Cross-cultural sensitivity and brand experience: implications for word-of-mouth

Purpose This paper aims to enhance word-of-mouth (WOM) among loyal customers is crucial for marketing and brand image. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationships among brand loyalty, brand image, and WOM, as well as the mediating role of brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 456 consumers, this study tested a three-way moderated mediation model. Brand loyalty mediated the relationship between brand image and WOM, whereas cross-cultural sensitivity and brand experience jointly moderated the relationship between brand loyalty and WOM. Findings This study extends service-dominant logic (SDL) by showing how operational standardization and experiential value co-creation jointly promote cross-cultural brand advocacy. The findings reveal a moderated mediation mechanism whereby cross-cultural sensitivity and brand experience jointly shape consumers' pathways from brand image to WOM, offering theoretical and managerial insights for multinational restaurant chains. Originality/value This study integrates expectancy–disconfirmation theory (EDT), SDL and cultural intelligence (CQ) to explain how expectancy–performance evaluations, operational excellence, and cultural decoding jointly drive cross-border brand advocacy. It develops a moderated mediation model in which brand loyalty links brand image to WOM, while identifying cross-cultural sensitivity and brand experience as key boundary conditions.