effect on brand equity of bubble milk tea brands in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It was also demonstrated that perceived quality has the most significance influence on brand equity. Organizations in the bubble milk tea industries are able to benefit from these findings by prioritizing their marketing strategies to gain competitive edge over their competitors. With findings that perceived quality having the most significance influence, marketers with limited resources can narrow down their options and focus on this specific dimension to increase their brand value.

This study investigates the impact of corporate carbon performance on financing costs, focusing on S&P 500 companies from 2015 to 2022. Utilizing a fixed-effects regression model, the research reveals a complex U-shaped nonlinear relationship between carbon intensity (CI) and cost of debt (COD). The sample comprises 2896 firm-year observations, with CI measured by the ratio of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to annual sales. The findings indicate that companies with higher CI initially face increased COD due to heightened regulatory and operational risks. However, as CI falls below a certain threshold, further reductions in emissions can paradoxically lead to increased COD, likely due to the substantial investments required for advanced technologies. Additionally, a positive relationship between CI and cost of equity (COE) is observed, suggesting that shareholders demand higher returns from companies with greater environmental risks. These results underscore the importance of balancing short-term and long-term environmental strategies. The study highlights the need for corporate managers to communicate the long-term benefits of environmental efforts effectively to creditors and investors. Policymakers should consider these dynamics when designing regulations that incentivize lower carbon emissions.

South Africa, like many emerging economies, grapples with the challenges of rapid urbanisation, unequal access to resources, and historical spatial inequalities. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that reimagines urban real estate development as a catalyst for positive social change. This paper explores the imperative of inclusive urban real estate development in South Africa and presents innovative strategies to promote equity, accessibility, and sustainability in urban environments. Following a quantitative inquiry technique, primary data was gathered from 109 built environment professionals with experience in sustainable urban development. To support this, descriptive and inferential statistics, particularly exploratory factor analysis (EFA), were used. According to the descriptive analysis using the mean score (MS) ranking technique, the development of affordable housing was one of the higher up-front innovative strategies for reshaping real estate development. Ensuring objectivity in city planning, re-engineering the city streets and buildings to create a safer environment were among the highly ranked strategies. The EFA further demonstrated that “urban redevelopment”, “government regulations”, “spatial planning”, “urban policy” and “diversification” were the underlying groups of new approaches for inclusive development. Implementing these innovative strategies, South Africa can move towards a more inclusive and equitable urban landscape, where urban real estate development becomes a force for positive social change, fostering sustainable economic growth and improving the quality of life for all citizens. This research contributes to the ongoing dialogue on urban development in South Africa and offers actionable insights for policymakers, developers, and community stakeholders invested in shaping more inclusive cities.

Presented article takes a study done by researchers Davari & Strutton in the US in 2014 and replicated the same approach and methodology in evaluating how green marketing mix elements (product, price, promotion, place) influence brand associations, grand loyalty, perceived brand quality, and brand trust, in the context of retail chain stores in Czechia. The reason for this is the fact that the issue of reconciling pro-environmental beliefs of consumers with their real behavior is still topical. Businesses need to be careful with their green claims and focus on authentic green marketing in order to attract and retain the trust of environmentally conscious consumers in the long term. The research employs quantitative data analysis, drawing data from the survey, which was run online for five weeks and collected 4700 responses. The respondents are people who live in Czechia and have shopped in one of five stores at least during the last month. The reason for focusing on the Czechia is primarily the fact that green marketing is basically only on the rise here, while greenwashing still remains a significant problem. Six hypothesis were formulated, and linear regression analysis was used to test them. Key findings of the research revealed that green products and promotions positively influence brand associations and perceived brand quality, while green promotions significantly enhance brand loyalty and trust. Additionally, there was observed influence of consumers´ environmental concerns and consideration of future consequences significantly moderating the relationship between green marketing and brand equity. The findings provide insight for businesses to integrate green marketing strategies to increase brand trust, loyalty, and perceived quality while environmentally conscious consumers.