Emoji-based marketing in consumer behavior: a systematic literature review

In the digital age, emojis have become an integral component of brand consumer communication on social media. Despite the growing volume of research on emojis across marketing, psychology and digital communication, existing findings remain fragmented and lack a consolidated understanding. To address this gap, this study investigates emoji-based marketing through a systematic literature review. The review examines 45 peer-reviewed articles retrieved from the Scopus database, focusing on relevant peer-reviewed journal articles and following the PRISMA framework with clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Using the Antecedents, Decisions, Outcomes (ADO) framework, the study systematically organises and synthesises prior research. The findings reveal key antecedents influencing emoji use, including platform characteristics, brand communicational styles and emotional cues. Decisions related to emoji type frequency and context platform are identified, while outcomes primarily focus on consumer engagement, brand perception and behavioral intentions. This study’s originality lies in systematically mapping antecedents, decisions and outcomes in emoji-based marketing research along with dominant themes, methodological approaches and theoretical platforms. By identifying critical gaps across these dimensions, the review offers a structured and reader-friendly overview that provides actionable insights for future research and practitioners in digital marketing and visual communication.