Investigating the Negative Effects of Emojis in Facebook Sponsored Ads for Establishing Sustainable Marketing in Social Media

Abstract

Emojis are prevalent in modern social media advertising. Despite this fact, little research can be found on its effects on consumer purchase intentions. This study seeks to examine purchase intentions in the context of Sponsored Ads on Facebook News Feeds, their perceived intrusiveness, and how the added factor of emoji presence can further affect consumer perception in order to suggest a pathway for establishing sustainable marketing strategies. We investigated the effect of emojis on consumers and then the extent to which ad personalization can attenuate intrusiveness to the point of influencing purchase intentions. In the empirical investigations (an online study) conducted, the study revealed several interesting findings. First, the emoji presence in Sponsored Ads on the News Feed did not prompt the users’ perceived intrusiveness. Second, the emoji use led to decreased purchase intentions. Third, the perceived intrusiveness did not mediate the relationship between emoji presence (vs. absence) and purchase intentions. Lastly, the emoji presence decreased perceived intrusiveness and also increased purchase intentions when consumers perceived ads to be less personalized. The findings of this research provide both theoretical and managerial implications of the effects of emojis, and the reasons as to why their usage affects the desired ad goals when used in Sponsored Ads on Facebook from the perspective of sustainable marketing.

The Influence of Consumers’ Purchase Intention Factors on Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy; Mediating Effect of Attitude

“…The main objective of this study is to investigate the multidimensional factors that affect renewable purchase intention. According to the consequences of result of H1, there is a significant direct relationship between social media exposure and purchase intention (Lee et al,. 2021).…”

Enhancing EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Learning English with Emoji Feedbacks in CALL: Why and How

“…The participants in their study utilized positive emojis such as “thumb up” or “smiling face” to express support for their peers. Al-Garaady and Mahyoob (2021) revealed that the EFL learner participants of their study liked to use emojis for communication [ 56 ], but such an application is likely to have negative effects [ 57 , 58 ]; specifically, emojis could negatively affect their writing skills as their standard writing might be sacrificed because of these convenient and emergent communication tools. Liu et al (2021) examined the use of peer feedback in face-to-face and online EFL writing courses; the Chinese EFL learners in their study indicated that emojis can be beneficial in cultivating positive emotions and building rapport among peers [ 59 ].…”

The influence of language style (formal vs. colloquial) on the effectiveness of charitable appeals

“…In this article, we propose that appeals matching language style to the ad content would most effectively elicit donations, whereas a mismatch may result in mixed reactions and even controversy. To date, limited research investigating language style has indicated mixed effects on audience perceptions of marketing communications (e.g., Cao, 2019; Gretry et al, 2017; Jahng & Hong, 2017; J. Lee et al, 2021). The present research considers formal language style in a more serious context of charitable appeals (i.e., a context addressing topics like death, disease, poverty, and natural disasters).…”

“…To date, limited research investigating language style has indicated mixed effects on audience perceptions of marketing communications (e.g., Cao, 2019;Gretry et al, 2017;Jahng & Hong, 2017; J. Lee et al, 2021). The present research considers formal language style in a more serious context of charitable appeals (i.e., a context addressing topics like death, disease, poverty, and natural disasters).…”