International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies - Exploring content characteristics and consumer preference factors for webtoon development and recommendation

Aug 27, 2026

This study investigates how shared-universe structures and media mix strategies shape consumer preferences in the webtoon industry, with a focus on Naver Webtoon. Logistic regression and cluster analysis are conducted on a dataset of roughly 1,800 webtoons, incorporating variables such as media mix status, shared-universe affiliation, age rating, and completion status. Results show both factors have statistically significant positive effects, with media mix strongest in romance and drama genres, and shared universes boosting engagement in action and thriller webtoons.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Market growth and webtoon definitions

Media mix and shared universes

Recommendation systems and research need

International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(2) 2025, pages: 4180-4188 ISSN: 2617-6548 [URL:](URL: www.ijirss.com)[ ](URL: www.ijirss.com)[www.ijirss.com](URL: www.ijirss.com) Exploring content characteristics and consumer preference factors for webtoon development and recommendation: A focus on never webtoon Junhwan Mun Department of Data and Knowledge Service Engineering, Dankook University, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. ([Email:](Email: mjhpioneer@gmail.com)[ ](Email: mjhpioneer@gmail.com)[mjhpioneer@gmail.com](Email: mjhpioneer@gmail.com)) Abstract This study investigates the influence of shared universe structures and media mix strategies on consumer preferences within the webtoon industry, focusing on Naver Webtoon. The research employs logistic regression analysis and cluster analysis using a dataset of approximately 1,800 webtoons. Variables include media mix status, shared universe affiliation, and other structural features such as age rating and completion status. The results demonstrate that both media mix and shared universe characteristics have a statistically significant positive effect on consumer preferences. Media mix shows the strongest influence, especially in genres like romance and drama, while shared universes enhance engagement, particularly in action and thriller webtoons. These findings suggest that narrative interconnectivity and cross-media expansion are key factors driving webtoon popularity. The study provides actionable insights for webtoon platforms and content creators by highlighting the importance of genre-specific strategies, enhanced recommendation systems, and the strategic use of media mix and shared universes in content planning and platform UX design. Keywords: Consumer preferences, Media mix strategy, Recommendation system, Shared universe, Webtoon industry. DOI: 10.53894/ijirss.v8i2.6252 Funding: The author confirms that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. This study followed all ethical practices during writing. History: Received: 11 March 2025 / Revised: 10 April 2025 / Accepted: 15 April 2025 / Published: 16 April 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the author. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)). Competing Interests: The author declares that there are no conflicts of interests regarding the publication of this paper. Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. This study followed all ethical practices during writing. Publisher: Innovative Research Publishing 1. Introduction The advancement of digital media and the widespread adoption of smartphones have catalyzed unprecedented growth in the webtoon industry over the past decade. A webtoon, a combination of the words “web” and “cartoon,” refers to comics serialized through digital platforms. South Korea, as the birthplace of webtoons, has witnessed substantial market expansion, with platforms such as Naver Webtoon and Kakao Page achieving significant influence in both domestic and international markets [1] . According to the 2021 Webtoon Business Survey conducted by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the domestic webtoon market reached approximately 1.0538 trillion won in 2020, marking a 64.6% increase compared to the previous year [2] . This represents a threefold growth compared to 2017, underscoring the transformative impact of webtoons on the broader content industry. Furthermore, webtoons have transcended the boundaries of

FAQs

What does the study examine about webtoon consumer preferences?

It examines how shared-universe structures and media mix strategies influence consumer preferences for webtoon content on Naver Webtoon.

What methods and dataset does the research use?

It uses logistic regression and cluster analysis with a dataset of approximately 1,800 webtoons, including variables such as media mix status and shared-universe affiliation.

Which strategy shows the strongest influence, and in which genres?

Media mix shows the strongest influence on consumer preferences, especially in romance and drama genres.

Aug 27, 2026

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