Because Apple’s yellow and ethnic-sensitive emojis are not enough.
SwyftMedia just released 30 branded emoji keyboard apps for iOS as well as Android, and boy, they will either make you clap your hands in excitement, make your eyes pop out, or give the idea a thumbs down. (Y’all know the emojis for those, I bet.)
With how popular emojis have become, however, this is not a surprising development. While emojis used to belong to the realm of giggly tweens and teens, adults are now regular users as well. Not to mention stickers, which are just as popular, if not even more.
Swyft’s branded emoji keyboard apps are not merely meant to give users a fun ride, but is actually how companies are adapting their marketing efforts. With everyone using one messaging platform or another, providing branded emoji keyboards is a no-brainer way of reaching customers. Additionally, this method is considered to be an unobtrusive way of advertising, without people complaining of in-your-face ads.
The 30 branded emoji keyboard apps range from Peanuts to Ace Ventura to Itty Bitty Hellboy to Florida Gators to DC – all paid for by the brands themselves.
As can be expected, the keyboard apps are not for free – much like the setup for other platforms which uses stickers. The Peanuts keyboard, for example, costs $2.99, while the Ace Ventura emoji costs $0.99.
My initial reaction, as you can see at the beginning of this article, was “No way am I going to pay for brands to advertise to me!”
Then chat sessions with my 3-year-old nephew who can’t read just yet came to mind. Yeah, these new emoji keyboard apps might have a use. But don’t quote me on that.
