The Effect of Attachments toward Smartphone Applications on Brand Performance and Consumer's Quality of Life

摘要

The current study examined the positive effects of attachment with smartphone applications on brand support behaviour and life satisfaction. More specifically, this study focused on how attachment with applications yields positive consequences on: (1) support behaviour for parent brand, (2) attachment with smartphone itself that contains the applications, and (3) stress relief as part of life satisfaction. To formally examine the positive effects, we developed hypotheses based on well-established psychological and consumer theories. As hypothesized, our empirical analysis of 460 Korean data showed that attachment with applications positively influenced parent brand supportive behaviour and attachment with smartphone as well, and, more importantly, life satisfaction through stress relief. In addition to academic contributions, important managerial implications are provided for both application developers and smartphone manufacturers to help them make successful applications and smartphones synergistically based on the comprehensive view proposed in the current paper.