Customer engagement in Saudi food delivery apps through social media marketing: Examining the antecedents and consequences using PLS-SEM and NCA

In this study, we (1) investigated the role of social media marketing (SMM) activities in predicting customer engagement in online food delivery applications (OFDAs); (2) predicted the influencing role of customer engagement in OFDAs on behavioral outcomes; (3) utilized the stimulus-organism-response (S–O-R) framework to assess subsequent customer behavior; and (4) empirically validated the theoretical model using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary conditions analysis (NCA). We obtained valid data from 233 respondents using the survey-based approach, which was then utilized for PLS-SEM and NCA analyses. The study's PLS-SEM analysis revealed that perceived SMM activities, such as informativeness and word-of-mouth (WoM), positively influence customer engagement in OFDAs. This engagement, in turn, predicts important behavioral outcomes, including co-production value, customer referrals, purchase intention, and customer satisfaction. The NCA results further indicate that informativeness, trendiness, and WoM are essential for driving customer engagement in Saudi-based OFDAs. These findings provide valuable insights for enhancing customer engagement and behavioral outcomes in the field of OFDAs, utilizing both PLS-SEM and NCA methodologies.