Facilitating Continuance Intention of Branded Applications: The Relationship Perspective
Abstract
Although many companies launched branded applications to connect with consumers, they fail to gain consumers’ repeat usage. This research seeks to examine how to facilitate consumers’ continuance intention of branded applications from the relationship perspective. Specifically, this research examines whether branded app rewards facilitate parasocial interaction between consumers and the focal brand, which in turn generates continuance intention of branded apps by integrating parasocial interaction theory and reinforcement theory of friendship development. An online survey will be conducted to collect data. Covariance-based structural equation modeling will be used to analyze data. Based on the results, this research will suggest practitioners how to design branded app rewards to improve consumers’ continuance intention of branded apps. This research will contribute to existing literature by using the relationship perspective as a novel approach for examining consumer continuance intention of branded apps.