Pinterest’s inclusive search capabilities are helping it win over Gen Zers

The news: Pinterest is giving US users the ability to filter searches by body type, the company said in a press release, as it focuses on delivering a more relevant and curated search experience.

• The feature is currently available for searches involving women’s fashion and wedding ideas; Pinterest plans to roll it out more widely to men’s fashion and other categories and geographies later this year.

Zoom out: The body type filter is one of a number of AI-enabled enhancements Pinterest has made to its search functionality, which now also allows users to narrow results based on skin tones and hair types.

• These features are boosting engagement significantly. In early tests, engagement among users utilizing the body type filter was 66% higher per session than among those who hadn’t used the tool, the company said.
• The number of searches using Pinterest’s hair-pattern and skin-tone filters rose 41% and 51% year over year (YoY), respectively, in 2023.
• The ability to deliver results that are more personalized and relevant to users is not only increasing engagement but also driving shopping behavior on the platform, boosting Pinterest’s value to advertisers.
• Shopping behavior among Gen Zers, who account for over 40% of the platform’s monthly active users and are Pinterest’s fastest-growing cohort, grew 50% YoY in 2023.

The big takeaway: Pinterest’s search successes show that it pays to be inclusive. By delivering search experiences that are tailored to individual needs, brands and retailers can drive engagement, sales, and loyalty—which are becoming increasingly precious as inflation pressures budgets.