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Content is king: How content characteristics of short-video advertising drive advertising performance

Author

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  • Li, Jingpeng
  • Shen, Qinchang
  • Fong, Max Kei Yin
  • Wang, Mingyang
  • Bie, Yongyue

Abstract

Although short-video advertising has become a widely used promotional tool, academic guidance on optimizing content for improved effectiveness remains limited. Through in-depth interviews, we identify five key content characteristics of short-video ads: trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, authenticity, and brand heritage. Using weekly data from 30 sub-brands on Douyin and applying a system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) model, we explore how these characteristics influence the sales response to advertising. Our findings show that trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness strengthen the advertising–sales relationship. Additionally, authenticity and brand heritage exhibit U-shaped moderation effects. These relationships also vary across product categories (utilitarian vs. hedonic). Collectively, these nonlinear and context-dependent patterns contribute to advertising effectiveness research and propose a five-dimensional framework for understanding short-video ad content characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Jingpeng & Shen, Qinchang & Fong, Max Kei Yin & Wang, Mingyang & Bie, Yongyue, 2026. "Content is king: How content characteristics of short-video advertising drive advertising performance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:92:y:2026:i:c:s0969698926000810
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2026.104801
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