Pinterest is encouraging advertisers to rethink how they measure digital engagement, arguing that helping users take meaningful action outside their screens could deliver stronger commercial results than keeping them scrolling for longer.
The company has released a new marketing playbook, titled Design the Exit, which explores growing concerns about excessive smartphone use and the demand for more intentional online experiences. Its central message is that digital platforms should help people discover ideas and act on them in everyday life rather than keep them trapped in endless feeds.
Pinterest's research highlights the scale of the shift, with 40% of US Generation Z users reportedly wishing social media had never been invented. The company also found that 63% of Gen Z adults want to disconnect from digital platforms more deliberately.
The trend is reflected in Pinterest search activity. Searches for “things to do instead of scrolling” increased by 365%, while “analogue aesthetic” rose by 260% and “dumb phone” climbed by 150%.
Other searches point to growing interest in offline hobbies and activities, including nature film photography and creative projects.
From passive scrolling to purposeful discovery
Pinterest describes two distinct ways people use digital platforms: “Scroll Mode” and “Action Mode”.
Scroll Mode refers to passive browsing in which users move through content without a clear objective or stopping point. Action Mode, by contrast, involves using digital tools to find answers, make decisions, plan activities, or pursue personal interests.
Research conducted by Pinterest alongside Truth Be Told Consulting and Morning Consult across six markets found that people reach for their devices with a specific purpose approximately 60% of the time. However, 44% of the time, respondents said they ended up passively scrolling when that was not their original intention.
According to Pinterest, this disconnect can weaken the effectiveness of advertising. When consumers are absorbed in an endless feed, promotional content risks becoming just another item to scroll past rather than something that influences their decisions.
The company argues that advertising becomes more valuable when it helps people fulfil an existing intention, whether that means finding a product, planning an event or discovering a new activity.
Its research suggests that brands appearing in these more purposeful moments can achieve a 9% increase in trust and an 8% improvement in purchase intent. In passive scrolling environments, the company reported an 8% negative effect on advertising response.
Pinterest wants brands to encourage users to log off
The platform's strategy centres on helping users move from inspiration to action. Rather than judging campaign success solely by time spent online, Pinterest wants marketers to consider whether their content helps people make decisions and accomplish something meaningful.
The company advises advertisers to communicate their values, demonstrate how their products can improve real-life experiences, and provide a clear route from discovering an idea to acting on it.
Pinterest's message to marketers is that once users find what they need, brands should allow them to leave the platform and put their plans into practice.
This approach also reflects Pinterest's effort to distinguish itself from social networks built around continuous engagement. The company positions its service as a discovery and planning tool that helps users shape their interests, rather than simply providing an endless stream of entertainment.
Pinterest reported that 73% of its users said actions inspired by the platform feel authentic, while 71% said those actions bring them closer to a life they love.
Sharpie campaign demonstrates commercial potential
Pinterest pointed to a campaign by Sharpie as an example of how brands can connect digital discovery with purchasing behaviour.
The marker manufacturer used Pinterest to promote its Creative Marker range, combining full-funnel targeting with a simplified online shopping experience during seasonal periods such as Mother's Day and the back-to-school season.
The campaign directed shoppers from inspiration to purchasing opportunities through retailers including Target, Walmart, and Amazon.
According to the results cited by Pinterest, the campaign generated a 4.93% incremental sales lift, performing 644% above the category median. The company also reported that 74% of incremental sales came from new buyers.
The example supports Pinterest's argument that advertising does not necessarily need to keep people on a platform for extended periods to produce commercial value. Instead, campaigns can be effective when they connect consumer interest with a convenient path to purchase.
A different way to measure digital marketing success
Pinterest's latest playbook arrives amid growing interest in reducing screen time and creating more meaningful relationships with technology.
The company cited rising participation in phone-free events as further evidence of the shift, including a reported 567% global increase in such events and a 913% increase in attendance in the United States.
For advertisers, the implication is that attention alone may be an incomplete measure of campaign performance. Marketers may need to place greater emphasis on whether their campaigns build trust, encourage purchases, and help consumers progress from an idea to a real-world outcome.
Pinterest believes its position between inspiration and practical decision-making gives it an advantage in this environment.
Its broader message to brands is to focus less on keeping audiences online and more on helping them accomplish what brought them there in the first place. In the company's view, the strongest digital experiences are those that give users a reason to close the app and get on with their lives.
Source: Pinterest