Redefining reach: Why it matters for your brand

Not all impressions are created equal. Discover why you should be paying attention to who sees your video ads—and how reach on Pinterest drives better results in viewability, coverage and engagement than other platforms.

“Viewability is important—and not 
all impressions are created equal.”

Antoine Le Nôtre, Head of Measurement & Insights, Pinterest France, Southern Europe & Benelux

As a marketer, you’re used to high-pressure situations

But with major events postponed or canceled and advertising budgets slashed, you’re feeling the squeeze in a whole new way. Doing more with less is more important than ever—and video ads on Pinterest may be your solution.1

Viewability is important—and not all impressions are created equal. That’s why the Media Rating Council (MRC) redefined its Cross-Media Audience Measurement Standard. The new guidelines state that for a video to be considered viewable, at least 50% of the ad content must be visible on the screen for at least two seconds and viewed by a real person.

On Pinterest, there’s a natural alignment between what people are there to find (ideas and inspiration) and what advertisers are there to do (help them act on that inspiration). That’s why video ads on Pinterest have a 3x better view rate compared to the average social media platform.

Advertisers want to reach an engaged audience. And your audience is really engaged on Pinterest: Pinners are 1.4x more likely to take a shopping-related action on Pinterest compared to non-Pinners on other platforms.2 That means your video ad can run at the same frequency and with the same budget but reach a more engaged audience and drive more impact than other platforms.

How your ads are seen

A graphic of a mobile phone, with a magnified close up of pixels on the screen.
≥1 Pixel

How some providers report viewable impressions

A graphic of a mobile phone that indicates an ad being shown on the bottom half of the screen.
≥50% pixels

How MRC compliant providers report viewable impressions

Better results for advertisers rely on three things:

Higher ad viewability
Uniquely engaged, action centered audience
A large target audience

Reach real people more effectively

Getting reach right is the foundation of any great awareness campaign. But the big question is whether your ads reach your audience effectively—and ultimately deliver impact.

At Pinterest, we take the viewability of ads and their potential impact on brand metrics very seriously. According to WPP, video ads on Pinterest have a 3x better view rate compared to the average social media platform.3

Woman checking her phone
"This analysis enabled us to identify a correlation between the viewable reach and the message association." – Nasya Okofu-Newman, Advertising effectiveness expert, Kantar

Video is leading the way

Pinterest’s Measurement team also teamed up with Kantar’s Brand Lift Insights solution to measure the viewable reach of video ads on the platform. After analyzing 42 campaigns across France, Spain, Germany and the UK, the results ranged from 54% to 99% with an average of 82%. This means that for more than 8 in 10 people reached by the campaign, 50% of the video was in view and played for at least two seconds at least once.

People planting a plant
€90k+Pinterest reaches 1 in 4 French households with income greater than €90

Reach the right people

The power of Pinterest comes straight from our audience—that’s what makes it so unique for marketers.

It’s where people plan for their personal lives
Pinterest is personal media, not social media. It’s where people plan for their future, not post pictures from their past. And when they plan, they start their searches early. When they’re still undecided on what they want and are looking for inspiration to help guide them as they start to make their decisions.

It’s where people take action early
This unique mindset is enforced by the fact that 97% of the top searches on Pinterest are unbranded.4 That means that people come looking for something in particular but not a brand in particular—yet. Which means you could be the brand that reaches them first.

It’s where people spend more, more often
With 17 million monthly unique viewers in France, a lot of different kinds of people are on Pinterest.5 But they do have some things in common: They tend to have higher incomes and they plan, spend and buy more than on other platforms.6

You have the opportunity to put relevant content in front of this engaged audience, increase consideration and influence purchase decisions. Because reaching people where they are most attentive and action-oriented is more important than simply trying to reach as many people as possible.

Blue couch
4.2 MillionFor just €3.30 CPM, Airbnb ran an ad 12 times and reached 4.2m people in four weeks.

Reach more of your target audience

Reach and frequency go hand in hand when it comes to media planning and buying—reach delivers the audience while frequency repeatedly exposes that audience to the ad.

On Pinterest, it’s easier to reach a higher percentage of your target audience with the same budget.8 This is down to a growing user base (+30% YoY user growth internationally) and an auction dynamic that's favorable to advertisers.

Plus, other platforms don’t have Pinterest’s uniquely engaged, action-oriented audience. Pinners are 1.4x more likely to take a shopping-related action on Pinterest compared to non-Pinners on other platforms.9 That means your ad can run at the same frequency and with the same budget but reach a more engaged audience and drive more impact than other platforms.

What this means for you

Reach will continue to be a key driver of campaign effectiveness. But not all reach is created equal. As audience consumption changes, marketers need to know not only where their video ads were seen, but whether or not they had an impact on the consumer journey.

1. Realize the value in viewable reach

Pinterest partners with Kantar’s Brand Lift Insights solution to go beyond traditional metrics like impressions and views and start measuring the incremental impact that ads can have now on brand metrics like awareness, consideration and intent.

2. Choose the most attentive audience

Instead of aiming to reach as many people as possible, consider what moves the needle: attention and engagement. Consumers come to Pinterest with a unique mindset. They’re seeking inspiration, full of intent and ready to take action. It’s simple: Ad spend will go further here your audience is most engaged.

3. Be where you belong

People on Pinterest are future-thinkers who use the platform to plan and look forward— your content could be just what they’re looking for. Reach them here first, before the competition, and be the solution they need.

There’s never been a better time to advertise on Pinterest