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Pinterest has introduced a new ad format called Idea ads, as well as a new partnership tool that allows creators to tag brand partners in their content.
What are Idea ads?
The new Idea ads are formatted similarly to the Idea pins that were introduced last year(2021). Similarly, Idea ads are a multi-page immersive format designed for advertisers to “showcase ideas in action.” When customers click on the ads, they are directed to the brand’s website, where they can view relevant information.
What is the paid partnership tool?
This tool enables brands to collaborate with Pinterest creators. The collaboration enables large brands to collaborate with Pinterest’s creator community and connect with their audiences.
Brands can use the paid partnership tool to review the tag and approve (or deny) the content. The authenticity of the creator’s content will benefit brands. Brands can also promote the creator’s content as their own Idea ad on Pinterest through paid partnerships.
What are the advantages of Idea ads for brands?
An early launch of these tools revealed that brands that collaborated with creators saw a 38 percent increase in brand awareness and a 37 percent increase in Pin awareness. Gatorade and Scotch Brand are two brands that have seen success with this program in the United States.
The outcome of the launch of Gatorade Idea ads
Gatorade’s objectives were to keep its audience interested and engaged. To accomplish this, they launched Pinterest Idea ads with paid partnership campaign. They collaborated with popular fitness creators to create ads that provide workout inspiration as well as reminders to stay hydrated. As a result, they received 34 million impressions and 99k clicks to their feed.
The outcome of the launch of Scotch Brand Idea ads
Scotch Brand wanted to make back-to-school shopping more interactive. They wished to display advertisements for making supplies such as pencil holders, teacher gifts, and other items. They discovered popular search terms related to crafts and used Scotch tape to create kid-friendly how-to videos. The end result was a 64% lower cost per impression than their initial target and a 4x higher click-through rate than their average benchmarks.
Why should creators care about the Idea ads tool?
Pinterest hasn’t been on anyone’s radar recently. The development and release of these new features came as a complete surprise. Take note, of creators looking to monetize their social media content.
However, the early test results show benefits for larger, already well-known brands, but what about the creators? It would be nice to see more credit given to the people who helped make Pinterest what it was before it became an advertising platform — a place to come for ideas and inspiration.
Final Thoughts
I can’t help but think that this is another way for large brands to exploit smaller creators. Using them to create effective ad campaigns aimed at audiences they couldn’t reach through traditional channels.