The Impact of Emojis in Online Customer Support Services : A study about the brand emoji use and the reciprocity in the use of emoji between customers and e-retailers

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Statistics and Information Management, specialization in Marketing Research and CRMThe increasing popularity of emoji in online environments has aroused interest in comprehending how and in what context its role in Electronic Mediated Communication has a contribution in an effective Relationship Marketing. However, very little research examining the role of emoticons in a commercial relationship provide straight findings. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and better understand the impact and influence of the use of emoji by the brand between customers and e-retailers, and its reciprocity between the two entities. It intends to understand this impact on social presence and online communication, as well as on customer satisfaction, brand perception and word-of-mouth communication and comprehend if trust mediates the relationship between these components in an online environment. Through a conclusive experiment, findings provide evidence that emojis mostly increase customers’ satisfaction and perception towards the brand. Furthermore, this research contributes to filling the gap regarding the impact of the use of emojis by the brand as well as the reciprocity on their use, offering a more comprehensive framework