The Effect of Using Emoji in Marketing Communications on Consumer's Purchase Intention

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSc. Student, Department of Marketing and Market Development, Faculty of Business Management, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Prof., Department of Marketing and Market Development, Faculty of Business Management, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Associate Prof., Department of Marketing and Market Development, Faculty of Business Management, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/mmr.2025.389087.1151

Abstract

Objective
The use of emojis in online communication has become one of the new and intriguing topics in the digital space, attracting significant attention from businesses due to its widespread use in marketing communications. However, an important question arises: can the use of emojis in marketing communications influence consumer emotions and purchase intentions? Despite the significance of this question, no specific research has been conducted in the country to address it. Additionally, this study investigates the difference in the impact of emoji use in communications with end consumers versus businesses, a topic not explored in previous research. This study aims to answer these questions. Businesses invest heavily and use various tools to influence consumer purchase behavior. Among these, the use of emojis as a simple yet effective non-verbal tool has received less attention. The goal of this research is to examine the impact of emoji use in marketing communications on consumer emotions and purchase intentions. Specifically, this study seeks to determine whether emojis can serve as an effective tool to enhance marketing communications and increase consumer purchase intentions in different contexts.
Research Methodology
This study employs a quantitative approach. It is an applied research in terms of its objective and follows an experimental design in terms of methodology. The target population consists of adult Iranian consumers. A non-probability convenience sampling method was used to select respondents, and the questionnaire was distributed online. In this study, seven hypotheses were examined and confirmed across three separate studies.
Findings
The findings of this study indicate that the use of emojis in marketing communications leads to an increase in positive emotions and consumer purchase intentions (confirmation of Hypotheses 1 and 2). The mediating role of positive emotions in this relationship was also confirmed (confirmation of Hypothesis 3). Additionally, it was found that using emojis has a greater impact on purchase intentions for hedonic products compared to utilitarian products (confirmation of Hypothesis 4). Based on the findings, the use of emojis in communication with end consumers (as opposed to business-to-business interactions) has a significant effect on consumer purchase intentions (confirmation of Hypothesis 6). Furthermore, the results confirm the significant mediating role of positive emotions in the case of hedonic products and communication with end consumers, compared to utilitarian products and business-to-business interactions (confirmation of Hypotheses 5 and 7).
Discussion & Conclusion
The findings of this study indicate that the use of emojis in marketing communications can significantly influence consumer purchase intentions by enhancing positive emotions. This effect is more pronounced for hedonic products and communication with end consumers compared to utilitarian products and business-to-business interactions. Based on these results, businesses are encouraged to leverage emojis as an effective tool to enhance customer engagement, strengthen emotional connections, and increase purchase intentions in their marketing messages. Future research could explore the impact of different types, placements, and sizes of emojis on consumer behavior. Additionally, examining the effects of negative or neutral emojis and conducting field studies with real data could help strengthen the findings and improve their generalizability. Although this study examined the mentioned relationships through multiple experiments, further research is recommended to generalize the results to other contexts, particularly across different industries.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

 
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Media Management Review
Volume 4, Issue 2
2025
Pages 282-308

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