The role of recommender systems in fostering consumers' long-term platform engagement

Purpose: Recommender systems (RS) are designed to communicate with users and drive consumers' engagement with the platform. However, little is known about the strength of this relationship and how RS can create stronger consumer engagement (CE) with the platform brand. Addressing this gap, this paper examines the role of RS in converting consumers' short-term engagement with the RS to their longer-term platform engagement. Design/methodology/approach: To explore these issues, the authors review key literature in the areas of CE and RS, from which they develop a conceptual framework. Findings: The proposed framework suggests RS design as an important precursor to consumers' RS use, which is expected to affect their platform engagement/disengagement, in turn impacting the firm's long-term outcomes. The authors also identify key managerial tactics, strategies and challenges to aid the conversion of consumers' RS to CE. Research limitations/implications: This research raises pertinent implications for research on the RS/CE interface, as synthesized in a proposed research agenda. Practical implications: Based on the attained insight, authors outline implications for managing, facilitating and leveraging the proposed RS to CE conversion process. Correspondingly, authors argue that, to optimize RS effectiveness, RS designers should understand the nature of CE. Originality/value: By exploring the effect of consumers' RS on their longer-term CE with the platform, the analyses offer pioneering managerial insight into RS effectiveness from a CE perspective.