Does gamified interaction build a strong consumer-brand connection? A study of mobile applications

Abstract

In recent times gamification has increasingly been used by brands through smartphones to interact effectively with their consumers. The core assumption for creating gamified environment is that it will develop engagement with the consumer and motivate them to use their product or services. However, beyond this assumption, there is dearth empirical evidence regarding how much effective these gamified features are in engaging consumers. Therefore, this research analyses the relationship between flow, brand engagement, self-brand connection and brand usage intent among consumers (N = 360) of two gamified mobile applications. The findings show that the multidimensional construct flow formed by five dimensions i.e. challenge, feedback, autonomy, immersion, and interaction positively associates with cognitive brand engagement and emotional brand engagement. Additionally, both these forms of brand engagement further strengthen consumers’ brand connection and motivate them for further use. These results imply that gamified environment can augment consumer engagement with brand and further increase usage intention. Therefore, gamification can be an effective technique in brand management and brand managers can use it to strengthen relationship with consumers and increasing possibility of using their brands.