The Point: After a year of lockdowns, people are getting ready to reenter the world. But they're not just bracing for the changes ahead. They’re also trying to preserve positive changes they’ve already made.
This past year swept away our old routines. As the world starts to reopen, we’re at another crossroads. Our lives will change again—and it’s natural that marketers are trying to meet the next moment.
But here’s what our latest research says: if your marketing message focuses only on the changes in front of us, you’re missing an important part of the picture. For many, a journey onward starts with preserving their journey inward.
It’s not just about the change ahead. It’s about sticking with the positive changes—to their routines, their values, their priorities—that they already made during the pandemic.
Know what consumers need from you
We ran exclusive research to see how consumers are feeling during this time of transition. Many spoke of a tension between excitement, and anxiety. They’re thrilled to see friends and return to more social settings. At the same time, they’re apprehensive about feeling comfortable in public spaces, returning to commutes and losing some of their flexibility from this past year.
In more cases than you might think, people developed new positive habits during COVID. They created new rituals, reoriented their values and reprioritized their time. They’re proud of their personal growth. And as their lives get busier again, they want to make sure their new habits stick. In fact, they’re anxious they might lose these healthy routines once the hustle and bustle of life picks up again. That’s where your brand comes in.
Marketing to this moment means focusing less on the external changes ahead and more on supporting the internal changes people already made.
Five personas to guide your strategy
Based on our conversation with Pinners and Pinterest search data, we’ve identified five new personas for this phase, all grounded in values.
• The Routine Ritualist
• The Prioritized Parent
• The New Nomad
• The Eco Evangelist
• The Emerging Entrepreneur
For every persona, we’ve identified their top priorities and what they’re searching for to keep these good habits in check. Let’s explore how your brand can support their journey inward and onward.
The Routine Ritualist
For the Routine Ritualist, routines were a stabilizing force this last year. Their rituals helped them feel healthier and more grounded, both physically and mentally. They don’t want to jeopardize the progress they’ve made when the world reopens. So they’re looking for tips to keep new routines going, even as “real life” picks up again.
Growth search terms for routine seekers
Act on the insight
Help people incorporate their new positive rituals into busier and more public routines. For example, you could share tips for meditating in your car before walking into the office or simple exercises you can do in the lunch line. When it comes to new products, think about ways to help people make things smoother or faster, like speedy meal prep tools or foldable exercise equipment.
The Prioritized Parent
One of the most moving themes from our research was how deeply people re-connected with their immediate family members this past year. Prioritized Parents are keeping these relationships top of mind and looking for ways to keep their bonds strong—especially when the pace of life picks back up and kids head back to school in-person.
Growing search terms for parents
Act on the insight
Help parents work more bonding and fun into their everyday schedules of carpools, drop offs and social events. You could create playpacks with little games to play while running errands, sell recipe kits to make mealtimes easier or come up with pre-assembled packages for the perfect movie night.
The New Nomad
Many people on Pinterest reconnected with the great outdoors this past year. Some New Nomads upgraded their home garden, while others got into camping and road tripping for the first time. Turns out, nature really is healing.
Growing search terms for outdoor lovers
Act on the insight
Consider how you can position your products as the gateway to outdoor adventures. Auto brands could show how to tow a camper, or how to fit more gear in a smaller car. Meanwhile, home decor brands could help people design the perfect home garden, based on their personal specs and preferences.
The Eco Evangelist
All that time at home this past year gave many people a better understanding of their consumption habits. Eco Evangelists took on new sustainability behaviors during the pandemic, and they’re planning to prioritize sustainability moving forward, too. They’re looking for tips to weave sustainable practices into their everyday lives, from recipes to home design.
Growing search terms for sustainability seekers
Act on the insight
Consumers can tell when you’re being authentic about your values. Emphasize your own brand’s impact—make sure customers know what you stand for. Small changes matter more than you might think, like making commitments to earth-friendly packaging or giving your teams volunteer time to help local causes.
The Emerging Entrepreneur
A year of lockdowns caused people to take a beat and reevaluate their lives—work included. Emerging Entrepreneurs realized that their careers were out of alignment with their values. They took the time inside to plan their pivot, and used Pinterest to do so.
Growing search terms for entrepreneurs
Act on the insight
Inspire Pinners entering the entrepreneurial realm. Highlight products and budgeting software to help people finance their venture. Give people fashion and beauty tips to dress like a boss and share decor ideas to spruce up their home office.
Help your audience safeguard their new habits
The people on Pinterest have always inspired me. This past year, they also made me deeply proud. From creating recycled gardens and bolstering their own businesses, to reprioritizing their loved ones and rewriting their personal values, people on our platform grew in profound ways.
But they need help sustaining these changes. That’s where you come in. Instead of focusing so much on the change that’s coming on the outside, start supporting the changes they’ve made on the inside.
And as you figure out what’s next for your brand, don’t just go back to your pre-COVID playbook. The world may be reopening, but it’s different than before. We’re different than before. You might need to tweak your messaging or strategy to meet people where they are. You might even want to do your own research to see what your audience wants most from you during this unusual time.
That’s how we’ll move forward: together.
If you’d like more guidance on reaching these new personas on Pinterest, please reach out to your Pinterest team. We can help with creative and strategic support like updating your messaging or creative to match what a specific persona is looking for on Pinterest.