JU Professors’ research reveals food ordering apps influence brand loyalty through perceived effort

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two marketing professors from Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business and Technology, Drs. Irina Toteva and Selen Savas-Hall, have made a groundbreaking discovery: consumers form stronger brand loyalty when they perceive effort in using food ordering apps like DoorDash or Uber Eats. Their study, titled “Perceived Effort in the Co-Creation of Electronic Services and Influence on Brand Loyalty: The Case of Food Ordering Apps,” was recently published in Services Marketing Quarterly.

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“This is the first research to investigate the role of perceived effort in electronic services and the influence on brand loyalty,” said Dr. Toteva, JU assistant professor of marketing. “Our research explains about the mechanism of brand loyalty, which is in part due to the labor-to-love effect, where effort translates into attachment to the item.”

The professors found that when consumers perceive higher risks using third-party apps, such as privacy concerns or potential service failures, it can strengthen their loyalty to the brand when the outcome is positive. “When consumers take on this risk and it turns out positively, they feel more loyal to the brand as a result of overcoming that uncertainty,” Toteva explained.

Dr. Toteva first became interested in the subject while browsing Instagram and realizing her effort in engaging with an online clothing brand. This sparked the idea that efforts in app-based services, like food ordering, might influence consumer attachment.

“We show that those consumers who perceive they have made an effort into ordering their food are more likely to feel they are continuing to build a relationship with the restaurant provider,” said Dr. Savas-Hall, associate professor of marketing and international business. This perceived co-creation strengthens the customer’s brand loyalty.

The study highlights the broader applicability of this phenomenon to other industries, such as grocery, fashion, and ride-sharing, where perceived effort from customers can foster stronger brand connections.

The Davis College of Business and Technology at Jacksonville University is the only private college in North Florida and South Georgia with AACSB, ABET, and AABI accreditation, dedicated to advancing students’ career success through high-quality, applied education.

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