How to make users fall in love with a mobile application: A moderated-mediation analysis of perceived value and (brand) love
研究通过396名中国教育应用用户数据，发现移动应用的实用、享乐和社会价值通过自我相关性和自我相关性情绪间接影响品牌爱，且用户-应用关系时长起调节作用。
Purpose The study aims to examine the indirect relationships via application (app) brand self-relevance emotions and self-relevance that underlie the relationships between perceived value of mobile apps and (brand) love with respect to mobile apps. The study further investigates the moderating role of user–app relationship duration in the formation process of brand love for mobile apps from a dynamic and long-term perspective. Design/methodology/approach A multiple moderated-mediation model is developed and empirically tested with a sample of 396 users of popular Chinese mobile educational apps. Findings The study reveals that utilitarian value exhibits positive indirect relationships with brand love for mobile apps through increased positive self-relevance emotions. All three types of perceived value of mobile apps (utilitarian, hedonic and social) affect app brand love positively via self-relevance. These three types of perceived value were found to be serially linked to brand love through self-relevance and self-relevance emotions. Furthermore, empirical evidence is found for the moderating effects of user–app relationship duration. Originality/value By testing mechanisms simultaneously in an integrative model, this study investigates the reasons for app brand love that attract a user into a lasting relationship with an app and extends knowledge of the app brand love building process in inducing strong and positive brand–self connections. Our study also makes practical contributions by offering insights into delivering the most desired benefits to mobile app users according to different contextual conditions, in order to attract and retain users in a more cost-effective manner.