“People think it’s manipulative ... despite leaving them with negative emotions. Smiley-face emoji, at least, might alleviate some of that aggravation, especially in settings where the ...

How a simple line drawing of a smiley face became a global shorthand for brands to connect with people on an emotional level When Franklin Loufrani trademarked the now iconic smiling face symbol in ...

Of the six billion emoji that are sent globally every day, around 70% are emotion based – for example, smiley face, love hearts. A smaller proportion of the emoji sent are sad expressions.

The happier faces won out on both counts, suggesting that being smiley in real life can lead to a more positive interpretation of formal emails. “People tend to assume that a smiley is a virtual ...