Driven by the dual imperatives of global economic green transformation and the advancement of digital technologies, achieving synergistic enhancement through digitalization and greenization to promote sustainable development has become a focal point for both academia and practical fields. This study, utilizing a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2023, aims to explore the transformative potential of digital–green synergy (DGS) for enhancing enterprise sustainable development within the realm of production efficiency improvement. Employing a coupling coordination model based on the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method, the research measures the DGS levels of enterprises. Grounded in strategic synergy theory, the resource-based view, and dynamic capability theory, this study thoroughly investigates the direct impacts of DGS on corporate TFP, intermediary mechanisms, moderating effects, and heterogeneous roles. The research findings robustly demonstrate that DGS can significantly improve enterprise TFP through optimizing resource allocation, reducing cost stickiness, and enhancing operational efficiency, thereby facilitating the dynamic reorganization of production factors and the creation of sustainable value. Furthermore, external factors, such as financing constraints and environmental regulation, alongside internal organizational factors like executive characteristics, are shown to exert significant moderating effects on the effectiveness of DGS. In summary, this research not only highlights the crucial role of DGS in enhancing production efficiency as a driver for high-quality corporate development and the pursuit of sustainable goals but also provides important theoretical guidance for policymakers to incentivize digital and green transformation. It also offers practical insights for enterprise managers to strategically formulate synergistic development strategies, enhance economic benefits, and achieve long-term sustainable performance. Beyond these practical implications, this study further enriches the theoretical landscape by first extending strategic synergy theory to firm-level digital–green synergy in emerging markets; second by enhancing sustainability research by adopting a broader “environment-society” framework; methodologically innovating by developing a novel “goal-strategy-input-technology” synergy measurement framework; and finally, deepening the theoretical understanding of DGS-TFP relationships through mechanism and moderator exploration.

Purpose: This study investigates a paradox within Chinese mobile apps whereby “inductive ads,” which employ sensor-based triggers for forced redirection, simultaneously elicit negative reactions from perceived intrusiveness and positive outcomes via enhanced brand salience. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a series of controlled experiments, we examine how inductive ads shape consumer responses along two divergent paths. We also incorporate key moderators, digital literacy and brand familiarity and explore boundary conditions arising from different app categories (entertainment app vs tool app). Findings: Results indicate that while inductive ads heighten perceived intrusiveness and can lower usage intentions, they also boost brand salience, paradoxically encouraging future engagement. Higher digital literacy intensifies negative responses, whereas lower brand familiarity augments the salience pathway. Furthermore, entertainment apps appear more conducive to forced ads than tool apps. Research limitations/implications: Although experiments mimic real-world usage scenarios, field studies and cross-cultural replications could strengthen generalizability. Additionally, future research may examine other individual differences and emerging advertising technologies to further refine our understanding of forced-exposure tactics. Practical implications: Marketers can strategically employ inductive ads by aligning them with app type, audience sophistication and brand maturity. While lesser-known brands may benefit from salience gains, established brands risk damaging trust if perceived intrusiveness overwhelms consumer tolerance. Developers and platform designers can encourage more transparent ad formats, mitigating potential backlash while preserving brand differentiation opportunities. Originality/value: By unveiling a dual-path model – showing that forced ads can trigger both psychological reactance and heightened brand accessibility – this study advances theoretical perspectives on advertising intrusiveness. It also illuminates key moderators and app-level boundary conditions, offering actionable insights for responsibly and strategically deploying novel ad formats.

Short-form video platforms have shifted advertising from standalone, time-bounded spots to feed-embedded, swipeable stimuli, creating a high-velocity processing context that can penalize casting complexity. We ask whether a “one face, many roles” casting strategy (a single actor playing multiple characters) outperforms multi-actor executions, and why. A two-phase pretest (N = 3500) calibrated a realistic ceiling for “multi-actor” casts, then four experiments (total N = 4513) tested mechanisms, boundary conditions, and alternatives. Study 1 (online and offline replications) shows that single-actor ads lower cognitive load and boost account evaluations and purchase intention. Study 2, a field experiment, demonstrates that Need for Closure amplifies these gains via reduced cognitive load. Study 3 documents brand-type congruence: one actor performs better for entertaining/exciting brands, whereas multi-actor suits professional/competence-oriented brands. Study 4 rules out cost-frugality and sympathy using a budget cue and a sequential alternative path (perceived cost constraint → sympathy). Across studies, a chain mediation holds: single-actor casting reduces cognitive load, which elevates brand authenticity and increases purchase intention; a simple mediation links cognitive load to account evaluations. Effects are robust across settings and participant gender. We theorize short-form advertising as a context-embedded persuasion episode that connects information-processing efficiency to authenticity inferences, and we derive practical guidance for talent selection and script design in short-form campaigns.