__________________________________________________________4 6 Abasyn Journal of Social Sciences Vol (15), Issue (1), 2022. Open Access DOI: 10.34091/AJSS.15.1.04 Hedonic-Utilitarian Focused Mobile Application Engagement: A Moderated Moderation of Brand Image Nida Zaheer, Muhammad Rizwan  Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Abstract This study aims to investigate the online customer experience and postpurchase behavior in the mobile application context. This study is experimental with a quantitative approach. Two hypothetical mobile apps were developed; hedonic motive and instrumental motive. Data was collected by surveying 420 online shoppers and, analyzed by employing SEM using Amos. Results suggest that a mobile app that is hedonic motive (Richer media experience) enhances the customer experience and customer engagement behavior respectively. Next, the need for touch provides a boundary condition between the influence of customer experience and customer engagement behavior. Lastly, brand image provided the moderated moderation between customer experience and repurchase intention. These findings have implications for the retailer that they can enhance the customer experience through creating an effective customer experience using hedonic elements of the app. Further, retailers using a strong brand image can mitigate the need for touch in the online shopping context. Keywords: Mobile app, Hedonic motive, Instrumental motive, Engagement behavior The increased availability of internet-enabled smart phones and mobile devices has changed the buying patterns of millions of people around the world (Kasilingam & Krishna, 2022). It is expected that spending on mobile apps will reach 160 billion US dollars globally soon (Chopdar et al., 2022). However, it is argued that mobile users keep apps of large retailers such as Amazon (Molinillo-Sebastian et al., 2020). This behavior is concerning for retailers because it prevents them from realizing the app's full potential as a sales and engagement channel that can help them deepen consumer relationships. Since, the essential reason for a company's existence is its customers (Chander & Raza, 2015) so, it is imperative to understand what influences purchasers to use the mobile app (Kumar et al., 2018). Customer engagement is linked with high profits for the firm (Hepola et al., 2020). It makes the customer be less price-sensitive and resist switching (Islam et al., 2019). It is confirmed that mobile app has a great potential to foster customer engagement due to their rich shopping experience. This experience can be either experiential or informational (van Heerde et al., 2019). Literature asserts that users look for hedonic and instrumental motives from the mobile app (Tafesse, 2021). Further, hedonic and utilitarian motive influences consumer behavior when using the mobile application (McLean et al., 2018). So, it is important to understand whether users interact with the mobile application for information purposes or enjoyment purposes (Eigenraam et al., 2021). The growth in mobile applications has resulted in stiff competition among retailers. They have to work hard for impact and visibility (Eigenraam, Eelen, & Verlegh, 2021). Further, it is difficult to motivate users to stay on the app page (Lee & Kim, 2019). Despite the importance, most of the past studies have focused on the adoption of interface design (Bhandari et al., 2017), customer impulsiveness (Chopdar, Paul, Korfiatis, & Lytras, 2022), app adoption (Kumar, Purani, & Viswanathan, 2018) and app atmospherics (Lee & Kim, 2019). Research efforts are not enough for what motivates purchasers to use the app for information or enjoyment. Further, Studies on customer engagement with mobile apps are limited (Ho & Chung, 2020). This research will be significant for online shopping retailers. It will be helpful for the retailers in the clothing industry to design an app that enhances the experiences and purchase intentions of the users. Further, through a strong brand image, they may mitigate the need for  Corresponding Author: mriz@bzu.edu.pk