Brand loyalty and electronic word-of-mouth antecedents: the moderating effects of experiences

Purpose This paper aims to analyze brand loyalty and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) antecedents in restaurants: (1) utilitarian and hedonic benefits, (2) brand satisfaction and (3) brand love. It also provides valuable knowledge through the comparison between positive and negative restaurant experiences. Design/methodology/approach A survey was carried out of restaurant satisfied and dissatisfied consumers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA) were performed to examine the cause-and-effect relationship in both groups. Findings The results show the relevance of benefits, brand satisfaction and brand love as causes for brand loyalty and e-WOM. Also, these relationships are significantly stronger for dissatisfied consumers than for satisfied ones. Originality/value The outcome of the research provides new insights to develop a conceptual stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model of consumers’ restaurant behavior by drawing comparisons across satisfied and dissatisfied ones.