Pinterest Presents 2025 Summary: Where inspiration meets intelligence

Last week I attended Pinterest Presents 2025 and one thing is clear: Pinterest has grown far beyond mood boards and passive scrolling. It’s now a serious contender in the performance marketing space powered by AI, fuelled by Gen Z and underpinned by a genuinely refreshing commitment to user wellbeing.

In a digital landscape dominated by endless content, algorithms and attention-hacking, Pinterest is carving out a different path, one that blends intent, inspiration and innovation.

A Platform That Puts Wellbeing First

Pinterest’s positioning is strikingly different from what we’ve come to expect from social media platforms. Rather than trying to keep users locked into endless doom-scrolling, Pinterest is deliberately designing an experience that’s healthier, safer and more emotionally intelligent, particularly for its younger users. A standout line from the webinar summed it up perfectly:

“Additive instead of addictive.”

As someone who works in digital marketing every day, I find this approach incredibly refreshing. Pinterest is reminding the industry that platforms don’t need to exploit users’ attention to drive results, they can empower creativity, intent and action instead. For brands, this alignment with user wellbeing is more than just ethical, it’s strategic. Trust, safety and emotional resonance are quickly becoming key differentiators in the performance space.

Growing Fast But Ageing Down

With 578 million global users, Pinterest is far from being a niche platform. But what stood out most to me is that Gen Z now makes up 50% of its user base. Even more significantly they’re the platform’s most engaged audience segment and the largest group of content creators.

This matters. Gen Z doesn’t just scroll, they use Pinterest to plan everything from outfits to home renovations, recipes, gifts, side hustles and holidays. This offers a rare opportunity to connect with a generation while they’re in decision-making mode, not just consuming content passively. It’s where discovery meets action and where visibility can drive real outcomes.

AI With Purpose: Introducing Performance+

Pinterest isn’t jumping on the AI hype train for the sake of it but is instead integrating AI thoughtfully to assist creativity, not replace it and to make campaigns more effective without adding complexity.

The launch of Performance+ feels exciting, and timely given the need to compete with the likes of Meta and TikTok. Performance+ is an AI-powered suite that simplifies setup, enhances targeting and dynamically optimises creative assets. In early A/B testing, Performance+ campaigns have already outperformed 80% of traditional ad setups.

For clients this is a game-changer. With smarter bidding, automated creative variation and streamlined campaign inputs, Performance+ reduces the heavy lifting while improving ROI and it’s ideal for both ecommerce and lead generation – making Pinterest more versatile than ever.

From my perspective, this toolset unlocks serious potential: less time spent on setup, more time spent crafting strategy and creative that resonate. And that’s exactly where brands should be focusing their energy in 2025.

Visual Search: Redefining Discovery

Another headline moment from Pinterest Presents was the platform’s clear and growing investment in visual search and frankly, along with GEO, it feels like the future of online discovery.

With 39% of Gen Z now starting searches on Pinterest instead of traditional search engines, it’s clear that behaviours are shifting. Users no longer need keywords on Pinterest, they can use camera-based search tools or simply follow visual cues to find what they’re looking for. This means that investing in strong, strategic visual assets isn’t optional, it’s essential. It repositions visual content from being ‘nice to have’ brand expression to becoming a core part of your search strategy.

What’s even more exciting is how Pinterest is commercialising visual discovery. The platform is currently beta testing Top of Search Ads across all monetised markets, placing brand products directly within the top ten search results and in Related Pins. These placements are primed for performance, surfacing products right where the shopping journey begins. Pinterest is also previewing a brand-exclusive ad unit that highlights advertiser catalogues, giving brands a dominant presence in visual-first search environments.

This signals that Pinterest is building a search ecosystem designed for commerce and conversion, not just inspiration. And as these tools roll out more broadly, the brands that move early will likely benefit most from both visibility and lower competition.

Trends That Stick Around

Unlike other platforms where trends fizzle out in a matter of days or hours, Pinterest’s trends last twice as long, giving brands more time to align their creative and messaging with what audiences actually care about, without the pressure to constantly chase what’s hot right now.

The upgraded Pinterest Trends Tool now offers even more value, with features like seasonal forecasting, shopping insights and predictive trend modelling. This longer window of relevance gives marketers something we’re often missing, breathing room and a magical glance into the future. This gives us the ability to plan smarter (not faster) and create campaigns that are not only timely but truly meaningful and more likely to convert.

Smarter Opportunities for Brands & Creators

Pinterest is also stepping up its support for creators and the brands that want to work with them. With over 1 million creators globally now listed in the Creator Directory, it’s easier than ever to find the right partner for a campaign.

The launch of Pinterest Media Network Connect will allow advertisers to scale their reach through trusted media partners, while Creator Collaboration Tools are making co-branded content simpler, smarter and more measurable.

This signals a clear shift: Pinterest wants to be more than just a platform. They’re building a media and creator ecosystem and doing it with the kind of intent-first, feel-good vibe that’s often missing from other platforms.

So What Does This All Mean?

Pinterest is rapidly evolving into a full-funnel, AI-powered, intent-driven platform and it’s doing so without compromising user experience or wellbeing. Pinterest is proving that performance marketing doesn’t have to feel pushy or invasive, it can be helpful, inspiring and genuinely enjoyable.

If Pinterest isn’t in your media mix in 2025, you’re likely missing out on a unique intersection of intent, inspiration and intelligent performance. This is a platform where people come to make decisions and where your brand can show up at exactly the right moment.

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