Let’s face it: When and how facial emojis increase the persuasiveness of electronic word of mouth
基于情绪即社会信息理论，研究了面部表情符号通过情绪唤起和感知模糊性两条路径影响电子口碑说服力的机制，发现表情符号替代文字会增加模糊性降低说服力，而重复文字则相反，对营销决策有启示。
Abstract Facial emojis have increasingly permeated electronic word of mouth (eWOM), but the persuasive consequences of this phenomenon remain unclear. Drawing on emotions as social information (EASI) theory, this research reveals that facial emojis influence persuasion (e.g., product choice) by affecting emotional arousal and perceived ambiguity. While the effect through emotional arousal is generally positive, the effect through ambiguity depends on the emojis’ function in eWOM: facial emojis that replace a verbal expression increase ambiguity and therefore reduce persuasion, whereas those that reiterate a verbal expression decrease ambiguity and therefore enhance persuasion. Both the emotional-arousal and ambiguity pathways determine the net persuasive effect. This research also explores two situations (high verbal context richness and eWOM from strong ties) where replacing facial emojis can increase persuasion. Finally, the authors show that facial emojis’ persuasive power is generalizable to online brand communications, influencing key management outcomes such as click-through rates for digital ads.