Towards Understanding Preference of Use of Emoticons for Effective Online Communication and Promotion: A Study of National Capital Region of Delhi, India

Abstract

With introduction of new tools and techniques for online communication, the methods of online marketing have also changed. The presence of emotions in decision-making processes of customers has always changed the dimensions of sales in online environment. Emoticons, which are the graphical representation of one’s nonverbal traits, help in analysing the meaning and emotion of the message in an appropriate manner. Now, increasing usage of emoticons in textual messages by gen y students has revived the emotional aspect of making purchases. These youngsters form a majority portion of online shoppers and always remain the favourite segment of marketers. Addressing their needs by capturing their emotional side at a correct instance will convert the search into buying decision. The present study attempts to understand the perceptions of these students towards the usage of emoticons for effective online promotion. The study was conducted in the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, wherein the respondents were selected through multistage sampling (N = 120). Data was collected through self-constructed questionnaire (Cronbach alpha = 0.872). Differences between male female respondents as regards their perception of usage of emoticons were also probed for gaining insights into the emotional dimensions of both the groups while making online purchase. The study will be a good source for online marketers to develop strategies to attract this most vivacious segment by making use of emoticons.