Branding Without Belonging: How AI-Generated Content Marketing Erases the Cultural Context of Heritage Foods

Abstract Book of the 5th International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities in the 21st Century

Year: 2026

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Branding Without Belonging: How AI-Generated Content Marketing Erases the Cultural Context of Heritage Foods

Khushi Choudhary

ABSTRACT:

Baked goods transport cultural memory through rituals and migrations, but when AI tools
convert that heritage into marketing content, the cultural depth that differentiates these products
in the marketplace disappears.
This study combines literature and prompt experiment across ChatGPT 5.2, Google Gemini 3,
and Claude 4.5 to test LLMs for product descriptions, branding, and content marketing
suppression of cultural depth in a commercial context. For six baked goods – Challah
(Jewish-Diaspora), Matzah (Jewish-Communities), Panettone (Italy), Mooncakes (China),
Conchas (Mexico), and Modak (India), each model was queried under three contexts:
Commercial (shopping and product description), Open-Ended, and Cultural Preservation (origin
and meaning). Responses were scored with a rubric measuring cultural context.
Commercial prompts scored 83% lower than Preservation prompts. Across models, the focus
narrowed to ingredients, price, and convenience, losing history, ritual use, or brand voice.
Preservation prompts revealed origins, symbolism, and lived practices, showing the knowledge
exists but requires the right framing. Modak is the clearest case; commercial queries erase
devotional meaning, but it returns when context is requested. These findings carry implications
for content marketing and brand positioning. As businesses rely on AI to generate product
content, culturally informed prompts are essential for marketers to preserve brand authenticity.

Keywords: AI Cultural Bias, Food Heritage, Large Language Models, Baking Traditions, Globalization, AI And Society