I look at hybrids this way. Since surface dictates length, a shiny one will react like a pearl and a dull one will react like a solid. So, in that respect it's marketing.
Joe Bowler has had success with a solid, so his natural response is to buy the pearl version of that ball, and the companies know this, so they create another "need" for Joe Bowler by adding a hybrid.
Each hybrid ball can have varying mixtures of solid and pearl, for lack of a better explanation.
For example, let's say red is the solid and blue is the pearl. No two balls are exactly alike. They will have varying mixtures. Also, every resin ball starts out with a base (solid) and then an additive can make it a pearl, if I understand correctly...