Want to use Emoji in labeling? Not so fast.

Some of the most memorable typographic iconography of the last several years has come in the form of Emoji: those darling little faces and symbols users can communicate with on smart devices. While it might be tempting to utilize some of those symbols in your custom label printing strategy, experts say the material is copyrighted. Despite the open sourced nature of the font set, using Emoji to promote your brand might cause legal issues you’d like to avoid. 

However, that doesn’t mean your business can’t learn some lessons from the popularity of those tiny icons:

Take inspiration from Emoji. You might not be able to use widely recognized Emoji symbols, but that doesn’t mean you can’t channel the consumer’s appetite for simple, upbeat icons. Working with a graphic designer can help your brand identify and develop iconography that speaks to your products. Without infringing on Apple’s proprietary patent, businesses can find a contemporary aesthetic that accounts for our love of icons. 

Use them on social media. If your company has cultivated an active Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram presence, using the characters in posts and messages is fair game. Some of the most successful brands on various platforms have embraced a casual, down-to-earth tone that employs some of the language cues of texting, messaging and tweeting. Direct customers to those pages on your labels. 

Don’t forget traditional emoticons. A recent proposal by Appetite Magazine found that visual cues like smiley faces communicate most effectively with consumers, especially when it comes to nutrition information. While those strategies aren’t industry-standard, don’t forget the universal language of facial expression when you’re building a brand.

With an industrial label printer, businesses can craft contemporary messaging that engages consumers and articulates their values.