B (2:55)

And so, yeah, but I mean, I love my job. And what I really love about my job is that I, I get to sit at the intersection of, like, cultural curiosity and creativity. Um, I am a bit of a pop culture fan, so when I first came to Pinterest and was able to work on this project, it was, it was like a dream research job. Right. And so, you know, I get to interpret signals from our half a billion users, seeing what they're searching, saving and shopping for, what their dreams are, what they're manifesting, and also see how they're bringing it to life. And it really helps us, you know, better understand what's coming next. So I have a really cool job. I feel, I feel lucky as a researcher by practice that I get to work on something like this.

A (3:44)

Absolutely. So talk about, like, six years too, how you have the full window from concept to launch and launching every year. What were some of the initial ideas around? Why lean into this project? Why even do something, this flagship for Pinterest? And tell me a little bit about that beginning kind of brainstorming process behind it.

B (4:08)

Yeah, I mean, I think when we kicked off predicts back in 2020, so I can't believe that's been six years. I think the vision was pretty unique at the time. We, you know, there are a lot of wrapped reports that come out at the end of the year that are really reflective of the past year, and I think those are incredibly valuable. It's always nice to, to reflect on the, on the previous year, but I think what we, you know, felt where we could add value was instead of reporting on what's already been viral, we really wanted to serve as a bit of a crystal ball and surfacing trends that we believe are not yet trending yet. And, you know, Pinterest Predicts was really born from our mission to help people plan for a future that reflects their truest selves. And it gives brands, creators and small businesses really a head start into where consumers, hearts and minds are heading next.

A (5:06)

That's a lot of pressure, actually, to put on a team to come up with the not yet trending, because even as we've seen over this last year, you see trends kind of insert themselves really quickly. So this not yet trending idea, how do you all even begin the process of trying to have the crystal ball.

B (5:27)

Right.

A (5:27)

Like I mean is everything thrown on the table? It is. Tell me a little bit more about that process.

B (5:33)

Yeah, I mean I, I like to joke that it's a 365 day of the year process for my team. Like I'm always thinking to the year ahead and that's, it's a joke, but it's also a little bit true. I mean we, we work on this for a very long time. I would say like we really start in the middle of the summer and it takes a lot. But I think really what gives it its magic is that our process goes like beyond just tracking growth in search. Right. We use a machine learning backed powered methodology that analyzes everything from search patterns on Pinterest, but also like visual search cues. So the colors, materials and aesthetics that people are really drawn to and it gives us a full spectrum of what people are really saving and dreaming about. But of course data is integral to this entire process. But it's not just data. I think my favorite element of this is the human insight. We, one of my favorite aspects of this process is every year for the past, I think, you know, Since Pinterest breaks 20, 21, we've done this brainstorming event called Insights Making Week. And it's where a team of cross functional strategists across Pinterest come together, have like a three day brainstorm where we really get into the data and like discuss what we're observing. And because there's so much to work with. Right. And so it's great to bring a team of cross functional people together to have like a very honest conversation about what's emerging in the data and what we ultimately want to include in the support. And you know that. And then obviously the curation goes well beyond that. That happens usually in August. We're really, you know, continuing to refine these trends for the months following. But the human curation aspect of it is just incredible. And I think it's what also helps it resonate. I think, you know, we really try to bring in a lot of different perspectives into the room to ensure that when anyone picks up this report, anyone anywhere can find something that's relevant to them. And so that, that is actually, it's like I said, it's my favorite aspect of this entire process. The people coming together to really get into the data and see what's happening.

A (7:55)

Yeah, I would imagine I'm envisioning it from an outsider perspective. So you tell me if this is right. I am just thinking like mountains of data.

B (8:04)

Right.

A (8:04)

And then you have these people, like you said, with this human perspective of all the ways in which they're entering the world and bumping up against conversations in the world and having these conversations about. Well, I think this is trending and I think this is trending. So this is an interesting question that I didn't include, but I, I think it's something that the human aspect of people bringing what they bring to the table, is there people, people who are really tied to a prediction that like they really want it to be in there and it's like it just can't be. Are these part of the discussion?

