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Emojis in shopping chatbots help or hurt sales, depending on how shoppers see the shop

Study title: To smile or not to smile? Emoji-enhanced chatbots, brand coolness, and behavioral intention

Evidence type
Controlled or validated comparison
Sample
n = 504
Sources
1 sourcePeer-reviewed
Published
2 min read
Truvace record
TRV-2026-2688cite or check it

Study title: To smile or not to smile? Emoji-enhanced chatbots, brand coolness, and behavioral intention

Two online experiments with Greek Gen Z consumers, 208 in the first and 296 in the second, tested how emojis in chatbot conversations and a brand's perceived coolness affect willingness to follow a chatbot's recommendations. Participants were randomly assigned to low or high brand coolness and to a chatbot with or without emojis.

Read the study abstract

Based on the Computers-as-Social-Actors (CASA) framework, this paper explores how emojis in chatbot conversations and perceived brand coolness interact with consumers’ attitudes toward the e-shop (Ae-shop) to influence their behavioral intention (BI) to follow chatbot recommendations. Two online, 2 (brand coolness: low vs. high) ×2 (chatbot with emojis usage: with vs. without) between-subjects experiments with 208 and 296 Greek Gen Z consumers, respectively, were conducted, while measuring the moderating effect…

The gain

In two experiments with 208 and 296 Greek Gen Z consumers, shoppers with a positive attitude toward the e-shop were more inclined to follow a chatbot's recommendations when it used emojis and when the brand was seen as cool.

In brief

The effect depended on how consumers already felt about the e-shop. Those with a positive attitude responded more favourably to emojis and cool brands, while those with a less positive attitude responded negatively to both. The authors call this a 'double-edged' role.

Intention to follow the chatbot also mediated the link between emoji use, brand coolness and purchase intention. The authors conclude that attitude toward the e-shop is an essential boundary condition for building cool brands online and for adding emojis to chatbot communication.

Main points

  1. The study used a 2 (brand coolness: low vs. high) by 2 (chatbot with vs. without emojis) between-subjects design.
  2. Two online experiments were run, with 208 and 296 Greek Gen Z consumers.
  3. The work is grounded in the Computers-as-Social-Actors framework, which treats people as responding socially to computers.
  4. A positive attitude toward the e-shop strengthened the links from emoji use and from brand coolness to intention to follow chatbot recommendations.
  5. A less positive attitude toward the e-shop reversed both links to negative.
  6. Intention to follow recommendations mediated the relationships between emoji use, brand coolness and purchase intention.

The full story

The researchers, drawing on the Computers-as-Social-Actors framework, asked whether people treat a chatbot's emojis as social cues that shape their willingness to act on its advice. They also tested the role of perceived brand coolness.

Each of the two experiments crossed low versus high brand coolness with a chatbot that either used emojis or did not. Attitude toward the e-shop was measured as a moderator. The samples were 208 and 296 Greek Gen Z consumers.

Results showed the same features could raise or lower intention to follow recommendations. For consumers positive toward the shop, emojis and coolness helped. For those less positive, both pushed intention down, and the authors describe emojis and brand coolness as double-edged in this setting.

Sources

1 on file
  1. Journal of Marketing Communicationsdoi:10.1080/13527266.2026.2677091
    Peer-reviewed2026-05-26

Talk it over

Four questions to start onWho gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

Start with a question

Emojis in shopping chatbots help or hurt sales, depending on how shoppers see the shophttps://truvace.com/item/to-smile-or-not-to-smile-emoji-enhanced-chatbots-brand-coolness-and-behavioral-i

  1. Who gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

    The gain In two experiments with 208 and 296 Greek Gen Z consumers, shoppers with a positive attitude toward the e-shop were more inclined to follow a chatbot's recommendations when it used emojis and when the brand was seen as cool.

    Answer in the thread

  2. How do we know? What can this kind of evidence show, and what can’t it?

    The evidence This rests on a controlled comparison with a sample of 504, from Journal of Marketing Communications.

    Answer in the thread

  3. What does it leave open? What else would you want to know before acting on it?

    The record’s own caveat Both experiments involved only Greek Gen Z consumers, so the findings may not apply to other age groups or countries.

    Answer in the thread

  4. Have you seen AI used this way where you study, work or live? Did it go the same way?

    Answer in the thread

The questions are the same on every record. The details under them are taken from this record as written.

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