Uncovering Differences: A Study on Loyalty in Esports Mobile Apps by Gender

The aim of this research is to assess the existence or absence of differences in brand perceptions of users of an esports mobile app according to gender. In addition, it intends to discover the explanatory capacity of brand variables for the prediction of user loyalty, to understand how these variables influence perceptions according to gender, and to contribute to the creation of strategies more aligned with the interests and needs of each target audience. The study involved 1,668 users of an esports tournament mobile app. An online questionnaire created for this purpose was used to discover users’ perceptions of brand awareness, corporate image, perceived quality, and loyalty. The data were analyzed by creating structural equation models according to gender. The study shows the absence of significant gender differences in the values of the brand variables, with higher means in the case of men. In addition, the important role of brand awareness, corporate image and perceived quality in understanding the loyalty of users of an esports app is confirmed for both genders, with differential aspects in the explanatory weight of some variables according to gender. This study analyses brand perception in mobile sports apps and its relationship to user loyalty, a context that has been little analyzed so far at the brand level. In addition, it does so from a gender perspective, contributing to elimination of existing barriers and stereotypes in the context of esports events by discovering possible differences that allow managers to address each target audience more effectively.