One evening last week, I was sitting in my favourite armchair reading a book (The Expats by Chris Pavone, if you're interested), while Madame Tungate tapped away at her laptop. I didn't need to ask what she was doing, because I already knew: Pinterest - she has become an addict. After a while I abandoned my reading and went to sit next to her, curious about which images she was selecting and why. Soon we were busy debating the merits of each picture and finding out where our tastes intersected and diverged.
One of the most interesting things about Pinterest is that it brings your aesthetic tastes sharply into focus. You may not think you have clearly defined opinions about fashion, office furniture, landscapes or wallpaper, but after a couple of hours on Pinterest you begin to see strong themes emerging. You realise that you have a unique visual culture. This also explains why brands are keen to enter the Pinterest space. Consumers who re-pin branded content - fashion advertisements, for example - are not just "liking" it in the Facebook sense, but admitting an affinity with the brand. They're welcoming it into their world. Such people might add up to a valuable, highly receptive audience for the brand's next campaign. Besides, how else are brands supposed to reach people who spend their evenings compiling virtual scrapbooks instead of watching TV?
