Written by Kotori Tayama-Gannon

💡 Did you know the emoji was first created in 1999? Designed by Shigetaka Kurita for Japanese mobile carrier DOCOMO, emojis were intended to simplify messaging and add emotional nuance.  

Their popularity spread quickly, and, in 2010, emoji were officially adopted into the Unicode Standard, making them usable across virtually every digital platform. Within a year, Apple added an emoji keyboard to iOS, with Android following soon after, helping emoji evolve into a global digital language. 

At IMPACT, our most-used emojis – 🥰🤣❤️😗👏 – say a lot about our team. We lead with kindness, don’t take ourselves too seriously, and value collaboration, humour and heart in everything we do. 

Today, this universal shorthand is shaping how consumers and businesses alike express themselves across culture, platforms and generations.  

The generational disconnect 🤷‍ 

Despite their ubiquity, emojis aren’t always universally understood. Different generations often use the same symbols in completely different ways, creating confusion and misinterpretation.  

What one generation sees as playful, another might read as passive-aggressive; for some, the enthusiastic “thumbs up” emoji text is a genuine sign of approval, yet to the digital native, it’s an anxiety-inducing sign that the conversation is unequivocally over. 

Just like slang, emojis reflect generational tone and identity. Gen Z has taken this even further, blending meanings to create a more expressive, visual form of communication. In fact, they are so ingrained into everyday life that 82 per cent of Australian emoji users send up to 50 emojis in their messaging each day, while more than half rely on emoji use when they have difficulties expressing their emotions with words. 

Emojis in B2C vs B2B 💼 

For brands, emojis are becoming an increasingly effective marketing tool. In B2C, they add personality, emotion, and relatability to communications. Emojis grab attention quickly, especially on fast-scrolling platforms like Instagram and TikTok. They make content feel more conversational and human, matching how consumers naturally communicate. As such, emojis work best in social media captions and stories, push notifications, SMS and email marketing, as well as product reviews and customer support chats. 

In B2B, emojis are used less often but can be effective in softening tone and making brands more approachable. They’re useful for highlighting key points, guiding the reader’s eye, and increasing engagement in otherwise dry or technical content. Ideal channels include LinkedIn posts and comments, internal communications, email newsletters, presentations, and infographics. 

Emoji etiquette ✅ 

As with any language, perception is everything and can be the difference between enhancing or derailing your messaging. Here are IMPACT’s emoji dos and don’ts:  

Do: 

😊 Use emojis to humanise your brand. Add warmth, tone, and emotion to make messaging feel more relatable. 

📣 Highlight key information. Use emojis to draw attention to CTAs, discounts, or important dates. 

🎯 Keep it on-brand. Ensure your emoji use matches your tone of voice (e.g., playful for lifestyle, polished for professional services)  

📊 Test and measure. Monitor performance and track what your audience engages with. 

Don’t:  

🚫 Overdo it. Too many emojis can look unprofessional or like spam, so use them purposefully. 

❓ Use ambiguous or niche emojis. Not everyone will interpret emojis the same way, so it is best to avoid symbols that can be misread or have multiple meanings.  

🔤 Replace important words. Emojis should enhance, not replace the message. 

⚖️ Use emojis in serious communication. Avoid emojis in formal or sensitive messaging (e.g., legal, financial, crisis comms).  

👉 To learn how IMPACT can optimise your social media strategy, contact Trish McGee at trish@impactagency.com.au.