When logic meets emotion: Dual pathways shaping omnichannel banking brand equity

Aim/purpose – Grounded in the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework, this study examines the relationships among integration quality (INQ), perceived seamlessness (PSE), perceived utilitarian (PUE) and hedonic (PHE) experiences, customer–bank engagement (CBE), and brand equity in omnichannel banking.

Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 285 active bank customers in Indonesia who used at least two service channels. Respondents were selected using non-probability purposive sampling. Data were collected via selfreports and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4. A disjoint two-stage approach was used to estimate higher-order reflective-formative constructs.

Findings – The results suggest asymmetric patterns across the experiential pathways. INQ is positively associated with PUE but is not significantly related to PHE. In contrast, PSE is positively associated with both PUE and PHE, with a relatively stronger association observed for PHE. INQ is also positively associated with PSE. Both PUE and PHE are positively associated with CBE, with PHE exhibiting a relatively stronger association. CBE, in turn, is positively associated with brand equity, operationalized through preferential loyalty.

Research implications/limitations – The findings provide additional evidence for applying the S–O–R framework to omnichannel banking by examining cognitive and affective experiential pathways. They indicate asymmetric associations between utilitarian and hedonic experiences, CBE, and brand equity. The relatively stronger association of PHE with CBE suggests the potential relevance of affective mechanisms in this context. However, the study relies on a cross-sectional design, single-source self-reported data, non-probability purposive sampling, and context-specific measurement refinement, which constrains causal inference and limits the generalizability of the findings.

Originality/value/contribution – This research contributes to the omnichannel and digital banking literature by providing empirical evidence of asymmetric associations among PUE, PHE, CBE, and brand equity in a developing-country setting. By positioning INQ and PSE as complementary customer-perceived stimuli, the study offers context-specific insight into how affective pathways may play a relatively more prominent role in relation to brand equity, operationalized through preferential loyalty, in omnichannel banking.