The Interplay between Sensory Emojis and Background Color of an Email: A Construal Level Approach: An Abstract

This research investigates the effect of interaction between sensory emojis and background color of an email on consumers’ responses. More particularly, would emojis related to our senses (e.g. or ) be able to activate sensory imagery such as touch or auditory imagery? If sensory emojis produce sensory imagery into which appropriate background color (e.g. red vs blue) they have to be inserted in order to enhance consumers’ responses? Indeed, atmospheric variables such as color are important marketing tools that attract and shape consumers’ perceptions (Labrecque and Milne 2012).We leverage Construal level theory (CLT) that provides a theoretical framework to predict in which appropriate background color specific sensory emojis have to be inserted. We suggest that sensory emojis related to proximal (distal) senses such as touch (hear) have to be integrated in red (blue) background color. We explain these combinations through the fit between psychological distance associated with senses and the construal level activated by red or blue color. We run an experiment, in a real situation, that tests the interplay between sensory emojis (touch vs hearing) and background colors (red vs blue) inserted into a starter email of a chatbot. A residual means analysis (Umesh et al. 1996) suggest that inserted proximal (distal) sensory emoji into red (blue) background is the optimal combination that enhances consumers' responses. These first results contribute to literature on emoji by showing that color background play an important role in the use of emoji into an email. Moreover, we contribute to CLT by showing that this framework could predict the effect of interplay between sensorial elements such as sensory emojis and color. Regarding implications managerial, this research aims to provide concrete suggestions for marketers who use emoji and color in their digital content. There are several applications for different contexts such as email marketing or online websites.