B (8:41)

Yes. Yeah. I mean I think it happens, it's, it's natural when you bring in diverse perspectives that there are things that people would want to or like really tied to that may not make it for a variety of different reasons. Right. But I love the discussion. I love hearing why someone feels so passionate about something. Like I, I basically serve as a moderator in that room. I, I have my perspective on things but. And I, I lean in when I think it's very valuable. But like I want to hear what other people are thinking because that is the true insight and throughout this process. And so I think that one of the things I've learned in like navigating those conversations is that if someone feels attached to something, including myself, because I, I have felt attached to him, that may or may not have made it into the report over the years. I got to dig into the reason why I have to validate that sentiment to see if it exists outside of that room, but also if it exists within our first party data. Right. Like we want to make sure that the trends that we go to market with will last and aren't flashes in the pan. So you know, we, that's already ingrained into our methodology. But again the human curation helps us navigate these kind of fads that are surfacing to make sure that it's not something that is a moment in time, that it's something that will endure. And you know, I, it's interesting because I think the debate about it is so rich. But one of the things that we did this year which was net new was we leveraged generative AI for the first time in this process. And we built what we called like a trench, a trend benchmark based off of all the learnings that we have had for Pinterest predicts over the past six years, which made it incredibly powerful and cause we could see like what type of trends would resonate more with consumers versus advertisers. Which ones are more buzzworthy, which ones are more globally relevant. Right. That made that debate a little bit more, a little bit easier because it was a very unbiased take of like what makes the most sense for the report. But even on top of that, of course, while this benchmark provided us with guidance, we made the final decisions of what ended up in the report. Right. So but I think, you know, again, if, if someone feels attached to something, there must be a reason why. And I like getting into that and that usually helps us understand if, if it should or should not end up in the report.

A (11:12)

Well, and I love that human aspect of it because I think it's very easy for people to look at a large company and just assume a lot about the process. Whether it's you took, you know, you have 21, which I imagine getting to even 21 is difficult. But looking and going, asking questions, why did they choose this? Why didn't they choose this? So one really interesting aspect that I've always enjoyed about these reports is the part about where it's what generation it's trending with because we see Pinterest be very multi generational. I mean my mom is 77, she use it. Uses it and my daughter's 20 and I use it. So it's like we have Gen Z, Gen X and Boomer. And one of the really cool things that I loved is the throwback kid, which is one of the predictions. And you said Boomers and Gen X are driving the trend. So tell me a little bit about how kind of that process is done, surfacing this generational data to be able to pinpoint whether or not it's Gen Z, Gen X, Millennial or Boomer.

B (12:18)

Yeah. So a couple things go into that. Well, primarily it's informed by a first party data. So you know, when we're looking at the search terms or the engagement points for this report, we also take into consideration the generations driving it because we want this to get a cross generational report. And interestingly enough with throwback Kid, you know, I the way to take it back to insights making week. One of the ways that this week works is that everyone's kind of split up into different category rooms. So we have a room for like food, we have a room for parenting and so on and so forth. And this of course came out of the parenting room. A lot of people in that room are of course parents and so which is necessary. But I think, you know, even as a I wasn't in that room. And I am not a parent. What I loved about that trend, it's actually one of my favorites, is that, you know, we've seen a lot of conversations about thrifting over the past year. Like, it's, it's very relevant to Gen Z and millennials, but this trend is introducing it to older generations and they're also applying it to children's fashion, which I don't think people talk about in the context of thrifting. Right. And so I think that, you know, understanding how parents and grandparents are really blending a little bit of their own childhood nostalgia with modern play through thrifting vintage toys or, you know, thrifting vintage clothing for their children or grandchildren, I think it's an interesting, I think it's very much aligned with what people are talking about, of course, and the behavioral shifts towards the secondhand market. But it's also talking about how that's impacting categories outside of fashion. And so I think that it's nice to have, I mean, and the parents who are participating in that parents room were blend of parents from a variety of different generations. So it's really interesting to see once the kind of trend is finalized, which generations are driving it from a data standpoint. But it's, it's really, I find that, you know, that's, those are usually the initial generations when we like initially pull the data. But as these trends grow, they scale and other generations adopt it. So like, even if, let's say millennials and Gen Zers aren't adopting it initially, we know that those generations are also having children. Right? Or starting to have children. So it'd be very interesting to see how they adopt it. Right. Like, even as a millennial, seeing like 2000s being consider vintage was just like, oh my gosh, totally. You're like, what that was like two years ago, not that long ago. Please tell me that's not vintage. But it's, it's, it's, it's one of the ways I, it's one another one of my favorite aspects of this report is seeing how it's adopted once, how a trend is adopted once the report is out.

