A Swiss transport company launched a new mobile app to replace their older system, implementing automatic user migration. Despite significant investment and seamless technical performance, adoption rates remained below expectations. Meanwhile, their complementary company application continued thriving. This puzzling situation showed users embracing one app while avoiding its counterpart, despite both serving related transport functions.

Mixed-methods research using a sequential explanatory technique, combining quantitative surveys with follow-up qualitative interviews. Applied Technology Acceptance Model and Task-Technology Fit frameworks to analyze user behavior. Investigated demographic patterns, satisfaction levels, and competitive positioning against market leaders. This sequential approach enabled interview insights to build upon and explain survey findings, revealing hidden barriers to adoption.

Research uncovered three critical findings. First, nearly half of existing customers remained unaware of the app's existence, indicating communication gaps rather than product deficiencies. Users consistently confused the transport app with other company platforms due to similar branding elements. Second, feature invisibility emerged as the primary barrier. Users underestimated existing capabilities, unaware the app already offered nationwide journey planning, multimodal transport options, and language switching. Many requested features that were already available but hidden or poorly communicated, creating artificial competitive disadvantages. Third, integration friction dominated user complaints. The requirement to switch between separate company apps for different transport functions frustrated many respondents. However, existing users demonstrated high satisfaction, proving the underlying product succeeded when properly discovered. Solutions include targeted marketing, enhanced onboarding, and contextual integration. These require minimal technical investment while addressing core barriers through better communication.