Emojis…Emojis Everywhere

Emojis. The icons that express when we’re happy…

when we’re sad…

and when we don’t have time for someone’s…well…

Emojis have become so ingrained in everyday conversation. So much so, that sometimes, it’s the only communication…

Now I know what it looks like. We’ve become a culture completely reduced to communicating in symbols! But maybe, just maybe, they’re not so bad after all. In fact, emojis are actually changing the way we think and communicate. Seriously. With all of the conversation through text and online these days, we’ve lost the expression and emotional cues that come from face-to-face conversation. However, emojis are introducing those cues back into our digital conversations and actually triggering the same parts of the brain that are triggered by facial expressions! Emotions are essentially creating a new way of thinking and communicating in this online world that we now live in.

So now that we have a better understanding of how emojis are changing the way we perceive online conversations, how can marketers use that to their advantage? If used correctly, emojis have the ability to humanize a brand. They give brands the chance to drive their message by tapping into the emotions of the consumer.

Before diving into this area, you must determine if they are right for the audience you’re trying to reach. emojis don’t translate for everyone. (AARP, don’t run off and start putting together an emoji strategy, ok?) Millennials and younger audiences are most likely to have familiarity with emojis and would ultimately relate with them.

If your audience is fit for emojis, then it’s important to blending them into your marketing communications in a way that aligns with the brand’s voice and tone. The use of emojis in marketing can be something simple like adding it to a tweet…

To more elaborate and creative uses…

To the creation of brand specific emojis.

But the use of emojis doesn’t stop there. Brands are now using them in larger campaigns outside of social platforms. Old Navy recently launched a campaign called “Emoodji” which read customers top used emoji, then suggested a dream beach vacation and colored flip flops based on that icon.

Whatever the method may be, brands should not be afraid to use emojis to their benefit. They are a great tool that can make brands a part of the current conversation, while connecting with audiences on a more emotional level. So go forth and emoji!

References

Brenner, M. (2015). The rise of the emoji for brand marketing. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2015/jan/26/rise-emoji-brand-marketing

Churches, O., Nicholls, M., Thiessen, M., Kohler, M. & Keage, H. (2014). Emoticons in mind: An event-related potential study. Social Neuroscience. (9).2.

Seiter, C. (2015). This is your brain on emojis. Here’s how to use them in your marketing. Retrieved from https://blog.bufferapp.com/emojis

Wilbur, H. (2015). Old Navy site sends free flip-flops based on your top used emoji. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2015/06/02/old-navy-emoodji/