Purpose

To better understand how to retain hospitality customers in the fierce competition among mobile applications, this study aims to propose and empirically validates an integrative framework, which elaborates how conscious and subconscious factors, together with affective factors, may induce app loyalty and how brand viscosity moderates such effects.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted an online survey to collect data and received a total of 268 valid responses. This study splits the data into two groups (brand viscosity vs non-viscosity). Then, the authors performed a multi-group structural equation modeling with Chi-square difference tests to compare the model between the two groups.

Findings

The findings support the integrative model and reveal that the influence of app satisfaction on loyalty is stronger for app users who do not stick to one brand across the website and mobile app channels. Moreover, for those with brand viscosity, habit and switching cost are two significant determinants that exert positive effects in inducing app loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

Brand viscosity across different channels matters for the effects of habit and switching costs in shaping app loyalty. E-commerce managers should elaborate on brand management among various booking channels and establish effective digital marketing strategies to facilitate the formation of usage habits and switching costs and to enhance brand viscosity across channels.

Originality/value

This research advances the knowledge of app loyalty in hospitality by providing a comprehensive explanatory framework from affective, conscious and subconscious lenses. This research is among the first to unveil the impact of brand viscosity on the links between loyalty and its determinants.

中文翻译：

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重新审视酒店业移动电子商务的客户忠诚度：品牌粘性重要吗？

目的

为了更好地了解如何在移动应用程序之间的激烈竞争中留住酒店客户，本研究旨在提出并实证验证一个综合框架，该框架阐述了意识和潜意识因素以及情感因素如何诱导应用程序忠诚度以及品牌粘性如何调节这样的效果。

设计/方法/方法

作者通过在线调查收集数据，共收到 268 份有效回复。该研究将数据分为两组（品牌粘度与非粘度）。然后，作者使用卡方差异检验进行了多组结构方程建模，以比较两组之间的模型。

发现

研究结果支持整合模型，并表明应用满意度对忠诚度的影响对于不坚持跨网站和移动应用渠道的单一品牌的应用用户而言更强。此外，对于那些有品牌粘性的人来说，习惯和转换成本是两个重要的决定因素，它们在提高应用忠诚度方面发挥积极作用。

研究限制/影响

不同渠道的品牌粘性对习惯和转换成本在塑造应用忠诚度方面的影响很重要。电商经营者应细化各预订渠道之间的品牌管理，建立有效的数字营销策略，以促进使用习惯的形成和转换成本，增强跨渠道的品牌粘性。

原创性/价值

这项研究从情感、意识和潜意识的角度提供了一个全面的解释框架，从而提高了对酒店业应用忠诚度的认识。这项研究是最早揭示品牌粘性对忠诚度及其决定因素之间联系的影响的研究之一。