A (15:24)

So 100% well. And I would say too, even as I see my daughter Love Thrifting, who's 18, and then my mom having clothes, clothes in her closet that she never got rid of and passing those down or even toys or anything like that, there is this great marrying of what Gen Z is rising up and really looking for and asking for. And then the nostalgia that comes with still having some of those items or seeing some of those items and then passing them on. And so I do agree with you. Like, this seems to be such a growing and strong trend, and it also kind of aligns and environmentally, too, where this. Not wanting to buy more, wanting to pass on or have good quality products. So I. That one really stood out to me as, like, oh, yeah, I could see this being a huge trend over 2026, so I loved it. Okay. What is. If you had to pick a favorite, which I know is hard, it's like picking a favorite child. What is your favorite prediction? That I'll. I'll kind of put a spin on it. What's your favorite prediction that actually surprised you that you were like, oh, okay. Or I mean, I could ask a ton of questions about it, but we'll.

B (16:42)

Just go with that. I'm gonna say cabbage crush.

A (16:46)

Oh, yes.

B (16:47)

I had that written down. Yeah. Yeah. I. When we initially. I remember my reaction to it when I first saw it during insights Making week, and I was like, oh, okay.

A (17:01)

You know, like, I did.

B (17:02)

I didn't. You know, out of all the different things that could have come out of the food and beverage room, that. That wasn't something that I expected. But when I saw the data behind it and there were so many search terms that qualify for that, that trend, I knew that there was something very rich and valuable there. And one of the lessons that I have learned throughout the years, Years of being a part of this process is sometimes the more unexpected things are, like, people just kind of gravitate towards. I mean, pickle fix was a trend from p. Pinterest predict 2025. And I remember when I was initially looking at that, trying to hurt saw pickle margarita. And I was like, that sounds terrible. Interesting. Yeah. Like, I was like, I don't know how I feel about that. But that is so interesting because it's like a new way, the new flavor, a new, like, way to experience eating a pickle. Right. And so, you know, seeing all the cabbage recipes that were coming up, and there were so many different types across so many different types of cuisines. Right. And just be incorporated in unique ways. I was like, that. That was the one that surprised me the most. But it's also one of my favorites because of my initial reaction to it. I was just like, there and every in the room, like, everyone in the room was like, wow. Like, that's not what we expected. But that is incredible. I still have people coming to me who participated that week and just said, I'm so happy that Cabbage made it into the report. I was like, the moment I saw it, it was gonna make it. Yeah, very fascinating.

A (18:39)

I know. I saw that and I thought, okay, cabbage. But I think this leads to kind of my next question with how these predictions impact globally because there are so many different cult cabbage in their cooking. You know, there's several different varieties of cabbage. There's, you know, so how do you see these predictions kind of impacting the global market, especially as we see Pinterest growing really rapidly on the global stage.

B (19:06)

Right.

A (19:06)

Like, there's a lot of expanded countries that it's reaching into, which is pretty cool.

