18th International Conference on Innovative Computing, Information and Control (ICICIC2024)
Onsite (Qinhuangdao, China) and Online, September 10-13, 2024

PS-9: ICICIC2024-WS05-08
Research on the Impact Mechanism of the Use of Emoticons on Community Identity
in Virtual Brand Communities
Shuhui Zhang and Hui Guan*
School of Economics and Management (School of Tourism), Dalian University, Dalian 116622, P. R. China*Corresponding author: gloria366000@163.com

Introduction
China Internet Network Information Center released the 52nd Statistical Report on the Development of Internet in
China in Beijing in September 2023: By the first half of 2023, the number of Internet users in China had reached 1.079
billion, and the Internet penetration rate had reached 76.4%, higher than the global average. In online virtual
communication on the Internet, simple text communication has obvious limitations, and it is difficult to fully show thechanges of both parties’ emotions. Emoticons have become an interesting supplement. Despite the advancement oftechnology, online virtual socializing can interact in real time, but it has never fully achieved the familiarity of face-to-facecommunication. It is in this context that emoticons play an important role, filling the gap in non-verbal symbols in online
communication. By simulating human expressions and body language, emoticons add more emotional color andexpression levels to online communication, enrich what could have been pale and boring text communication, and inject
new vitality into online communication. With the continuous development of emoticons, they not only fill the gap in online
communication, but also gradually increase users’ attention to visual communication through images. At the same time, theforms of emoticons also show a trend of diversification. Research on the use of emojis in virtual brand communities will help
further tap the interactive value of community members, encourage users to create more high-quality content, promote
positive interaction within the community, and thus enhance individual identity and stickiness to the group. By maintaining
and enhancing the activity of the community, further stimulate content consumption and inject vitality into the prosperity ofthe community.

Methodologies
1) Literature research method
By collecting relevant research results at home and abroad, reviewing articles on the use of emoticons, brandcommunity identity, emotional resonance, interpersonal intimacy, and community atmosphere, and understanding thecurrent research status of relevant theories at home and abroad, a solid foundation is provided for theoretical analysis andempirical research.
2) Participatory observation method
By participating in the brand community as a member, pay attention to community dynamics and interactive
phenomena such as emoticon communication among members, and understand the interactive behaviors and processes
involved.
3) Questionnaire survey method
Based on the theoretical model of the impact of emoji usage on community identity, mature scales from both
domestic and international sources were used for each variable. A reasonable questionnaire was designed anddistributed to users in the virtual brand community to obtain their feedback and opinions.
4) Empirical analysis method
This article analyzes the data using SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 21.0 software to verify the reliability and validity of thequestionnaire. Finally, correlation analysis and variance analysis are conducted on the data collected from thequestionnaire to validate the effectiveness of the model and enrich the relevant theories of emoticons and virtual brandcommunity identity in China.

18th International Conference on Innovative Computing, Information and Control (ICICIC2024)
Onsite (Qinhuangdao, China) and Online, September 10-13, 2024

TablesTable 1. Component matrix and confirmatory factor analysis results after rotation
FactorResearch

Measurement

Standardized

variables

items

factor load

1

SY3

0.568

0.756

SY4

0.519

0.759

SY60.694

0.653

QG1

0.722

0.776

QG4

0.594

0.564

QG6

0.596

0.694

RJ3

0.606

0.699

RJ50.540

0.580

RJ60.454

0.557

PR10.544

0.784

PR20.504

0.617

PR30.749

0.677

QR10.616

0.609

group

QR20.533

identification

QR4QR6The use ofEmoticons
Emotional
resonance
Interpersonal
intimacy
Brand
identification

AVE

CR

0.684

0.66

0.8

0.688

0.752

734

0.731

0.762

2345

Table 2. Hypothesis test results
Hypothesis

Path

Estimate

S.E.

C.R.

