Pinterest teams with Real Simple for magazine’s first shoppable issue

Dive Brief:

Pinterest and Real Simple, a lifestyle magazine from Dotdash Meredith, together have launched the publication’s first shoppable issue, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The issue is filled with editor-recommended products and is themed “Best & Brightest.”
Central to the experience are QR codes within each section of the issue which consumers can scan to be brought to a corresponding Pinterest board where they can explore over 120 items and make instant purchases. Nearly every page of the issue is shoppable.
The effort is live on RealSimple.com and on Pinterest’s exclusive shoppable board, and will be in the publication’s June issue that hits newsstands May 17. The latest move from Pinterest continues a yearslong effort by the platform to court publishers.

Dive Insight:

Pinterest is continuing to bet on publishers through its tie-up with Real Simple in a move that could help the platform establish an edge over competitors while also positioning itself as more than an inspiration hub. Over half of people come to Pinterest with the intent to shop because of the platform’s personalization capabilities, according to December 2023 internal data shared in press details. Additionally, there are over six billion searches each month on the platform, which also touts 518 million global monthly active users.

The “Best & Brightest” issue from Real Simple features celebrity cover star Busy Philipps, dozens of products tested and recommended by the magazine’s editors and in-depth profiles of changemakers. Consumers can scan QR codes within each section of the magazine to be taken to a curated Pinterest board where they can explore the various items and click to retailer pages to easily make a purchase.

Additionally, the Pinterest boards are organized by their corresponding section of the magazine and feature several of the same images seen throughout the issue in effort to craft an elevated experience. For those not ready to make a purchase on the spot, users have the ability to Pin, or virtually bookmark, items to their own boards and come back later.

The latest move from Pinterest builds on investments by the platform in original content and the launch of global content partnerships with Dotdash Meredith, Tastemade, Condé Nast Entertainment and Westbrook Media. The company last year also introduced the Red Standard program, which is designed to reward top performing and engaged publishers with incentives like funds to boost sponsored Pins and offset distribution costs. Real Simple has been a participating partner of the program, which last year generated over 130 million impressions.

Pinterest recently announced Q1 earnings results described by CEO Bill Ready as a “milestone quarter” for the platform, reporting a 23% increase in year-over-year revenue for a total of $740 million. The gains were attributed to advancements in both shoppability and artificial intelligence, while the platform also continues to attract Gen Z, a cohort that now amounts to over 40% of its users and represents its fastest-growing demographic.