Skip to main content

Love emojis? So do big brands and advertisers

emoji
downloadsource.fr/Flickr
National Emoji Day may have passed — it’s always July 17, if you want to mark your calendar for next year — but that doesn’t mean that emojis are any less popular today than they were yesterday. In fact, for businesses the world over, emojis seem to be more popular than ever, as companies attempt to connect with younger demographics by speaking their language.

Appboy recently conducted a survey examining “the rise and rise of emoji marketing,” and found that the number of active campaigns containing emojis has increased by 557 percent in the last 12 months, and 114 percent year to date. This, the company says, translates to more than 700 million emoji messages being sent last month, versus 145 million 12 months ago and 400 million in January.

Appboy polled 500 people regarding their feelings on emojis, and 63 percent reported having a positive view on these little pictorial messages. Eighty-seven percent say they use them in their personal messages, and another 68 percent say they receive one or more emojis via some medium every day. And as a true testament to the effectiveness of emoji use in marketing, 51 percent of survey respondents said they had a positive impression of brands using emojis, and further noted that they perceived these brands as being fun or relatable.

Corporations have certainly taken this into consideration, with brands increasing their emoji usage by 777 percent since January of last year. Everyone from Bud Light to Saturday Night Live to Burger King to Apple has used emojis in various campaigns, and Appboy found that emoji-enabled ads generated click-through rates that were 20 times higher than the industry standard.

Ultimately, Appboy says, “Emojis give brands the opportunity to engage in new forms of expression that fit naturally into consumers’ existing conversations. Further, they help marketers better understand consumers’ needs and preferences.”

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
When is Prime Day 2023? Dates confirmed for the shopping event
Best Prime Day 2022 Deals graphic with multiple products.

After weeks of speculation, we finally know when Prime Day 2023 is kicking off. Amazon has announced that the event will start July 11 at 3AM ET and will run through July 12. As always, Prime members can score some fantastic deals from the sale with popular brands like Peloton, Victoria's Secret, YETI, and Sony just some of the names being touted by Amazon as featuring in the big sale. Members will also be able to shop more deals on small business products than ever before too. As always, expect great discounts on Amazon-owned properties like Kindles, Ring doorbells, Amazon Echo units, and so much more. It's the sale we've all been waiting for since Black Friday.

The Prime Day deals promise to drop every 30 minutes during select periods with deep discounts expected. Select discounts on other Amazon-related things are already available such as 20% off in-store purchases at

Read more
Another big sale is happening at the same time as Prime Day
A variety of electronic devices in open boxes.

Target just revealed that Target Circle Week will run from July 9 to July 15, overlapping with Amazon's Prime Day that's scheduled for July 11 to July 12.

The big sale event will be open to members of the retailer's Target Circle loyalty program, who will be able to receive discounts of up to 50% for certain items. If you're not yet a member, don't worry -- you can join at any time, and membership is free. Once you've signed up, you'll be able to earn 1% from every purchase to redeem at a later time, access exclusive deals, and get 5% off for your birthday, among other benefits.

Read more
The best free parental control software for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android
Man using computer.

Everything in this world has gone digital, and that includes homework (if you have kids). If your children are young, you’re probably not giving them laptops or free rein of the family computer yet. You’re also probably not always able to monitor their screen activity, either.

That’s where parental control software comes in handy. Such software helps keep your kids safe from the dark web, and there are usually free options available for all operating systems. Keep reading to find out more.
Built-in OS features
Giving your kids technology designed for their age group is an excellent first step toward keeping them safe online. When they have access to more general computing devices, you can leverage parental control features built right into the operating system. The parental controls for both Windows and macOS provide a convenient and acceptable means for restricting web access and chat functionality, and give parents the ability to view detailed logs and monitor email exchanges.
Microsoft Family Safety

Read more