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How does involvement build loyalty towards music-streaming platforms? A multi-analytical SEM-ANN technique

Clarissa Theadora (Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Maria Veronica Amelia (Faculty of Business and Management, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Garry Wei-Han Tan (UCSI Graduate Business School, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nan Chang, China and School of Economics and Management, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China)
Pei-San Lo (UCSI Graduate Business School, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Keng-Boon Ooi (UCSI Graduate Business School, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Nanchang Institute of Technology, Nan Chang, China and Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan)
Yogesh Kumar Dwivedi (Digital Futures for Sustainable Business and Society Research Group, Department of Business, School of Management, Swansea University, Swansea, UK and Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Symbiosis International University, Pune, India)

Journal of Product & Brand Management

ISSN: 1061-0421

Article publication date: 29 December 2022

Issue publication date: 3 April 2023

1784

Abstract

Purpose

Given the acute competition between music-streaming platforms (MSPs), the purpose of this study is to identify the relational motivators of brand loyalty towards the MSP in terms of user-brand involvement, brand trust, brand engagement, brand recommendation and brand loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-sectional quantitative data, gathered from a total of 340 eligible respondents via an online questionnaire survey, were empirically analysed and validated using a hybrid predictive-analytics structural equation modelling (SEM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) method.

Findings

The results of this study demonstrate that user-brand involvement promotes brand loyalty toward a MSP by fostering brand engagement, brand trust and positive word-of-mouth. SEM and ANN data comparison reveals good consistency.

Research limitations/implications

The generalizability of the research outcomes may be constrained, as this study only considers the data from a single country (i.e. Malaysia) and one music streaming platform (i.e. Spotify). This study highlighted the relevance of user-brand involvement and non-core supporting services in the cultivation of brand loyalty, particularly their salient roles in promoting favourable attitudes and behaviours towards platform brands.

Practical implications

The insights produced can aid MSPs in devising better user retention strategies that can be used to maintain their competitive edge over time. The findings of this study made it abundantly evident that practitioners should facilitate more user-brand cooperative activities to encourage user-brand involvement and, ultimately, foster brand loyalty.

Originality/value

This study has addressed a major research gap by examining the relational roots of brand loyalty, which transcend the typical focus on transactional factors and technical lock-in. This study pioneered the investigation of brand involvement with user involvement.

Keywords

Citation

Theadora, C., Amelia, M.V., Tan, G.W.-H., Lo, P.-S., Ooi, K.-B. and Dwivedi, Y.K. (2023), "How does involvement build loyalty towards music-streaming platforms? A multi-analytical SEM-ANN technique", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 645-660. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-02-2022-3855

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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