Dive Brief:
- Pinterest hopes to crack open new opportunities for brands with the introduction of two new ad formats and a new tool for its ads manager interface, per details the company shared in advance of its Pinterest Presents summit today (Sept. 25).
- A new Top of Search ad format, currently in beta testing, will enable advertisers to purchase space within the top slots of search and Related Pins results. In another development, local inventory ads are becoming generally available, enabling merchants to highlight in-stock products available at nearby stores.
- A new Pinterest Media Network Connect tool will help advertisers link their campaigns to media networks on the platform securely. The news arrives ahead of the key holiday shopping period and amid signs that social-first advertising is making big gains.
Dive Insight:
Pinterest’s new ad offerings aim to address how consumers are using its platform and to provide advertisers with new opportunities to engage those potential customers. While Pinterest continues to add users, growth is flat in the U.S. However, the platform reports that Gen Z now makes up half of its user base.
As Pinterest evolves, it is becoming a destination for younger searchers, with 39% of Gen Z consumers preferring to start their shopping searches on the platform, according to company research. Still, the platform has been somewhat behind in effectively reaching those users with ads.
The Top of Search ad product now in beta testing helps to address the fact that 96% of Pinterest’s top searches are currently unbranded even though 45% of user clicks occur within the top 10 search results slots. Top of Search ads will enable ads to appear within the top 10 slots and the Related Pins section of search results. Initial testing has shown a 29% higher average click-through rate for Top of Search ads and a 32% higher likelihood to drive new clickers, according to the company.
Making the local inventory ads more generally available, meanwhile, is intended to drive more traffic to merchants, highlighting product availability and pricing within the user’s locale. Canadian Tire Company, the first Canadian retailer to test the format, saw a 16.5% higher store visit rate by incorporating the local inventory ad format into its strategy, according to Pinterest.
The local inventory ads expansion builds on Pinterest’s recently launched “where to buy” link feature, which enables advertisers to provide links to stories carrying a product, rather than requiring users to navigate to a retailer’s site.
Meanwhile, media networks will be able to share their first-party audience data, product catalogs and conversion data with advertisers securely via the new Pinterest Media Connect tool, which is accessible from the the Pinterest Ads Manager dashboard. The news arrives at a time when retail media networks continue to attract advertiser dollars. Pinterest and Instacart recently partnered to make ads on former platform shoppable via the grocery delivery service. Kroger Precision Marketing is another retail media network that has partnered with Pinterest.
In Q2 2025, Pinterest reported a 17% increase in revenue globally and an 11% gain for the U.S. and Canada year over year.
