22. Pinterest Backfires?

I have spent way too much time on the fun, creative, and inspirational Pinterest site these past couple of weeks. In an article by Emma Brazilian, she talks about the potential of Pinterest.

To me, Pinterest is a fantasy land site, an internet utopia if you will, for women to conglomerate about their ideal weddings, houses, outfits, etc. It's for fun. It's super user friendly too with the main functions. Repin (similar to the share on facebook), Like, or Comment. Easy.

Businesses are now using it as a platform for people to pin their brand icons and pictures. Good idea; it spreads awareness. However, as mentioned in Brazilian's article, "'Pinterest is the perfect complement for a visually driven brand,' said Gayle Butler, Better Homes and Gardens' editor in chief. She states, "Editors from other magazines like Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings echoed that sentiment, noting that recipe and “how-to” photos have proved especially popular on the site" (Brazilian). So what does this mean for businesses like Home Depot, who aren't driven by visuals? How do they utilize the site?


Pinterest popularity is growing, but does that mean it's the a successful outlet for businesses? Would their brand's get clustered with other "girly" things and have them lose reputation? These are interesting questions the article brought about and it made me wonder if the best way for a business to promote their brand through all mediums? Should they use their promotional skills more sparingly?