The Holistic Brand Experience of Branded Mobile Applications Affects Brand Loyalty

Abstract

We investigated the effects of the holistic brand experience of branded mobile applications (apps) on brand loyalty in a sample of 223 university students. Results showed that affective, cognitive, behavioral, and relational holistic brand experiences had significant effects on brand loyalty; however, the effect of sensory experience on brand loyalty was nonsignificant. Further, the involvement level of branded apps had a significant effect on the relationship between brand experience of branded apps and brand loyalty; however, this effect differed depending on gender. For males, the effects of cognitive, behavioral, and relational experiences on brand loyalty were significant, whereas, for females, this was true of the effects of affective, cognitive, and behavioral experiences. The results have important theoretical implications for extending holistic brand experience to the new media area. In practical terms, we provide important suggestions about the use of branded apps as tools for corporate marketing communications.