Short answer
Design and market services by differentiating between functional needs and emotional desires to optimize strategies for continued user adoption.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2020)
- Method
- Quantitative survey analysis using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method.
- Sample
- 893 participants (596 for mobile music, 297 for mobile parking)
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
For utilitarian services, a positive attitude and satisfaction are stronger predictors of continued use than consumer engagement, while for hedonic services, consumer engagement is a stronger driver than satisfaction, but not necessarily attitude. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. Using Quantitative survey analysis using partial least squares (pls) method. with 893 participants (596 for mobile music, 297 for mobile parking), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design and market services by differentiating between functional needs and emotional desires to optimize strategies for continued user adoption.
Consumer Engagement vs. Attitude & Satisfaction: Which Drives Continued Service Use?
For utilitarian services, a positive attitude and satisfaction are stronger predictors of continued use than consumer engagement, while for hedonic services, consumer engagement is a stronger driver than satisfaction, but not necessarily attitude.
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services · 2020
Key Findings
- 01For utilitarian services, attitude and satisfaction were superior drivers of continuance intention compared to consumer engagement.
- 02For hedonic services, consumer engagement was a stronger driver than satisfaction.
- 03Consumer engagement was not found to be superior to attitude in the hedonic context.
Application
Design takeaway
Design and market services by differentiating between functional needs and emotional desires to optimize strategies for continued user adoption.
How to apply
When developing a new service or marketing an existing one, conduct user research to determine if the primary use case is utilitarian or hedonic, and then focus marketing and design efforts on the most impactful drivers of continued use for that specific context.
Project actions
- 01When designing a product or service, consider whether its primary appeal is functional or experiential.
- 02If your project aims to increase user retention, analyze which factors (attitude, satisfaction, engagement) are most likely to influence continued use based on your product's nature.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Investigated both utilitarian and hedonic contexts.
- +Used a substantial sample size across two different service types.
Limitations
Your own design project might not have a large enough sample size to definitively prove these relationships, so acknowledge this when drawing conclusions.
Reliability & validity
The study employed a quantitative survey method with statistical analysis (PLS), which can provide reliable and valid insights into the relationships between variables, assuming the measures used were well-validated.
Think critically
How might the evolution of technology (e.g., AI personalization) blur the lines between utilitarian and hedonic service consumption, and how would this impact the effectiveness of the strategies discussed?
Design Principles
"Service design strategies should be context-dependent, prioritizing functional benefits for utilitarian services and emotional connection for hedonic services to drive user retention."
Understanding the primary drivers of continued service adoption is crucial for market success. This research highlights that a one-size-fits-all approach to fostering engagement may not be effective; the nature of the service (utilitarian vs. hedonic) dictates the most impactful strategy.
What This Means for Your Design
This study found that what makes people keep using a service depends on why they use it. If it's for a practical reason, they care more about liking it and being satisfied. If it's for fun, how much they feel connected to it matters more than just being satisfied.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing user retention strategies, particularly when differentiating between functional and emotional design approaches.
- 2.Use the findings to justify why certain design features or marketing messages are prioritized for a specific user group or service type.
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Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that the drivers of continued service use vary significantly based on the nature of the consumption. For utilitarian services, factors such as a positive user attitude and overall satisfaction are more influential in retaining users than a general sense of consumer engagement. Conversely, in hedonic service contexts, while consumer engagement emerges as a stronger predictor than satisfaction, its superiority over a user's fundamental attitude towards the service was not substantiated, suggesting a nuanced approach is required for effective user retention strategies.
Source
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
Is it all about consumer engagement? Explaining continuance intention for utilitarian and hedonic service consumption
journal · 2020
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about consumer engagement vs. attitude & satisfaction: which drives continued service use??
- Design and market services by differentiating between functional needs and emotional desires to optimize strategies for continued user adoption. Evidence: Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2020).
- Why does "Consumer Engagement vs. Attitude & Satisfaction: Which Drives Continued Service Use?" matter for design?
- Understanding the primary drivers of continued service adoption is crucial for market success. This research highlights that a one-size-fits-all approach to fostering engagement may not be effective; the nature of the service (utilitarian vs. hedonic) dictates the most impactful strategy.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Design and market services by differentiating between functional needs and emotional desires to optimize strategies for continued user adoption.
- What were the main findings?
- For utilitarian services, attitude and satisfaction were superior drivers of continuance intention compared to consumer engagement.. For hedonic services, consumer engagement was a stronger driver than satisfaction.. Consumer engagement was not found to be superior to attitude in the hedonic context.
- What research method was used?
- Quantitative survey analysis using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. with 893 participants (596 for mobile music, 297 for mobile parking).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2020 journal from Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing a new service or marketing an existing one, conduct user research to determine if the primary use case is utilitarian or hedonic, and then focus marketing and design efforts on the most impactful drivers of continued use for that specific context.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on mobile services, and findings may not generalize to all service types. The definition and measurement of 'consumer engagement' can vary.