P

H1

The use of emoticons → community identification

0.447

0.055

4.143

***

H1a

The use of emoticons → brand recognition

0.235

0.089

2.644

***

H1b

The use of emoticons → group identification

0.495

0.105

4.705

***

H2

The use of emoticons → emotional resonance

0.391

0.082

4.764

***

H3

The use of emoticons → interpersonal intimacy

0.312

0.075

4.127

***

Emotional resonance → community

0.114

0.041

1.323

***

H4identification

H4aEmotional resonance → brand identification

0.152

0.069

2.582

***

H4b

Emotional resonance → group identification

0.103

0.080

1.111

***

H5

Interpersonal intimacy → community identity

0.281

0.067

3.445

***

H5a

Interpersonal intimacy → brand recognition

0.2340.094

2.036

***

H5b

Interpersonal intimacy → group identification

0.133

0.110

1.602

***

18th International Conference on Innovative Computing, Information and Control (ICICIC2024)
Onsite (Qinhuangdao, China) and Online, September 10-13, 2024

Conclusion
This article used an online questionnaire survey to obtain 428 data, and based on literature research,
constructed a structural equation model to analyze and study the impact of the use of emoticons oncommunity identity in virtual brand communities. Community identity is divided into two dimensions: brandidentity and group identity. Emotional resonance and interpersonal intimacy are introduced as mediating
variables, and community atmosphere is used as a moderating variable to propose research hypotheses.
SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 21.0 are used to test, and the following four conclusions are finally obtained.
Firstly, the use of emoticons in virtual brand communities has a positive impact on community identity. In
the era of mobile Internet, the form of virtual brand community forum community has changed into instantgroup chat. This study seeks to keep pace with the times, focus on the virtual brand community with groupchat as the main form, and explore the impact of the use of emoticons on user participation and identity
construction of virtual brand community. Each social circle will create their own unique emoticons. The
meaning of these emoticons is based on a common agreement among members of the social circle, and is asymbol that can combine reference and symbolic meaning. These rules are communication passwords thatare commonly followed by members within the social circle, and only members within the circle canunderstand their meaning. These emoticons have the function of identifying collective identity andconsolidating collective emotions, and can play a cohesive role among members within the circle.
Secondly, the use of emoticons can affect emotional resonance among community members andenhance interpersonal intimacy. Emojis are regarded as a form of behavioral language used in entertainment
activities, achieving controllable communication through the adjustment, exaggeration, and disguise of realexpressions. With the popularity of emojis, as a standardized emotional symbol, they provide people with asimple and intuitive way to express emotions, allowing both parties to obtain information according to theirown needs, making it easier to achieve emotional resonance. In social interaction, emotional resonance isoften based on the recognition and perception of each other’s emotions. When the sender selects emojis that
represent their emotions, the receiver understands and identifies with this emotion based on a sharedemotional experience, and forms emotional interactions through responses, promoting a sense of closenessamong community members.
Thirdly, emotional resonance and interpersonal intimacy play a mediating role in the impact of the use ofemoticons on community identity. Users use emoticons to communicate with other community members in
virtual brand communities, and their interests lead to emotional resonance and increased intimacy within thecommunity. As personal feelings deepen, community members gradually form a sense of identification withthe community’s group and brand. The users of emoticons constitute a dispersed and unstructured freegroup, and their use of emoticons on social media is mainly based on personal preferences. The interactive
behavior between these users occurs in a resonant virtual space, surpassing the limitations of traditional
interpersonal communication on time and space, and no longer subject to any constraints. In this interaction,communication between users is based on a shared identity and value choices, rather than coercion orinstitutionalization. Through cultural identity, they gradually tend towards consistency. In the interactiveprocess, the emoticons selected by different users jointly construct a symbiotic semantic space. The
personalized use of emoticons enables users to express emotions and potential meanings more accurately.
As a part of a group, similar emoticon usage habits and ideographic systems help to bring members closer
together and give users a sense of organizational belonging. This sense of organization is actually amanifestation of identity and group recognition, accompanied by identification with a certain culture.
Fourthly, the community atmosphere provides a positive moderating effect on the model. The
introduction of the concept of community atmosphere in this article is inspired by reality. Community
atmosphere can affect users’ sense of identification with virtual brand communities. Two situations can be
imagined: firstly, the atmosphere of the community is very poor, and when there is no supervision, guidance,or response, users’ sense of identification with the virtual brand community will not be high; the second
scenario is that the atmosphere of the community is very good, even if the community members are
unfamiliar and not closely connected, users’ sense of identification with the virtual brand community will not
be too bad. The premise of this situation mainly depends on the community atmosphere created by virtual
brand communities, which can have a positive regulatory effect on community identity.