Introduction

Literature Review and Hypotheses

Method

Results

Conclusion and Discussion

References

Abstract

Branded apps have attracted an increasing amount of attention as a marketing communication platform. With branded apps, companies try to create value for their brands among prospective and current customers by providing entertainment and information content. The aim of this study was to examine a) whether branded apps influence consumers’ cognitive and affective brand responses, b) whether this effect is moderated by the type of branded app (i.e., information vs. entertainment), and c) to what extent enjoyment and elaboration are explanatory mechanisms for these effects. An experiment demonstrated that 1) branded apps enhanced brand responses, 2) an entertainment app evoked higher levels of enjoyment, which in turn enhanced affective brand responses, and 3) an informational app evoked higher levels of elaboration, which enhanced cognitive brand responses. Theoretical and practical implications for branded app designers and mobile advertisers are discussed.

Introduction

In recent years, mobile phone applications have generated substantial interest among marketers (Bellman et al. 2011; Gill, Sridhar, and Grewal 2017; Zhao and Balagué ۲۰۱۵), who began to create so-called branded apps: apps that “display a brand identity, often via the name of the app and the appearance of a brand logo or icon, throughout the user experience” (Bellman et al. 2011, p. 191). Driven by the rapid global adoption of smartphones (eMarketer 2016), brands have embraced branded apps as a new form of marketing communication to attract new customers and increase brand loyalty among existing customers (Wang, Kim, and Malthouse 2016). Brands increasingly offer such engagement initiatives to facilitate brand–consumer interactions, or interactions among customers (Gill, Sridhar, and Grewal 2017). Though social media, games, video, and music apps dominate the app penetration lists (App Annie 2017; ComScore 2017; Forbes 2016), consumers increasingly communicate via (branded) apps and less via mobile web browsers or desktop browsers. Recent years especially demonstrated growth in the retail, financial, and travel sectors. Two examples are that 50% of UK online sales for Domino’s comes through its app, and easyJet’s app handled 20% of its bookings. Most global top brands have at least one app (Distimo 2011), and marketers are increasingly investing in branded apps as an advertising tool (e.g., Breij 2011). Moreover, top brands, such as Gucci and Ikea, invest in augmented reality features in their apps to enhance the customer experience. Clearly branded apps become an increasingly critical channel for consumer business in all industries (App Annie 2017).