370. IJRM. Decoding Emoji Marketing.
July 10, 2025
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In this episode, Jacob Almaguer, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Salisbury University, discusses a recent paper he co-authored with Reto Felix and Colleen Harmeling. Their research explores how emojis influence brand communication, consumer perception, and marketing strategy. Rather than presenting new experiments, the paper builds a conceptual framework grounded in existing marketing and interdisciplinary literature to better understand the strategic use of emojis in digital communication.
Key Takeaways:
Iconic vs. Symbolic Emojis
Iconic emojis represent tangible objects and tend to appeal to a broad audience.
Symbolic emojis convey abstract ideas or emotions and resonate more deeply with niche communities.
Brand Paralinguistics
Emojis act as digital "nonverbals"—like tone of voice or facial expression—adding emotional nuance to brand messages.Clarity & Intimacy
Emojis can make messages feel clearer and more personal, enhancing a brand's relatability, especially within online communities.Audience Targeting Strategy
Effective emoji use depends on audience, platform, and context. Brands should tailor their emoji choices accordingly.Cultural & Generational Sensitivity
Emoji meanings vary across cultures and age groups, so understanding the audience is crucial to avoid miscommunication.B2B Implications
Emojis can be effective even in B2B communication—when used sparingly and authentically, in line with client norms.Caution with AI-Generated Content
Generative AI tools may overuse emojis, making messages feel impersonal or artificial. Human judgment remains key.
Click here for the Research Article
The Up Next podcast’s access to this content is courtesy of the International Journal of Research in Marketing, an international, double-blind peer-reviewed journal for marketing academics and practitioners. IJRM aims to contribute to the marketing discipline by providing high-quality, original research which advances marketing knowledge and techniques. As marketers increasingly draw on diverse and sophisticated methods, IJRM‘s target audience is comprised of marketing scholars, practitioners (e.g., marketing research and consulting professionals) and policymakers.
IJRM aims to be at the forefront of the marketing field with a particular emphasis on bringing timely ideas to market. The journal embraces innovative research with the potential to spur future research and influence practice. Hence, it welcomes contributions in various aspects of marketing. The editors, while accepting a wide array of scholarly contributions from different disciplinary approaches, especially encourage research that is novel, visionary or path breaking.
Interviewed Guest
Jacob Almaguer is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Salisbury University. His research explores the nuances of language, emojis, social media marketing, and digital communication, with a particular interest in how paralinguistic expression shapes consumer perception and engagement. He is especially interested in how consumers communicate identity and meaning in digital contexts and how these behaviors influence marketplace dynamics. His work appears in the International Journal of Research in Marketing and Journal of Consumer Marketing.
Co-Authors
Reto Felix is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and holds a PhD from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. His research focuses on green consumption and the sharing economy, emerging technologies in marketing such as AR and VR, and topics related to branding, social media, and customer engagement. He has been a visiting scholar at the Marketing Group, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, and the Tec de Monterrey (ITESM), Monterrey, Mexico. Reto has presented his work at major conferences, including AMA (American Marketing Association), ACR (Association for Consumer Research), and AMS (Academy of Marketing Science, and he has published in journals such as European Journal of Marketing, Psychology & Marketing, International Journal of Research in Marketing, International Marketing Review, Journal of International Marketing, Computers in Human Behavior, and Journal of Business Research.
Colleen Harmeling is the Persis E. Rockwood Associate Professor of Marketing at Florida State University and PhD. Program Coordinator - Marketing. Colleen’s research focuses on complex social systems and the role of digital environments with a focus on customer experience design, consumer vulnerability, the role of morality in consumption, healthcare decision-making, and understudied stakeholders. Her working research focuses on cultural belief systems such as the American Dream and the Protestant Work Ethic and how they influence consumption. Her research appears in Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, and Journal of International Business Studies. She is a Developmental Editor for Journal of Marketing, an Area Editor for Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, and on the ERB for the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Service Research, and Journal of International Business Studies. She has been named an MSI Scholar, ISBM Scholar, and the Erin Anderson Award winner. Her work on group marketing won the 2017 Shelby D. Hunt/Harold Maynard Award. Her work on online experiences was a finalist for the Paul Root Award and the AMA/Sheth Award. Her work on stigma was a finalist for the Paul E. Green Award and the AMA-EBSCO-RRBM Award.
Follow & Learn More
International Journal of Research in Marketing
Interviewee
Jacob Almaguer
Co-authors
Reto Felix
Colleen M. Harmeling