Experiential branded app engagement and brand loyalty: An empirical study in the context of a festival

Abstract

This study investigated the mediating role of emotional responses and app engagement on the relationship between the perception of app features and brand loyalty. Participants were 417 Macao light festivalgoers (female = 53.2%; age range = 31–40 years old). Using a cross-sectional design, path analysis results indicated that the emotional responses to a branded app could lead to app engagement and increase festival app brand loyalty. The emotional responses also mediated the relationship between the usefulness, aesthetics, gamification features’ perception, and app engagement. The users’ emotional responses appeared to be an important factor influencing the experiential branded app engagement and brand loyalty.