A look at emojis, which platforms they work best on, and when and when not to use them. Include examples of great use of emojis (like Stephen Curry’s tweet after the Golden State Warriors won the 2015 NBA Finals) and some not so good ones.
Emojis are a No-No as a general rule of thumb in the business community. They are fun and whimsical, but does that have a place in a professional community online? Most people don’t think so, however some big brands are trying to test that traditional outlook. Chevrolet is launching a new car model and decided to challenge everyone over the age of 24 with a press release written completely in emojis.
Fortunately, The Verge took the time to break down the pictograph and help explain what exactly Chevy was trying to say. Here’s the link if you want to see the deciphered version of the Cruz press release.
Emoji press release: http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/22/8823677/chevrolet-cruze-emoji-press-release-translation
So what does this big brand using emojis to “illustrate” a press release about a new car model exactly mean? It means this – brands are smart enough to know their target audience for a particular product. From that knowledge they made the strategic decision to announce a new car model with emojis. Did it work? Did the press release get lots of attention? Well, maybe, but the entire effort was based on knowing your audience. This is what any business needs to be well aware of so they can make the most impact.
When it comes to social media emojis can be an entirely different story. They are more widely accepted in less formal digital channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. BUT they can be inappropriate, even in places where they are used well and accepted by many. Here’s an example of a sports team going a bit over the line with their use of emojis.
Here’s another example, from a sports entity, that uses emojis very well and gets embraced. This is what Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors guard, tweeted after they won the 2015 Championship. This was a very popular tweet getting 67,000 Retweets and over 96,000 Favorites.
From the examples above it is clear where emoji use is appropriate and where it falls short. Social media channels like Instagram and Twitter are great places to implement emojis to add value or to enhance humor. However, using them in a formal press release about a new product or service takes away from the content message. The message focus that is conveyed becomes the use of strange characters to tell a cryptic message.
So, as in all marketing scenarios, know your audience! Even then, carefully think out whether or not being cute is the best approach.
As always, please feel free to contact LTM Digital and we’ll be happy to answer an emoji or target market / marketing related question.