Dr. Sindy Chapa, the Director of The Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University (FSU), was awarded the Top Paper Award at the 2016 Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Conference for a Latina mom survey conducted in partnership with Latina Mom Bloggers (now DiMe Media).

The purpose of the study was to explore the impact a cultural tradition has on a perceived-brand-relationship (PBR) and word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior in person and electronically. Based on the cognitive-motivational-related theory of emotions and the social identity theory, a model is proposed to explain the impact that a family tradition, such as cooking with selective products, has on Hispanic mothers. Using a research mixed-method approach, a construct was developed to measure attitudes toward cultural traditions. Further, an online survey was administered for hypotheses and model testing using SEM and Logistic Regression tests.

Latina Mom Bloggers, a social media marketing platform and digital influencer network, promoted the study among Hispanic mothers during a three week period. A total of 338 Hispanic mothers completed the survey. Study findings were released during an exclusive Latina digital influencer event hosted by Latina Mom Bloggers and Mazola® Corn Oil with celebrity chef and author Ingrid Hoffmann during the sixth annual Hispanicize Latino trends and influencer event in Miami, March 16-20, 2015.