B (19:11)

Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, I think that's actually one of the reasons why we included cabbage is because the diversity within it. You know, there's not one way to eat cabbage. There are apparently a hundred or thousands of ways to eat cabbage. And so, and it being adopted differently across different countries, different cultures, and I, I, that's something we are very intentional about. When we are pulling together this report, global relevance is critical. We have, you know, international stakeholders who participate in this process because we want to ensure that these trends are relevant across the globe and they're, they're going to be adopted across the globe. Right. And so this is, I mean, this report is based off of global data. So from a data standpoint, there is always that, like, assurance that it's reaching a variety of different audiences across a variety of different regions. But again, in terms of ensuring adoption, like, we, we do that from a data standpoint, but then also through like a human curation standpoint. Right. And then the other thing to consider is trend. Adoption looks differently everywhere. Right. So the way that cabbage could be, Cabbage Crush, could be adopted in the US Is going to look different than how it's adopted in Korea or South Africa or the United Kingdom. Right. And so when we're narrowing down, like, the final keywords for the report, we want to make sure that they're, they're representative of adoption across a variety of different countries. But even when we're monitoring how these trends grow throughout the year, we take into consideration, like, all the different ways they could be adopted across the globe. Right. So, I mean, but global relevance is so critical to the success of this program. It's, it's my, another one of. I just, like, everything about this is my favorite, but this is another thing that's really, I, I think it's, it, I learn a lot throughout that process of ensuring global relevancy. I'm, I'm obviously based in the United States and hearing from my non u. S Colleagues about what works for their regions and what doesn't, it just makes me a stronger researcher. And it just, of course, makes the program a lot stronger too.

A (21:32)

Before we go into, like, how small businesses or advertisers could adopt this, looking back at the past, can you identify one or two predictions that you really thought would take off that maybe didn't pick up that you were surprised? Like, man, I really thought that would, like, just skyrocket and it didn't.

B (21:54)

Yeah, I mean, I think our success rate makes it really challenging for me to pay for. One that comes to mind is from Predicts 2025 and it was called chaos cakes and actually had my favorite search term in the report of the year, which was called rat cake. Again, that really just took me by surprise. But I think it was adopted. Like, it wasn't that it wasn't adopted, but it wasn't adopted in the way that I think we originally forecasted. I. You know, I think we've seen a lot of different baking trends over the past couple of years. I think the original, the genesis, this trend was like, okay, this is just like we're. There's no rules, right. This is a type Pinterest perfect. Like, you're. You're really just creating a cake for, like, in any way, shape or form. And I think people were doing that to a certain degree. But as I saw that trend evolve throughout the year, it became a little bit more meaningful. Like, there's like these new, like, thankful cakes or. Right. Like, I don't know if you've seen it, but like, it's like, I think it's just people are exhibiting. How do I say this? Their Persona via baking. Maybe it's not as chaotic as we thought it would be, but it was adopted. But I think it just evolved in a way that didn't align with the original kind of vision for that tribe. Right.

A (23:19)

I would imagine too, it would be you. You all are working so hard to kind of identify a theme and then you have the keywords with the. The data. But then that can take on a different life of its own. Right. Or it can be picked up differently. I am thinking even currently, when we're recording this in the holiday season, you see Ralph Lauren Christmas kind of taking off, but you can see a lot of stores maybe weren't prepared for that movement to happen, but all of a sudden everyone's like, get as much Ralph Lauren or plaid to the front as we can. And I think that's the difficulty that Any team has in predicting, but I think there's a good success rate.

B (24:03)

Right.

A (24:03)

Have you guys tracked that?

B (24:06)

Yes. Over the past six years, 88% of the trends that we have called have come true, which is pretty remarkable. And again, that comes from our methodology. It's very rigorous. But I think it also comes from the way that people use Pinterest. I think they take it back to, like, why we decided to have a predictive report versus, like a reflective report is because the use case of Pinterest is so future forward. Right. It's very intentional and it's, it's. And so I think that that gives us the credibility to say these things because of the way that people use our platform.

