Unwrap success: Boost your festive food sales with Pinterest
5 November 2024
As advertisers gear up for the most critical quarter of the year, there’s no better time to tap into Pinterest’s action-oriented audience. Learn how you can use the platform to fuel festive food sales and finish the year strong, while setting the stage for a successful 2025.
Peak shopping season is right around the corner—and people on Pinterest in the UK are making plans to ensure the 2024 festivities are their most memorable yet. They’re not just browsing; they’re ready to buy, with projections showing monthly Pinterest users are likely to spend 51% more on food and drink this festive season compared to non-Pinterest users.1
That’s because Pinterest is more than just a place for ideas—it’s where people turn to transform their holiday meal plans into reality. In fact, an incredible 89% of monthly Pinners purchased festive food items to prepare meals after finding inspiration on Pinterest last year.1 Whether they’re planning festive feasts, holiday drinks or seasonal décor, Pinterest is their go-to—make sure your brand shows up for the party.
Get in on the action: The festive spike in planning and purchasing
Searches for festive inspiration start as early as July and peak in Q4.2 During this period, people on Pinterest move from exploring ideas like hot chocolate stations to more focused party prep, searching for everything from charcuterie boards and pavlovas to festive cocktails and mocktails.3
As most purchase decisions happen closer to the celebrations, we recommend ramping up conversion campaigns in the autumn. Take advantage of formats like Shopping, Carousel and Collections ads to help engage Pinners as they finalise their plans, while direct links can simplify their path to purchase. For example, we saw brands that ran shopping campaigns on Pinterest in Q4 2023 saw a 60% higher growth in ROAS compared to those that didn’t.4
Take a page out of the Waitrose playbook. The grocery brand’s festive strategy started with a bang—a Premiere Spotlight takeover, putting their festive offerings front and centre to capture the attention of Pinterest users hungry for holiday inspiration. The halo effect from the Premiere Spotlight meant that subsequent Carousel, Quiz, Collection and Shopping ads resonated even more strongly with their audience. Their full-funnel strategy demonstrated that upper-funnel ads can help drive lower-funnel conversions, resulting in a 6.1% sales lift and a 7.6% increase in incremental checkouts.5
“We connected with shoppers throughout their holiday journey. Our multi-format campaign allowed us to inspire, inform, and drive action, leading to outstanding results.”
Emily Lowery
Senior Paid Social Marketing Manager, Waitrose
Elsewhere, Philadelphia harnessed the Pinterest Trends tool to optimise the timing of their festive campaign. This strategy also resulted in full-funnel success, positioning Philadelphia as a go-to choice for desserts and canapés across the UK, with a +3.7ppts boost in Pin awareness, a +2.4ppts increase in action intent, and greater association with quick and easy festive recipes.6
Pinterest’s influence extends far beyond this celebratory season. Analysing data from Tesco Clubcard holders who were exposed to Pinterest campaigns from Q2 to Q4 of 2023, LiveRamp were able to unlock significant shopping behaviour insights: they found that the average basket size of a Pinterest user is 6.1% bigger than a non-Pinner. They also shop across a wider range of brands and categories, showing a greater openness to trying new products, as well as nearly 25% more in-store visits.7
Unlock untapped potential: Leverage Q5 opportunities
As festive strategies begin to yield fruitful results toward the end of Q4, it's crucial not to let this momentum wane—advertisers shouldn’t overlook the wealth of opportunities that come with the so-called Q5 period between the end of the year and early-mid January to maintain and even increase consumer engagement. Advertising costs are typically lower8 and competition is reduced: Pinterest data shows that user engagement remains high9 as the New Year approaches, with audiences increasingly searching for healthier food options, from plant-based recipes to nutritious breakfast ideas and Veganuary inspiration.
As December comes to a close, consider switching some campaigns back to awareness and consideration objectives. This strategy helps you grow reach with a new round of customers while keeping your current relationships strong into the New Year. To maximise these opportunities, use ad formats like Idea ads, Standard or max-width video ads and Premiere Spotlight video ads, helping to ensure your brand stays top of mind and keeps the momentum going.
4 week rolling average index CPM and Engagement (search + saves)
Don’t miss your chance: Join the conversation now
The festive season is picking up pace as holiday products start filling shelves, and the opportunity for brands to connect with customers on Pinterest has never been greater. Now is the perfect moment to join the conversation—and make your brand part of their celebrations.
Start planning your Pinterest campaign today to help ensure your brand shines through the peak shopping season into Q5 and beyond. Visit our hub—packed with more insights and success stories—to inform your marketing strategies and serve as your go-to guide for creating a successful campaign. Discover how to reach people at every stage of the funnel with Pinterest, and make this year’s festivities (and results) extra merry and bright.
