The Influence of Emoji Digital Marketing and Demographic Factors on Generation Z’s Purchase Intention Decisions

People's online interactions with one another have changed dramatically over the years. As digital technologies advanced, digital communications became an essential part of our daily lives, resulting in the development of new language forms such as emojis. Marketers have begun to use emoji digital marketing (EDM) to simulate digital interaction and purchase intention, especially among young customers. People refer to the Generation Z cohort as mobile prodigies due to their affinity for the digital world and their ability to express themselves through emojis. There is negligible research about emojis in South Africa, particularly considering the impact of emoji utilisation through digital marketing platforms. Accordingly, the study used the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore the effect of EDM on Generation Z's purchase intention through perceived ease of use and usefulness, as well as the impact of Generation Z’s emoji usage and demographic factors on purchase intention. This study employed linear regression (quantitative) analysis to examine the hypotheses, specifically following the descriptive research approach. This study utilised a non-probability sampling strategy that involved snowball sampling. The study used a self-administered questionnaire to gather data and assess the effect of EDM on purchase intention among a sample of 754 young consumers. The study found that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use had a positive influence on purchase intention due to EDM, as well as various demographics (gender) and EDM usage (emoji usage frequency, emoji brand message engagement, online usage hours, and digital spending) factors. Marketers can incorporate emojis into engaging subject lines and distribute them through various digital applications. This method may assist organizations in distinguishing themselves from the competition, attracting attention, and enhancing their PI and digital expenditure. This study makes a noteworthy contribution to the expanding realm of EDM research by offering novel insights and enhancing comprehension of TAM attitudes towards and utilisation of emojis, and as the effect of EDM usage and demographic factors. Future research can reduce this study's limitations by using longitudinal research, different product categories and industries, structural equation modelling, and various countries and cohorts.