A (24:50)

Yeah, very true. I'm almost. I'm picturing in my head this way of a Pinterest user adopting it in the future of kind of picking your prediction at the beginning of the year and like, kind of holding to it to see, okay, is that going to come true? Is that going to be manifested and then like a benchmark at the end of the year, like, did it come true? Did it kind of the fun interactive piece where my brain went. But okay, so picture I'm holding papers, right? Let's say this is like Pinterest predicts. I've printed off the report because, you know, I'm Gen X. I love paper still.

B (25:25)

I love paper too. And I'm a millennial.

A (25:28)

There you go. Okay.

B (25:29)

It's.

A (25:29)

It's strong in us.

B (25:30)

Strong. Yeah, yeah.

A (25:32)

Okay, so as you or your team are building this report and they are envisioning the small business, the advertiser, using it, where do you go to, like, workflow? How do you envision them taking these predictions and folding it into their marketing? Especially if Pinterest is so forward for them, if it is very much a platform that drives a lot of traffic for them, what did you envision as you thought about the business owner and their marketing as it pertained to Pinterest?

B (26:03)

They're definitely top of mind as we're pulling together this report, I think, I mean, one of the reasons why we have 21 different trends is because we. There are 21 different. Like that gives advertisers 21 different ways to reach their target audience. Right. We don't expect every advertiser to act on all 21 trends. That actually, I would probably recommend against that. But I do think that it really serves as a spark of inspiration. Like it. And we've seen these trends be adopted by brands in a variety of different ways. We've seen brands, of course, lean into them on Pinterest. We offer trend packages to brands to invest in these trends on Pinterest. And then we've seen brands adopted into their product roadmap into their creative messaging. I've heard a lot of feedback from creatives over the past year, couple of years, saying that this is like they're, they love this report because it's such a creative sandbox for them to see. Like this is what consumers are leaning into. So visually and from a message standpoint, these are the things that they're going to care about in the year ahead. So I think there's so many ways to tap into the trends for from predicts. I would say that, you know, it's meant to really serve as a spark of inspiration. Not to be, not to use our own puns, but it is supposed to be a spark of inspiration for brands to feel confident that if they were leading and they chose to lean into a trend that they felt was relevant to their audience, that they could see some success in that.

A (27:43)

Well, and also I think with marketing right now there, it's people are, some people are naturally like super creative. It just kind of comes to them. But for some other people, they are like content dry, they're struggling with ideas. And what I like to tell people who are in our community is think of this, I love that term that you use, like sandbox. Think of it as a creative starter for you that if you don't know how you're going to lean into your marketing in the next year, this just doesn't have to be Pinterest exclusive, but it can be all of the platforms that you might use to get people towards your products or your content. And if you're struggling with ideas here, the, I mean, it's like Pinterest is literally serving up on a silver platter. Here's predictions and here's some roadmaps you can go down. And I like that you said don't go down all 21. Pick a few and then lean into it from there.

B (28:36)

Yes, I, you know, and I think that you brought up a great point in terms of like engagement with this trend both on and off Pinterest. I mean, one of my favorite parts of this report is seeing how these trends come to life again, both on Pinterest but also off Pinterest, like just within this, I guess. Right. And so I think that that of course just adds credibility to the report. But again, it just, it's a, it's a very, it's a Rich opportunity for brands to, to just figure out to have a window into what's going to be relevant in the year ahead.

A (29:12)

Yeah. Okay, so you said you all start in September, like in the summer. So what do you do from January to June as it pertains to. I'm sure you do a lot. That was not at all like you don't do. Yeah, the predictions like realm do you all kind of touch base with each other. Like, ooh, this is trending, this is taking off. Like how's that work in the, I guess assessment time?

