Abstract
The aim of the present study is to identify the architecture of the entertainment structure in modern advertising; identifying core variables with word co-occurrence analysis. The present study is descriptive in terms of its purpose and developmental in terms of its application, and it was conducted through the meta-synthesis approach and scientometric techniques (synonymous analysis and co-authorship). This study applies a combined approach including "systematic review" and "word co-occurrence network analysis" to redefine the internal architecture of the entertainment structure. The meta-synthesis method was applied to analyze the findings, and the scientometric approach and VOSviewer software were utilized to combine, cluster, and structurally analyze the extracted concepts. The results showed that by analyzing 211 key vocabulary units extracted from reputable scientific sources, 9 fundamental variables in behavioral and experiential dimensions were identified and explained in the form of a comprehensive classification. While criticizing the ineffectiveness of classical models in explaining the modern complexities of advertising, the findings of this study provide an evidence-based framework for operationalizing the construct. This research not only contributes to the development of consumer behavior theories, but also provides a strategic tool for marketing managers to design and evaluate advertising content. The results of this research provide a solid basis for future empirical research to measure the effectiveness of these dimensions in platform-based environments.
Introduction
Rapid changes in media, content consumption patterns, and the ways in which audiences encounter commercial messages have highlighted the role of entertainment in advertising effectiveness more than ever before. In an age of message saturation, fast scrolling, short videos, and skippable ads; only those messages are likely to be seen and processed that create an enjoyable, engaging, and meaningful experience (Shafiee et al., 2024; Teixeira, 2014). Recent research suggests that entertaining elements such as humor, narrative, digital aesthetics, creativity, and cognitive stimulation can increase attention, enhance depth of processing, and improve the experience of encountering an ad (Gallo, 2023; Simonetti, 2024; Huang, 2023). This evidence highlights the importance of entertainment as one of the main drivers of the advertising experience in contemporary media environments. Despite this importance, the existing literature suggests that the concept of entertainment remains fragmented, multifaceted, and lacks theoretical coherence. Studies have explained this construct in different formats: some have considered it equivalent to cognitive engagement (Cline, 2007; Makienko, 2014); some have analyzed it in the context of narrative (Green & Brock, 2000; Wang, 2021); and others have limited it to emotional or aesthetic experiences. More recent studies also show that entertainment in digital, algorithmic, and OTT media has a more multifaceted nature and requires redefinition (Yu, 2024; Malik, 2024; Song, 2022). This conceptual heterogeneity highlights the need to review and integrate the literature. Accordingly, the aim of the present study is not to present a predetermined model, but to conduct a systematic review based on scientometric analysis of the last four decades and to identify the core variables of advertising entertainment; variables that can serve as the basis for developing new theoretical frameworks, valid measurement tools, and more accurate modeling in future research. This redefinition not only contributes to the theoretical richness of the literature, but also allows for the alignment of existing models with contemporary media conditions, including digital, algorithmic, interactive, and short-narrative advertising. Therefore, the main question of this research is: how does the architecture of the structure of entertainment in modern advertising; the identification of core variables by word co-occurrence analysis look like?
Theoretical Framework
Entertainment in Advertising
Advertising as an effective tool for raising awareness and introducing companies, goods, services, and even ideas and perspectives has undergone extensive changes over time. In the contemporary world, advertising has become an integral element of the structure of organizations and even cultural and social arenas, such that the continued effective activity of many businesses and social institutions depends largely on the level of success in information and advertising (Sinha, 2021). Advertising is a purposeful activity that introduces and promotes products or services through advertising messages to increase sales and strengthen brand recognition (Smith & Johnson, 2022). Entertainment in advertising has been considered one of the most effective mechanisms for shaping the audience's experience and increasing the effectiveness of the message over the past four decades. However, a systematic review of the literature shows that this construct has been explained over time with different theoretical approaches and there is still no unified and agreed-upon framework for defining and measuring it. Research in this area can be categorized into several main conceptual clusters, each of which sheds light on part of the nature of entertainment, but none of which alone is capable of providing a comprehensive picture of it.
Mir Motahari et al. (2025) investigated the evaluation of the role of outdoor advertising on the use of eye movements towards the brand. In this study, causal conditions (advertising content; quality of outdoor advertising and advertising features); main contextual factors (advertising slogan, billboard elements and analysis of customer eye movements); intervening conditions (online advertising, advertising costs, advertising through media and mass communication); pivotal categories (environmental advertising status, development of advertising effectiveness and effective advertising on customer intentions); strategies (attractions of advertising message, evaluation of the environmental advertising selection process) and three categories of competitive advantage, value creation and promotion of strategic marketing decisions are classified as the consequences of environmental advertising based on the use of eye trackers.
Danaei (2025) investigated the effect of media (radio) advertising effectiveness on the degree of consumers' tendency to consume domestic goods. The results of this study showed that the effectiveness of media advertising (radio) has a positive and significant effect on consumers' tendency to consume domestic goods.
Research Methodology
The present study is descriptive in terms of purpose and developmental in terms of application, and was conducted by a meta-synthesis approach and scientometric techniques (synonymous analysis and co-authorship). This study applies a combined approach including "systematic review") and "word co-occurrence network analysis" to redefine the internal architecture of the entertainment construct.
Research Findings
The meta-synthesis method was employed to analyze the findings, and the scientometric approach and VOSviewer software were employed to combine, cluster, and structurally analyze the extracted concepts. The results showed that by analyzing 211 key lexical units extracted from reliable scientific sources, 9 fundamental variables were identified in behavioral and empirical dimensions and explained in the form of a comprehensive classification. While criticizing the inefficiency of classical models in explaining the modern complexities of advertising, the findings of this study provide an evidence-based framework for operationalizing the construct. This research not only contributes to the development of theories of consumer behavior, but also provides a strategic tool for marketing managers to design and evaluate advertising content. The results of this research provide a solid basis for future empirical research to measure the effectiveness of these dimensions in platform-based environments.
Conclusion
The present study aimed to identify the core variables of the construct of entertainment in modern advertising by analyzing the co-occurrence of words. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Mir Motahari et al. (2025), Danaei (2025), Mohammadi et al. (2024), Hessani Khabr et al. (2025), Shen & Wang (2024), Bagher Mosavi & Fadai (2023), Ahadi & Ghasemi (2020), and Gordon et al. (2019). Shen & Wang (2024) showed that short video users' personality perception from each dimension has a significant positive effect on shared value creation. Therefore, this study examines the internal correlation and mediating mechanism between short video users' personality perception and purchase intention, establishing mediating and moderating variables. First, shared value creation plays a mediating role between personality perception and purchase intention on short video platforms. Second, two individual-level moderator variables play a moderating role between shared value creation and purchase intention on short-form video platforms: monitoring focus and social presence.
Using research variables as a monitoring mechanism helps managers make more informed strategic decisions regarding media selection and message content to maximize the return on advertising spending. Despite methodological rigor, the focus on English-language articles and a specific time period may have overlooked some of the local literature or very emerging research. Also, the findings remain at the theoretical level and need to be empirically validated. Accordingly, it is suggested that researchers design questionnaire items and test their reliability and validity through factor analysis in the next step.