Brands must be able to adapt to the rise in popularity of the emoji and be able to seamlessly insert the trend into marketing tactics, but without creating an overly sponsored image. Consumers want to engage with emoji content, and marketers should focus on developing branded stickers that will fit cohesively in every day context. 

?Branded stickers or emojis are becoming more common, but as a brand you have to have a product or IP that a consumer would logically want to include in their conversations or posts,? said Alex Bodman, group creative director at Razorfish. ?Have you ever seen a parent or older person embarrass themselves by trying too hard with emojis, or just completely misunderstanding them?

?Consider that a warning,? he said. ?Brands also need to be confident that using or creating emojis is consistent with their brand voice and tone. 

?Riding a trend or new behavior when it is contrary to your brand?s equity is not worth the potential short-term benefits.?

As the rise of emojis is now dominating everyday content through text and social media, branded emojis have become a significant part of culture as well. Consumers are interested in expanding their emoji keyboards, rather than being limited only to what their smartphone software manufacturer provides. 

"For mobile marketers [the emoji] is a dream come true," said William Towell, founder and CEO of Bad Donkey Social Company. "Finally, the branded emoji affords mobile marketers the opportunity to engage within daily conversations on a friendship level. 

"This, in turn, will deliver rich content, drive native sharing and generate real-time analytics," he said. "New branded emoji designs will need to be kept simple and mobile friendly." 

"The native sharing of brand beliefs is a two-way street. And most important, mobile millennials expect rich brand content, personalized to what they value, that they can share and talk about with their peers. Any mass, banner-ad spam tactics will result in early death."

The desire for more emoticons and sticker content opened the door for marketers to develop their own and give fans of brands the tools to promote and engage, creating a more authentic brand image. However, now that branded emojis are becoming common, many marketers are jumping on board but it is imperative to note whether or not the brand fits in with an emoji keyboard, and which content would best serve this platform. 

Many young consumers know the feeling of being embarrassed by a parent or older relative using emojis incorrectly and in the wrong context. It is important for a brand not to be the embarrassing older parent, portraying an image of striving to stay ?cool,? and up-to-date. 

For instance brands in the food and beverage industry, fan favorite television series and films, and coveted apparel or merchandise make great cases for a branded emoji. These industries offer a wide range of content that consumers would be excited to get involved with such as sharing an icon a favorite character?s face, popular food item or a sought-after pair of shoes. 

Logo reality contest show RuPaul?s Drag Race and footwear retailer Foot Locker are examples of brands that make a strong case for emoji keyboards, as they have loyal followings and have created content that works well in the form of emoticons and stickers (see more). 

Comedy Central sitcom Broad City is another example of a successful keyboard, as fans flocked to download the mobile application without promotion through paid advertising. Within eight weeks the app received more than 55,00 downloads, and more than one million images were sent. 


Broad City's popular emoji keyboard mobile application

Another example is Time Inc.'s culinary publication Food & Wine launching an emoji and branded sticker keyboard application to expand its consumer reach and become a staple in the food-and-beverage culture of mobile-savvy consumers (see more).

The show has generated highly loyal fans and its content is unique, which are factors that most likely lead to a successful keyboard app. 

These keyboards need to stay away from being overly branded as well. Marketers should give their fans something to have fun with, rather than something that feels like an advertisement. 

Creating authentic content that consumers want to engage with creates a more secure positive brand image. 

"Branded emojis are possible now through keyboard apps," said Matt Rednor, CEO and founder of Decoded Advertising. "Like any other social advertising now, it is important to choose the right keyboard or messaging service to be a part of, and make sure to promote where to find it, otherwise it will not scale. 

 

"Emojis are the new universal language and the way young people communicate these days so brands will need to figure out a way to be a part of this culture or get left behind," he said. "Brands need to be strategic when selecting their emojis though. 

"Just like hashtags before this, no one is going to want to use your overly branded emoji if it is not already part of pop culture, and we can not control how people use it, if people were not saying what you wanted them to before, they are probably not going to say it now just because you are there. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words so figure how to tell a story through your emoji, and you may need more than one, incorporating existing ones that are already being used today."