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Good morning PR pros:

Ever wondered who decides what becomes an emoji?

There are clearly some wicked wits behind the decision to create a smiling pile of poo. However, USA Today reveals that the little graphics used in online communication must go through a rigorous process to become part of the emoji lexicon.

Anyone can propose a new emoji, but the Unicode Consortium (which makes the final call) has a clear set of criteria: It must be distinctive, it must be likely to be used, and it must add something to the already existing array of symbols and avatars.

USA Today reported:

Over time, this thought process has helped lead to the 3,178 emoji in existence today, according to emoji reference website Emojipedia. Many emoji are simply part of a set. With flags, for instance, Welch said that if you have one, you have to have them all, or at least all of the ones of countries recognized by the United Nations. Others include different skin tones and gender variations of emoji depicting people.

Consider it a metaphor for your digital messaging strategy. In a world of content and messaging overload, make sure every new campaign, graphic and tweet is distinctive and purposeful.

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