Brand and firm values in distinct national cultures

Purpose The objective of this article is to investigate the moderating role of national cultures in the relationship between brand value and firm value. Design/methodology/approach This article examines the topic in the context of different national cultural attributes, including individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, power distance, and long-term orientation. We use brand values of the Financial Times Global 500 companies and national cultural values reported by Hofstede, GLOBE, and Schwartz. Findings Results exhibit that brands are more value-additive to companies in highly individualistic cultures. Furthermore, a valuable brand contributes more to firm value in countries with low uncertainty avoidance, high masculine, low power distance, and short-term oriented cultures. Originality/value The evidence suggests that while a valuable brand contributes to firm value, the level of its effect on firm value varies by national cultures.