How Emoji's Can Spark Fun, Culture, and Communication on Your Intranet
In the age of digital workspaces, emojis are more than just fun, they’re part of how we communicate. That’s why World Emoji Day (17 July) presents a unique opportunity to inject some personality into your intranet, foster employee engagement, and even strengthen internal culture.
Here are some easy and impactful ways to bring World Emoji Day into your intranet content and communications:
💬Launch an Emoji Poll
Ask your colleagues:
"What’s your most-used emoji and why?"
Use a quick poll or forum post and encourage comments. You’ll be surprised how many employees enjoy explaining their go-to reactions from 😂 to 🤔. It’s light-hearted, but it tells you a lot about team tone and culture.
🏆 Host an Emoji Awards
Create fun categories like:
Most Positive Colleague (🥰)
Chief Problem-Solver (🧠)
Always on the Move (🏃♂️)
Encourage peer nominations or use them as the theme in a recognition post. This gamifies internal comms and puts a creative twist on celebrating colleagues.
📸 Run a Team Emoji Challenge
Get departments to create their own “emoji story” that describes their team’s purpose or current project. It’s a visual storytelling challenge that works especially well on intranets.
Example:
🧑💻🔍📈🚀 = “We analyse data to drive innovation!”
✍️ 4. Emoji-Only Status Updates
Encourage employees (or leaders) to post one emoji that describes their day or week. It’s a quick, low-barrier way to check in, and great for hybrid or frontline teams who don’t always have time to write full updates.
🎨 Custom Emoji Reactions for Posts
If your intranet allows it, set up temporary emoji reactions just for the day. Replace the usual “like” or “thumbs up” with more expressive options, perfect for adding a little surprise and delight to content.
🧠 Why it Matters
At first glance, World Emoji Day might seem like just a quirky trend. But moments like this:
- Encourage human connection in digital spaces
- Make the intranet feel dynamic and not just functional
- Allow bottom-up contributions and creativity
- Reinforce a culture of recognition and belonging
📅 Plan Ahead
Even if you can’t run a big campaign, one well-placed emoji-themed post or poll can bring fresh energy to your intranet. Use it as a conversation starter, a way to showcase personalities, or just a fun break in the routine.
Emoji are a universal language and your intranet should speak it.
This World Emoji Day, think beyond 🍕 and 🐱. Think connection, culture, and content your teams will actually enjoy engaging with.