B (29:36)

Oh, the first half of the year is usually just planning for, planning for the, the next year. Right. And so if the execution starts in the summer, the planning starts in the like winter and spring. My team at that time is doing a lot of like R and D on our methodology to see what ways that we can advance it in for the following year's report. We're considering other inputs that we want to incorporate into the report that we think would be valuable. That is actually this new research that we commissioned came to life because we really wanted to get a, a good understanding of how people were feeling heading into 2026. We're very excellent at capturing, you know, what is about to trend and we wanted to get to the bottom of why it is trending. Right. And so that, that's like an example of something that comes out at the beginning of the year because we, you know, given the timing of how this trend report comes together, we have to move pretty fast and furiously in the second half. And, and so. Yeah, so it's a lot of planning. It's a lot.

A (30:53)

You don't get much.

B (30:55)

No, no. You know, I think we're probably going to start about talking About Pinterest predicts 2027 in January.

A (31:01)

Yes, yes.

B (31:03)

You know, it's, it's. But it's again I, it's, I've worked on this for six years. It's, it's grown significantly. I think that it is, as a researcher is such a privilege to work on something like this and to leverage research in this way. I've never experienced that in my over a decade plus career in research. And so being able to spend most of my year on this is, is.

A (31:38)

Incredible and what a gift it is to be able to have these six years of experience that each time you do this you get better at it and your team can go back and say we wouldn't do this again, we would do this again about our methodology. And that's. So there's so many things that people do that have a shorter span of time that you don't get that, like, what worked, what didn't work, what would we add in again, what, you know, taking that rubric and benchmarking it against that, and maybe that's where I'll, like, we'll kind of land the plane on this is how do you process this? Like, there's launch time, there's all the buzz, there's all of that. Is there this middle ground where you give yourselves this assessment time to say, this is what worked well? This didn't work well? We would, we would use this. We would commission the same company again and rinse and repeat or we're going to add a new layer into it. How does that, what does that look like for you all?

B (32:35)

Yeah, I think reflection of this process is critical to its success. You know, that's, that's one of the reasons why we, you know, have our. What we call it, like our. We called it rate, which is the 88%, because we want to see what worked and what didn't with our trends and beyond just the trends themselves, the process and what goes into it. Reflection is it's critical for us to progress and continue to grow this program and the impact that it has on businesses, but also consumers. Right. And so I would say it's very critical. I think it's an interesting process because I think Predicts is a full year report. Right. We're still single conversations about predicts 2025 in, like, the top of Q4 of this year, which is incredible. I love it. It's amazing. But I also, I think it's so important for us to take a step back and look at the entire process to see what worked and what didn't. So we can continue to grow this program because it is. It's so valuable. It's. And it's also a lot of fun. Like, I. We use this program in a lot of different ways. I've seen, you know, one of the ways that I've seen us use it over the past couple years that I've loved. We've used it internally at Pinterest. Like, you know, we use it for our, you know, our company morale. It's. It's something that people who touch it, who don't touch it, are very passionate about. And so we want to continue to get it right. We want it to continue to grow it to grow and, you know, be this temple moment that we all look forward to every year. So.

A (34:26)

But yeah, I envision pickle margaritas at, like, the company party.

B (34:29)

There were a lot of pickle margaritas or pickle cocktails at the the holiday party last year. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, always fun.

A (34:40)

So great. Sydney, thank you so much for sharing your insight to building the Pinterest predicts and just your excitement around it. Again, I think it's one of those things where we can see as businesses, the report and all of the predictions and all of the glitz and the glam and how fun it looks, but that there is you and your team working hard year round to really bring this to life and in not just bringing a report, but bringing a report that has that 88% success rate that you really want consumers and businesses to leverage in a really helpful way. And I just think that has been such a joy to talk to you and just to get my little sliver of just what that's looked like and then your excitement for it as well. So thank you so much for sharing all of that. Of course.

B (35:30)

Thank you so much for having me. This is such a fun conversation.

A (35:33)

Yeah, it was. I enjoyed it. So cheers to 2026 predictions and let's wait and see. Maybe we'll do a benchmark podcast in December of 26 to see which ones actually really came to fruition.

B (35:46)

I love that. We should absolutely do that.

A (35:48)

Sounds good. Thanks, Sydney. Thank you.