An Emoji Is Worth a Thousand Words

Abstract

Face emojis are regularly used in reviews on online shopping sites to add richness and/or levity to the text. However, few researchers have investigated the use of face emojis in consumer reviews. This paper examined the effects of the number of face emojis (none, one, and three) in user-generated reviews (UGRs) on trustworthiness and purchase intention. They found that the number of face emojis in UGRs has a profound impact on consumers. A greater number of face emojis correlates with a greater degree of review trustworthiness. However, the effect of emojis on purchase intention changes depending on the situation. Additionally, when there is a profile picture, consumers pay more attention to it, and the positive effect due to face emojis disappears. Moreover, the gift giver-recipient relationship moderates the effect of face emojis on user decisions. The findings of our work have theoretical and managerial implications with respect to providing a new means of understanding consumer perceptions of products, from which business can benefit by improving sales and policies.