The interaction between individual cultural values and the cognitive and social processes of global restaurant brand equity

•The cognitive and social processes of brand equity affect cultural values.•The social process of global brand equity has greater impact on cultural values.•Cultural values affect brand loyalty.•The cognitive process of brand equity impacts on the social process of brand equity.•There is a leading culture value between individual cultural values. The aim of this study is to increase understanding of the relationship between brand equity and individual cultural values in the marketing strategies of global restaurant brands. The study developed three research models and investigated global brand equity from the perspective that global brand equity has an impact on individual cultural values. The three models were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The findings indicate that both cognitive process and the social process of brand equity have an effect on cultural values. In particular, social process elements such as brand prestige and brand identification can reduce the risk of consumer uncertainty. This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between global restaurant brand equity and individual cultural values, and the hierarchy of individual cultural values that has not, to the best of our knowledge, been explored in previous research.