Pinterest’s inclusive vision: A new path to consumer connection

For brands wanting to show consumers that they are seen and heard as individuals, inclusive marketing is more essential than ever.

Yet, achieving this in a social media environment that often seems to play to our worst instincts can be easier said than done.

Take action

Inclusivity may be seen as a marketing buzz phrase by some, but to do it well involves action and not just warm words. Brands need to “engage rather than enrage” according to Andréa Mallard, global chief marketing & communications officer, Pinterest.

The platform has taken the lead in trying to create an environment that inspires and informs without excluding. Its latest example is an innovative tool that shows a range of body types in search results for women’s fashion and wedding ideas, rather than a default stereotype.

“Algorithms that give the most engagement don’t always mean the most diverse content. In fashion, it’s content about thinner women which is not that relevant to most women. Just because it gets the most clicks doesn’t mean it’s the best content,” she says.

Deepen the connection

In fact, the new, more inclusive approach actually provides better and more inclusive search results. People who used the new body type ranges tool on Pinterest had a 66% higher rate of engagement per session than those who didn't.

The platform has also introduced filters for skin tone and hair.

Erfan Djazmi, chief digital officer, EMEA, Mediahub, agrees that adopting a more inclusive approach deepens connection with more consumers.

“The purchasing power of ethnically diverse groups in the UK is projected to hit £3.06trn by 2031,” he says. “Add to that the wealth that sits within older demographics. Yet, how much attention is lost because brands are often making an active choice to not include them?”

Collaboration is key

Nervousness about the targeting of diverse groups can hold brands back, which is why inclusivity must flow through teams in terms of ethnicity, gender, age and class.

Collaboration and bringing different communities into the tent is the way ahead it seems. Mallard says that Pinterest tries to design with people, and not for them. If a team doesn’t include the people who are being targeted, then that is a problem, especially since the most popular features usually come from those communities.

Taking responsibility

The media landscape can also be an inhibiting factor for inclusivity, says Michael Brown, head of insights and research, UM.

Holding company relationships with larger publishers and news brands, and associated spend targets stifle smaller independent media brands that are crucial to keeping the industry interesting and representing audiences in all their diversity.

The demise of Gal-dem last year was one example of the struggles of niche media brands, but even relatively established titles such as Gay Times and Pink News have faced commercial challenges.

“Agencies and advertisers have the responsibility to support platforms like these,” says Brown. “These spaces are crucial to give a platform to the voices, the causes, the interests, the culture, and the joy of different communities.”

Using AI positively

The prospect of AI is a double-edged sword for the inclusion debate. Embedded media business models depend on time spent on-platform and will use AI to speed content to users that increases the likelihood of them spending time there. They’re not tuning AI for quality or wellbeing but for the content you’re most likely to look at.

Yet, that doesn't mean that AI can’t be more of a force for good, says Mallard.

“We made a decision some time ago to tune AI on other things. For example, we tuned the AI for what got saved rather than what got reacted to and the whole feed became more positive – people will save a great outfit, a recipe, a vacation idea, a motivational quote. It becomes a virtuous cycle when you see positive content.”

It’s also virtuous for brands. With brand safety an issue for advertisers, thinking of safety holistically, including such areas as the emotional wellbeing of younger users, makes sense.

“A lot of time is wasted, distractive or divisive on social platforms. We try to bring inspiration in a way that’s additive, not distracting from lives,” says Mallard. “It’s not just about preventing the bad, but encouraging the good.”

For more content, visit the Pinterest Hub and catch the special Campaign podcast, in partnership with Pinterest: "How to make inclusive marketing authentic and actionable"

Sources
¹ IAS study across the US, UK, DE, CA, FR, July 2023 | Measured against floor and high risk content with scoring aligned to the GARM framework in a small scale study, n=10,000 pis
² The Sound, US, UK, DE, FR, BR. Wellbeing Metric and Scale Development, October 2023
³ University of California Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center and Professor Dacher Keltner, US, academic research, May 2022