By Cassy van Eeden
This is because emojis are no longer just cute icons to decorate your instant messages with. As a comprehensive language, they have become deeply entrenched in our culture.
A universal language
Emojis are the most global, all-inclusive lexicon available right now. And, as
FoxP2’s Alex Goldberg and Ryan Barkuizen point out, the language has given people from all types of backgrounds the means to express themselves effectively, regardless of their age, culture or level of literacy.
“Emojis are the hieroglyphics of the modern world,” says Goldberg, a senior copywriter.
Alistair Fairweather, chief technology officer at
Publicis Machine, says; “Emojis – and all emoticons – communicate complex ideas like emotions very quickly and succinctly.”
We’re emotionally invested
What is it about the human psychology that has attracted us to emojis? Well, the simple answer is that we have an inherent need to not only express emotion, but to have our emotions acknowledged by others.
Dion Chang, trends analyst and owner of
Flux Trends notes; “It’s a very human need to want to express yourself, and I just don’t think a normal messaging platform gives you enough of that emotion.”
As for Goldberg and Barkhuizen, emojis possess a strong emotional quality that succeed when words fail us.
Emojis inject emotion into what could be thought of as a two-dimensional conversation, Chang explains.
“Unless you’re a gifted writer, the written word is quite flat,” says Fairweather. “Emojis are a way to give conversations extra dimensions.”
The emoji repertoire also allows us to express tone and personality with just one character,
says Camilla Bath, deputy editor at
Eye Witness News. This is especially effective as most digital communication platforms have character restrictions.
Introducing the hyper-visual era
The old adage that a
picture is worth a thousand words – albeit a cliché – has never been truer. We are hurtling towards the middle of an
intensely visual era. And emojis are just that – visual.
“We’re moving into a hyper-visual era, so we are starting to see the rise of specifically visual-based social media like Pinterest or Instagram,” comments Chang.
We’re moving away from literal text as a form of communication and adopting visual languages instead. And, as Bath explains, “Humans respond powerfully to visual cues.”
What does this mean for brands?
Internationally,
hundreds of brands are making use of emojis in their advertising,
marketing and communications efforts. And South Africa is slowly catching up.
Goldberg believes that; “In order for a brand to stay relevant to consumers, they need to not only speak to them in a way they can relate to, but in a way they know and use [frequently].”
But just because it’s trendy, it doesn’t necessarily mean brands should make them a part of their campaign.
“Overuse or badly considered use of emojis by brands will just seem false and embarrassing,” cautions Fairweather. You don’t want your consumers to think you’re trying too hard.
“When emojis are used cleverly and appropriately, they can be an absolute winner,” says Bath.
What is most important, though, is that any brand or business needs to be aware of the rise of emoji language and understand how they are becoming a significant feature in our culture.
Do you use emojis to express yourself? Why do you think they have become so popular? Let us know in the comments below.