Facing a huge surplus of smiley face emoticons, Corporate America is looking for ways to unload them.
“Ten years ago they were the only choice,” says Sheila Wilkins of the American Emoticon Institute. “So companies bought them in bulk while they were cheap.”
With the recent introduction of hundreds of cooler versions – sword fighting, saxophone playing, notary public and other faces – smileys went out of style and use fell by 88 percent between 2013 and 2015.
Running out of room to store them, many companies are offering cash incentives, gift certificates, and award plaques to encourage usage. A few have even mandated that employees use them or face disciplinary action.
Still, the decline is accelerating.
“Apparently,” says Wilkins, “people would rather be fired than use smiley faces.”
