Pinterest is moving away from their iconic grid format for the first time with their latest tool, Promoted Video, now available to all advertisers. Following successful tests earlier this year, the new video format will allow advertisers to engage consumers at max width and is accessible via Pinterest Ad Manager.
John Lewis and Adidas were amongst the first to trial the new ad unit, with the objective of boosting brand awareness and purchase intent. Content is shown to users when browsing within the home feed, within Pinterest’s “following” tab and mobile search.
Pinterest’s neuroscience study has revealed that instructional videos are resonating best with users, with awareness lifting by approx. 20% for John Lewis’ promotion of their new nursery range.
The TMS Take
Pinterests’ unique social offering is centred around discovery and inspiration, with commercial intent at the forefront. This means brands have an opportunity to reach consumers in a contextually relevant and uncluttered environment to drive brand consideration further. The brand is put forward as a solution to those seeking ideas, in order to guide a purchase decision.
What will be interesting is the measurement of success applied to the Promoted Video offering. The challenge will be attributing a sale back to content engagement, as it will be based on a behavioural response, occurring online or offline at any given time in the future.
The game-changer will be capturing unique value from the “in-market” audience by looking into path-to-purchase activity driven by strong brand association. Needless to say, many brands will be paying more attention to Pinterest.
Kate Ainslie