The fast-growing social networking site Pinterest, which is generating buzz among PR pros and marketers, is not in the business plans of most marketing executives, according to a study by The Creative Group.
Source: TCG |
Menlo Park, Calif.-based TCG polled 500 marketing execs via telephone, finding that only seven percent said they’re currently using Pinterest for business, while another 10 percent said they intend to log on to the site. The firm queried ad agency, PR, design, interactive and other marketing pros.
Pinterest allows users to pull items from the web and “pin” them to their pages on the social network in a type of virtual scrapbook. Some research has shown its users are more inclined to buy products shared on the network than on others like Twitter or Facebook.
Seventeen percent of marketing execs said Pinterst had “caught their eye” but are still hesitant about using it for business purposes. Forty-four percent said they had no business plans for Pinterest, while another 18% had never heard of it.
Donna Farrugia, executive director of TCG, said the network has attracted a “huge” following quickly, but noted companies may be waiting to see if its popularity will last and how its potential business uses play out before incorporating Pinterest.
Pinterest in June hired Google and Facebook PR vet Barry Schnitt to head communications and public policy following a $100M venture round that put its valuation around $1.5B. The OutCast Agency handles PR.