A quarter of consumers would consider stopping purchases from a brand that uses emojis in a non-inclusive way on social media, new data has revealed.

According to a study by Brands2Life, 41% of consumers surveyed believe inappropriate or insensitive emoji use can damage a company’s reputation, with 42% feeling they’ve formed connections with brands because of emoji use to display humour.

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Meanwhile, half of frequent TikTok users said improper emoji use could hurt a brand’s reputation, with 36% saying they would stop purchasing from a brand which did not use inclusive emoji’s on the platform.

A further 37% added they would unfollow the brand on social media for that reason.

Brands2Life Managing Director of Digital, Social & Influencer, Kinda Jackson, said: “Emojis have become a language on their own, but meanings can shift across cultures and demographics.

“Brands must consider inclusivity and consistency with emoji use to avoid unintended interpretations.”

This comes as 31% of 18-34-year-olds said they would be turned off a brand for overusing emojis, compared to just 22% of those 55 and over.

Jackson added: “The use of emojis is not just about business representation; it’s about making your audience feel genuinely included on social media and creating a space on your channels where everyone feels welcome.”