Title: Fostering word-of-mouth through consumer app engagement in the banking industry

Authors: Claudia Leticia Preciado Ortiz; Ainhize Gilsanz; Julen Castillo-Apraiz

Addresses: Departamento de Mercadotecnia y Negocios Internacionales, University of Guadalajara, 44100 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico ' Financial Economic II Department, Faculty of Economics and Business Studies, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Lehendakari Aguirre 83, 48015 Bilbao, Spain ' Financial Economic II Department, Faculty of Economics and Business Studies, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Lehendakari Aguirre 83, 48015 Bilbao, Spain

Abstract: Currently, smartphone applications are essential tools. We provide insights of how word-of-mouth is achieved through consumer app engagement by building on the technology acceptance model. We demonstrate that hedonic characteristics, perceived benefits, and social acceptance are essential variables to consider when designing branded mobile applications as a tool to generate brand engagement. Furthermore, based on the importance-performance analysis, social acceptance is the key construct managers should invest on if brand engagement is to be enhanced. Besides providing an understanding of consumer engagement antecedents, we demonstrate that brand app engagement positively and significantly impacts the level that customers engage in word-of-mouth. We apply partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to primary data from a sample of 152 banking app users from Spain.

Keywords: hedonic features; perceived benefits; social acceptance; brand app engagement; word-of-mouth; WOM; partial least squares structural equation modelling; PLS-SEM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2026.153953

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2026 Vol.24 No.4, pp.451 - 476

Received: 07 Oct 2023
Accepted: 13 Mar 2024
Published online: 09 Jun 2026 *

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