The news: Zillow and Pinterest are working together to offer targeted ads opportunities that reach consumers in the process of planning moves, renovations, and home purchases.

The deal brings Zillow’s custom audience data—including 34 distinct consumer segments such as buyers, renters, sellers, and homeowners—to Pinterest Media Network Connect, letting advertisers serve consumers directly inside Pinterest’s ad platform.

“Moving … comes with a lot of planning and decision-making, much of which happens on Pinterest,” Brent Rosso, Zillow vice president of media and ad strategy, said in the announcement. “This partnership allows us to extend our audience insights beyond Zillow to help brands connect with the right high-intent users on Pinterest.”

Kohler, an early user of the custom audience data, reported that it helped the company reach 82% more Pinterest users compared with a standard Pinterest Performance+ campaign that relied on search targeting.

Why it matters: Half (49%) of US paid media marketers think that tightening their audience targeting is the most effective way to optimize spend, per Unbounce.

By expanding targeting capabilities beyond third-party cookies and looking directly at information on users’ self-attested interests—such as “pinned” products and ideas—brands can ensure they are reaching high-intent audiences and individuals who fall in their user bucket.

That’s especially advantageous when advertising on platforms like Pinterest, where users are logged in and open to exploration and action.

• Over 96% of top searches on Pinterest are unbranded, according to the company, which gives smaller or less-established brands the opportunity to capture intent and engagement.
• More than 85% of traffic and users come to Pinterest directly, making it a unique launch point for purchases as consumer journeys flatten.

Recommendations for brands: Get in front of consumers early in the discovery and project-planning process as they pin inspirational images and links. Pinterest offers ample opportunities to pair shoppers’ ideas and interests with product examples and brand introductions, while its partnership with Zillow adds opportunities to reach shoppers on home improvement, DIY, and decorating journeys.

Prioritize first-party signals over broad targeting by using authenticated, interest- and behavior-based data to identify audiences based on demonstrated intent rather than relying primarily on third-party cookies or generic demographic information.

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