Role of culture in how AI affects the brand experience: comparison of Belt and Road countries

Purpose Culture plays a pivotal role in influencing the customer journey when artificial intelligence (AI) is used, helping to foster consumer–brand interactions. Based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, this study examined the role of culture on AI–customer–brand interactions, comparing Belt and Road countries. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modelling was used to analyse 300 responses from participants in Hong Kong and 398 responses from participants in Turkey to a questionnaire. Findings The findings indicated that AI affected brand experience and brand preference in both Hong Kong and Turkey. Multi-group analysis revealed that customisation exerted stronger influences on brand experience for the Hong Kong group, while interaction had a stronger effect on brand experience in the Turkey group. Most importantly, the effect of AI marketing efforts on brand experience was found to be moderated by cultural differences. Research limitations/implications The study’s findings advance knowledge of the crucial role of cultural factors in AI–consumer–brand relationships. These theoretical implications highlight the necessity of integrating cultural intelligence into AI-driven branding strategies. Practical implications Acknowledging this cultural embeddedness can help market practitioners for brand building and policymakers craft more informed and impactful guidelines governing AI–marketing practices and AI–brand management among Belt and Road countries. Originality/value Existing studies on AI–brand interactions have each focused on a single country. There is a glaring lack of research on cross-cultural differences. To fill the gap, this study adopted a cross-cultural perspective to investigate differences in AI–brand interactions between two Belt and Road countries.