Evaluating the Adequacy of Emoji Use in Positive and Negative Messages from Close and Distant Senders

Abstract

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) allows people to communicate across several contexts (e.g., friends, professional settings) using video-based or text-based channels. In the latter case, communication lacks non-verbal cues (e.g., tone of voice) that are critical to message interpretation. Including emoji can help express emotion and reinforce or clarify the meaning of a message. However, the benefits of using emoji are likely to depend on the context (e.g., the relationship between interlocutors) and the messages' features (e.g., the valence of the message). To date, studies have not systematically and empirically examined how the use of emoji is perceived across different communication scenarios. In the current study, we asked 175 participants (49.5% women; Mage = 36.32, SD = 12.22) to imagine receiving either a negative or positive message from 22 senders (e.g., friend; bank manager) and to indicate, for each case, how much would they like to receive an emoji and how useful and appropriate they considered the use of emoji. These ratings were combined into a single index of emoji use adequacy. Based on factor analysis, the 22 scenarios were aggregated in distant and close scenarios. Overall, results showed that participants considered emoji use more inadequate in distant (vs. close) scenarios and negative (vs. positive) messages. These findings suggest that the perceived benefits of emoji use for text-based communication may not be generalized to all text-based communication contexts, such that relationship proximity and message valence should not be overlooked. Implications for the fields of consumer psychology and communication are discussed.

With or without Emoji? Perceptions about Emoji Use in Different Brand-Consumer Communication Contexts

“…We asked participants to indicate how frequently they use emoji in their daily CMC using a single item (1 = Rarely to 7 = Frequently) and to rate emoji in seven dichotomous items (1 = Useless to 7 = Useful; 1= Uninteresting to 7 = Interesting; 1 = Boring to 7 = Fun; 1 = Hard to 7 = Easy; 1 = Formal to 7 = Informal; 1= Bad to 7 = Good; 1 = Inadequate to 7 = Adequate, retrieved from [3,38]). Participants were then asked to indicate how appropriate (1 = Not appropriate at all to 7 = Very appropriate, retrieved from [24]) was the use of emoji by brands in each of the five communication contexts: (1) advertising social media posts (Facebook, Instagram, etc. ); (2) directly replying to a consumer's comment on social media; (3) directly answering a consumer's service request; (4) communicating about the disclosure of a new product; and (5) communicating the callback of a defective product.…”

“…Emoji use frequently occurs when reacting to social media content [21] on platforms such as Instagram [13], Facebook [22], and Twitter [23]. However, emoji use is not always perceived as appropriate or suitable across contexts [24,25]. For example, Vareberg and Westerman [26] have shown instructors may be evaluated as more caring, but as less competent, by students when they use emoji.…”

Using Emoji in Response to Customer Reservation Requests and Service Reviews

“…Furthermore, the use of more informal communication by brands can have different consequences on consumer perceptions. For instance, recent research has suggested that emoji use is deemed more adequate when communicating with close others [28]. Still, in the context of brand-consumer communication, emoji use is also rated as appropriate in familiar or positive contexts (e.g., advertising in social media, [25]).…”

The semiotics of emojis in advertising: An integrated quantitative and qualitative examination of emotional versus functional ad dynamics

“…Emojis, rapidly becoming ubiquitous in computer‐mediated communication (CMC), offer a fresh lens to assess this dynamic. Cavalheiro et al (2022) elucidated that while emojis resonate in informal contexts like social media campaigns, their presence in more direct, serious communication can be counterproductive. This highlights the significance of context in leveraging emojis in advertising.…”