Honey, find me the moon: exploring engagement on dating and matrimony platforms

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand how young consumers engage in the multi-category context. To that end, engagement on the focal product (dating platforms) and the other product (matrimony platforms) were studied. The objective is to find an answer to the following research question: Why do consumers tend to engage more with the focal product, yet are likely to purchase its complement or substitute?

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured depth interviews and Straussian grounded theory method were used to collect, analyze and interpret the data.

Findings

Self-determination theory provides an answer to the research question. This study suggests: young consumers experience different levels of need fulfilment when they evaluate the focal product in the single-category and in the multi-category contexts; young consumers’ motivational orientation (controlled motivation, autonomous motivation and intrinsic motivation) results into high-level behavior and engagement (pleasure-seeking, platform abandonment, goal-oriented pleasure-seeking, goal-oriented problem-solving, anxious and outsourcing) with the focal product and the other product.

Originality/value

Value of the paper lies in developing a grounded theory framework for engagement in the multi-category context. This study can help practitioners in making important business decisions, especially in the dating and matrimony e-business categories.

Citation

Shah, A.M. (2020), "Honey, find me the moon: exploring engagement on dating and matrimony platforms", Young Consumers, Vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 171-192. https://doi.org/10.1108/YC-01-2019-0948