Enhancing brand equity in branded apps: A hedonic and utilitarian motivation´s perspective

ABSTRACT

Although an increasing amount of research nowadays investigates the impact of mobile apps, how branded apps influence desirable outcomes, such as brand equity, remains underexplored. This research develops a conceptual model to capture how perceived motivations and task-service fit influence brand engagement and enhance brand equity via branded apps. Data collected from 292 mobile app users show that utilitarian motivations positively impact task-service fit, that task-service fit has a positive impact on consumer brand engagement and brand equity, and that consumer brand engagement has a positive impact on brand equity. Conversely, hedonic motivations do not significantly influence task-service fit. This work provides a better understanding of the influence of task-service fit on brand equity via branded apps. It also generates practical implications for brands to successfully develop their apps and use them to enhance brand equity.

KEYWORDS:

• branded apps
• hedonic motivations
• utilitarian motivations
• task-service fit
• brand equity

Disclosure statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Trang P. Tran, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Trang P. Tran

Trang P. Tran (Ph.D., University of North Texas) is Assistant Professor of Marketing at East Carolina University. His research interests include international marketing, customer behavior, and service marketing. He has been accepted or published in the Journal of Macromarketing, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, among others. His name also appeared in several proceedings of the American Marketing Association, Academy of Marketing Science, Society of Marketing Advances, Association of Marketing Theory and Practice, and Decision Science Institute.

Ilia Gugenishvili

Ilia Gugenishvili (Ph.D., Åbo Akademi University) is a Researcher in International Marketing at the Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. His research interests include mobile applications, engagement, consumer behavior, culture, and social psychology. Ilia has publications in the Journal of Consumer Behavior, International Journal of E-Services and Mobile Applications, and Voluntary Sector Review, among others. His name also appears in conference proceedings at the Association of Marketing Theory and Practice and International Telecommunications Society.

Adrienne F. Muldrow

Adrienne F. Muldrow (Ph.D., Washington State University) is an Assistant Professor of Communication at East Carolina University. Her research interests include advertising and consumer behavior with a focus on social media, digital media, and health. She has been published in the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, among others. Her name has appeared in several proceedings of the Marketing and Public Policy, and conferences, including the International Communication Association and Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.