The Impact of Failed Gamification Experiences on Brand Boycott Intentions, Controlling for Gender Differences

ABSTRACT : Gamification has rapidly become a core strategy in marketing, but what happens when it fails is still not well understood. This study addresses this gap by examining how a Failed Gamification Experience (FGE), defined as a violation of consumers’ hedonic expectations, influences Brand Boycott Intentions (BBI). Drawing on Expectancy Violation Theory (EVT), data were collected from 457 Vietnamese consumers who had engaged with gamified marketing activities. Using hierarchical multiple regression, the study found that even after accounting for gender differences, FGE remained a positive and highly significant predictor of BBI, explaining an additional 13.1% of the variance in boycott intention. The results suggest that flawed gamification is not simply a technical or aesthetic failure but a significant trigger for punitive consumer behavior. Conceptually, this research introduces and validates FGE as a new construct, extending service-failure theory into the context of interactive digital marketing. Practically, it highlights that brands must approach gamification with rigorous design, fairness, and recovery mechanisms to avoid serious reputational consequences.