New MAGNA Media Trials research with Pinterest delivers quantitative data and explores how to factor feelings into your media buying and planning decisions

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 27, 2025 – MAGNA and Pinterest release illuminating new research that explores the links between ad environment attributes and brand outcomes on social platforms. This study centers users’ emotions as core data to inform media planning and drive brand alignment. The robust research project measures brand impact, unconscious neuro-metric response, and sales impact through marketing mix modeling (MMM) to provide comprehensive insights for advertisers, who are relentlessly focused on KPIs and adapting to the changing media landscape.

The report – “Positivity Performs: Ad Environments’ Critical Role in Media Planning” – demonstrates that people’s perception of their experience on a social platform truly matters. Platforms viewed as positive can amplify advertising performance on key metrics including boosting purchase intent (+35%), brand favorability (+49%) and brand preference (+44%). In fact, Positivity outperforms the Creativity and Entertainment attributes in these areas. Regardless of industry vertical or price point, environments that respondents consider to be positive make a difference. People trust (2x) and like (1.5x) the exact same ad more when they feel positively about the environment, compared to when they don’t, and are up to 94% more likely to buy the product or service during future shopping.

“We understand advertisers are all seeking a competitive edge in today’s marketplace, and we believe this research represents a fresh opportunity for where to find it,” said Kara Manatt, EVP, Intelligence Solutions, MAGNA. “This ambitious study shows what audiences may experience whenever they log on to positive social media, how that impacts brands, and why prioritizing this could benefit both.”

Key Findings:  

• Brands have an opportunity to look beyond the leading attributes of trust and safety to consider positivity as a key component for decision-making on media investments.
• Creative works harder for brands in positively viewed environments, meaning budget conscious advertisers could adjust and use this in their media strategy and planning now.
• People surveyed were 20% more emotionally engaged with content they saw on platforms they perceived as positive.
• On average people spent 15% more time looking at ads and had more “lean forward” moments in environments they perceived as positive.
• In the MMM simulations, the same creative and finite budget generated up to 24% more sales when brands incorporated viewability and positivity in their media buying strategy.

“In partnership with MAGNA, this research shows that safe and positive platforms aren’t just preferred by users, they perform for advertisers,” said Soniya Monga, VP, Global Agency Sales, Pinterest. “We were able to quantify the impact on metrics like engagement, trustworthiness, intent and even results to demonstrate that brands don’t have to choose between positivity and performance.”

How Can Advertisers Get Started Right Now:

• Know your audience: Advertisers could get to know what positivity means for their desired audience and build a definition that best aligns with their experiences and expectations.
• Use contextual targeting: Consider using contextual targeting tools to identify content likely to be viewed as positive and uplifting by your target audience and advertise alongside it.
• Build better brand alignment: Communicate and collaborate with the partners, agencies, and vendors in your ecosystem about what types of content, platforms, and publishers best align with your brand and prioritize including them in media planning and buying for ads.

For more information and to read the full MAGNA Media Trials report, please click the link here.

About MAGNA

MAGNA is a leading global media intelligence company and part of the IPG Mediabrands network. Our trusted insights, proprietary trials offerings, and unparalleled consultative solutions deliver an actionable marketplace advantage for our clients and subscribers. We are a team of experts driven by results, integrity, and inquisitiveness. We support clients, media partners, and cross-functional teams through partnership, education, connectivity, and enablement. For more information, please visit our website: https://magnaglobal.com/and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual search and discovery platform where people find inspiration, curate ideas and shop products—all in a positive place online. Headquartered in San Francisco, Pinterest launched in 2010 and has over half a billion monthly active users worldwide.

Press Contacts:

Suzette Meade
IPG Mediabrands
[email protected]

Elizabeth Luke
Pinterest
[email protected]

Emmanuel Boardman
Pinterest
[email protected]