The rules of engagement: how to motivate consumers to engage with branded mobile apps

ABSTRACT

This research presents and validates a framework, which illustrates how to motivate consumers to engage with branded mobile applications, or apps. The framework shows that consumer involvement with branded apps underpins two sets of consumer perceptions of the benefits that the app offers, which reflect the different motives for engaging with the app, as consumers experience them. These perceptions include the utilitarian motives of security, usefulness and ease of use; and the hedonic motives of interpersonal utility, attachment (with the device) and entertainment. This range of motives leads to the willingness to pay for the app and the willingness to recommend it. This research contributes to marketing theory by clarifying specific details of the psychological process through which it is possible to motivate consumer engagement with branded apps - i.e. by means of binding involvement, perceptions of how apps’ benefits meet individual needs and two key outcomes. The findings also yield managerial relevance. Above all, the outcomes of this research suggest that, by involving and motivating consumers through the improvement of the benefits that a branded app offers, it is possible to increase the app’s revenues and to encourage word-of-mouth, creating value for app providers and consumers.

KEYWORDS:

• Mobile applications
• consumer engagement
• consumer involvement
• motivation
• willingness to pay
• word-of-mouth

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Academy of Marketing Research Council funding initiative for supporting the acquisition of the data used in this research and the development of the ideas presented.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Academy of Marketing Research Council.

Notes on contributors

Lara Stocchi

Dr Lara Stocchi is Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. She is an experienced researcher in two key marketing fields: consumer buying behaviour and consumer memory. Other areas of research interest include branding and the measurement of brand performance, and digital marketing (consumer perceptions of mobile applications).

Nina Michaelidou

Dr Nina Michaelidou is Reader in Marketing at the School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University. Her research interests are grounded in the areas of individuals’ perceptions, personality traits, image and emotions, in multiple contexts including online and social media, ethics and health. Dr Michaelidou has published her work in various high-rank international journals. She serves as Associate Editor for International Marketing Review and the Journal of Consumer Behaviour. She is also the chair of the British Academy of Marketing SIG on Consumer Psychology and Cross-Cultural Research.

Naser Pourazad

Dr Naser Pourazad is an Associate Lecturer in Marketing at the College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University, Australia. He has extensive experience in marketing research in quantitative modelling across various contexts (e.g. luxury brands, fashion brands and sports apparel brands). He has published in top marketing journals and in various international marketing conference proceedings. His current research interests include consumer-brand relationship, brand memory associations, consumer buying behaviour and luxury consumption. Previously, he has worked in the areas of business planning and marketing research in the public and private sectors of Iran.

Milena Micevski

Dr Milena Micevski joined the University of Vienna in October 2015 as an Assistant Professor at the Chair of International Marketing. She holds a PhD in Marketing from Loughborough University (UK). Her current work lies in the area of sales and selling behavior in international marketing as well as consumer engagement and social media strategies. She has published extensively in several top quality marketing journals and management journals.