By Stephanie Emmanouel

For parents, the start of a new school year is one of the most important planning moments of the year. On Pinterest, they can find loads of inspiration for satchels, snacks, learning materials, games and a lot more. The same applies to the Christmas season, one of the busiest months of the year in the toy industry. According to internal Pinterest data, millions of people are already using the platform in October to discover and plan gifts. Searches for “toys" start to increase as early as September and then intensify until December. Toy makers have the chance to inspire parents with the right ideas and products and help them with their preparations already now.

The example of the LEGO Group and its international campaign for its LEGO DOTS product on Pinterest is a good way to explain how toy manufacturers can plan and carry out successful campaigns on Pinterest. In doing so, they can reach new target groups and increase brand awareness.

Tip 1: Understand parents and help them early on in the planning stage

People come to Pinterest with a particular intention. They often have a plan or project for which they hope to find some inspiration; this is also true for LEGO’s most important demographic: parents. When deciding what to buy for their children, parents are influenced and guided by the times in the year that define their children’s lives. One of these important times is the start of the new school year, which they need to prepare for and organise. In the period between the summer holidays and the start of the school year, LEGO ran targeted inspirational advertisements to draw parents’ attention to LEGO DOTS. They are sets of small, coloured tiles that help children to express themselves creatively and improve their fine motor skills. The campaign positioned LEGO DOTS as the perfect toy to prepare for the new school year.

Key takeaway:  When planning campaigns on Pinterest, toy manufacturers should identify the times in the year that are significant for their respective target group, as backed up by data-based insights into the buying behaviour of potential customers. Digital tools such as the Pinterest Trends Tool can be employed here. It allows relevant time periods to be identified based on interests, keywords and demographic data such as age and gender. The result should be an annual overview that includes seasonal moments, the respective target groups and their interests.

Tip 2: Focus on the toy trends of tomorrow

Besides the right timing, trends – i.e. topics that generate a lot of interest within the target group – also play a significant role. LEGO has relied on Pinterest Predicts to plan campaigns. This is an annual prediction by Pinterest about the trending topics that will determine the year ahead. In the parenting section, “Mother Earth is the new playground” was one of the trends in 2021. This was about the increased interest in new ways of learning and the chance to inspire children to be more creative and innovative through play. LEGO used this insight to develop its campaign, aimed at drawing attention to the many creative possibilities offered by the LEGO DOTS "Back to School Range".

Key takeaway:  At the end of each year, brands should already be creating an overview of the trends that will be relevant for their target groups on Pinterest in the year to come. Pinterest data from last year shows, for example, that searches for “make your own dexterity toys” (growth of 125% year-over-year) and “children’s playrooms” (growth of 140% year-over-year) have increased significantly compared to the previous year. These insights from the Pinterest Trends tool or Pinterest Predicts are particularly useful for targeting people according to their interests and needs.

Tipp 3: Von einem positiven Werbeumfeld profitieren

As for many brands, marketing and brand KPIs such as brand awareness, brand trust and conversion play a significant role in campaign planning for LEGO. And these parameters can be influenced by the advertising environment. Pinterest was chosen in part because of its positive brand environment: 83% of the people who use Pinterest feel inspired and positively influenced by the shopping and browsing experience on Pinterest (Talk Shoppe, USA, August 2022). Surveys show that people are more likely to remember, trust and buy products from brands if they perceive the brand in a positive environment. This is especially true for LEGO’s target group of parents: purchasing decisions made by parents are made with particular care and with an increased need for safety. At a level of 70%, safety plays the biggest role for parents when buying a product for their children. By relying on Pinterest as a platform, LEGO benefits from the positive and safe advertising environment and was able to significantly increase the awareness in relation to the ads.

Key takeaway:  For toy manufacturers, the choice of platform has a huge impact on important marketing and brand KPIs. When planning their campaigns, advertisers should, therefore, focus on a platform that offers a positive environment. On the other hand, they should also focus on inspiring and positive messages when designing their ads.

About the author

Stephanie Emmanouel is Head of Sales, Retail & Performance Advertising at Pinterest for Germany, Austria and Switzerland and is responsible for the advertising business for the retail partners in these markets.