Vimal Kumar

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Gamified marketing has become an increasingly critical strategy in digital commerce, yet the full pathway from consumer attitude through engagement to purchase behavioral intention remains insufficiently examined, particularly across demographic cohorts in emerging markets. This study investigates how gamification elements shape consumer attitudes, engagement and purchase behavioral intention among digital consumers in the Delhi National Capital Region of India. This quantitative study employs a structured survey administered between July and November 2025, yielding a final usable sample of 643 (56.8% male, 43.2% female). The study integrates the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) within a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) framework. The results demonstrate that perceived agility (β = 0.307, p < 0.001), perceived ease of use (β = 0.278, p < 0.001), perceived usefulness (β = 0.259, p < 0.001), perceived enjoyment (β = 0.248, p < 0.001) and social influence (β = 0.188, p < 0.001) are significant drivers of consumer attitude. Consumer attitude strongly predicts consumer engagement (β = 0.550, p < 0.001) and purchase behavioral intention (β = 0.334, p < 0.001), with engagement partially mediating the attitude–purchase behavioral intention relationship (β = 0.196, p < 0.001). Measurement invariance testing followed by multi-group analysis reveals significant generational and gender-based differences in gamification drivers, underscoring the need for demographically tailored strategies. These findings advance theory by confirming the TAM-UTAUT integrated model in a gamified emerging-market context, and offer practitioners a roadmap for designing differentiated gamification campaigns that enhance engagement and drive purchase intention.