Emojis analysis at international trade shows in five countries: ex- and post-COVID-19

Purpose The purpose of this paper is, first, to predict eWOM volume based on emoji presence in a tweet, amount of emojis in a tweet and time frame (posting date ex ante COVID-19 or posting date ex post COVID-19) influences. And second, to identify whether there are differences between the samples and a moderation effect of country on the relationship studied. All in a B2B context, particularly in international trade shows (ITSs). Design/methodology/approach The data was collected from X (formerly and still commonly known as Twitter), from 10 ITSs in five countries (France, Spain, the UK, Mexico and the USA), considering two ITSs per country. In total, 9,329 tweets were analyzed and content analysis was used: 3,566 tweets from Period 1, posting date ex ante COVID-19 and 5,763 tweets from Period 2, posting date ex post COVID-19. Findings The results show, first, in a B2B context, that tweets with emoji presence, more emojis and tweets posted before the pandemic have the highest volume of eWOM. Second, that culture moderates the volume of eWOM. Specifically, in the US sample, all predictors significantly drive eWOM volume, even though the USA is the country that uses the least amount of emojis on Twitter. Originality/value This research answers a gap in the literature, contributing to empirical research on the adoption, use, measurement and effect of emoji usage in real-world communication in different countries.