Context matters more than the emoji itself. That is the central finding of a new study led by PKU HSBC Business School's Assoc. Prof. Ye Weiming, published in the International Journal of Advertising. Across two experiments with 535 participants, the study found that emojis undercut luxury branding in public advertising while enhancing warmth and satisfaction in one-on-one customer service. The takeaway for marketers: distance in public, closeness in private. #Pekonomist#

Should customer service agents reveal who they are? PHBS Assoc. Prof. Jooyoung Park's co-authored paper is out in Information Systems Research. Through large-scale field experiments and controlled studies, the findings show that identity disclosure is generally beneficial. Yet, the embedded ethnic cues can shape customer perceptions in unexpected ways, influencing both provider selection and satisfaction outcomes. Read the full paper: #Pekonomist# @pku_phbs