B2B Innovations: Research Methodology that Transformed UX at Pinterest

Learn how Pinterest used Custom Recruiting to revolutionize its approach to B2B UX Research.

The Challenge

Brand trust has become a top priority for advertisers, as consumers grow more concerned with the ethical and social standards of the companies and platforms they interact with.

Recognizing the importance of brand trust, the Pinterest UX research team sought to expand their understanding of it beyond traditional definitions like brand safety and consumer privacy. Because Pinterest’s UX decisions impact product launches, external messaging, and company-wide practices, getting the deeper insights right was essential.

However, Pinterest’s target B2B audience was difficult to reach. They needed to talk to advertisers and agency professionals with varying levels of Pinterest advertising experience, from decision-makers to those with their “hands on the keyboard.” Furthermore, they needed to ensure they were speaking to verified professionals.

NewtonX Delivery

The Pinterest team were already seasoned researchers who knew they needed deep insights, so when NewtonX recommended our Q3 Formula, they were intrigued to learn what made it different from methods they were already familiar with. Our qual-quant-qual research methodology allowed Pinterest to get the best of both worlds from qualitative and quantitative research, yielding in-depth insights at scale. In total, NewtonX surveyed 600 professionals — both decision-makers and professionals who had their hands on the keyboard. The audience included current, former, and prospective Pinterest advertisers, as well as advertising professionals working in-house for brands.

NewtonX used our Custom Recruiting technique and proprietary Knowledge Graph to tap into the global population of advertising professionals to identify those qualified to meet the highly specific criteria. 

Using our open network, NewtonX compiled a list of professionals who met Pinterest’s exact specs. We used our two-step verification process to confirm each professional’s identity, guaranteeing fraud-free data.

We were delighted that NewtonX could do qual-quant-qual research in such a short time. In the B2B space, not many people are leveraging or thinking of doing these mixed methods.

Kitty Z Xu

Pinterest Staff Quantitative User Experience Researcher

The Solution

Our insights helped Pinterest redefine advertiser trust by understanding not only how brands define it, but also how advertisers think about it. Additionally, our research increased cross-functional collaboration through how the UX team defined advertiser trust internally, and how the marketing and sales teams messaged it externally. 

Takeaways and impact on future research initiatives

Following our collaboration with Pinterest, there were four main takeaways related to future research.

1. Unbiased audience feedback

One of the most essential requirements for successful research is unbiased audience feedback. With Pinterest, we guaranteed an unbiased sample by looking at a diverse population beyond the most obvious sources for information. In addition to identifying diverse audiences, we carefully framed the survey questions and discussion guides to yield unbiased responses. This ensured that we minimized bias across each step of the research process.

2. The importance of technology-enabled research

The Pinterest UX Research team recognized how they could benefit from the NewtonX Q3 approach, and took full advantage of technology-enabled research by using the NewtonX Knowledge Graph. By using technology to challenge old research assumptions with new methodology, our collaboration with Pinterest yielded them an improved insights practice and more confident brand decisions.

3. Tell your story using your data, instead of a story about your data

When communicating research findings, explaining the methodology used to uncover your insights is just as important as discussing the data itself. Talking about your data may be interesting to other professionals in your industry; expanding on the process teaches the audience how the technology and methodology can be applicable to other fields.

4. Cutting corners with B2B audiences is never worth it

Last but definitely not least, our research demonstrated why it’s so important not to cut corners with B2B audiences. Going the extra mile of investing resources into the best methodologies and technology, as well as making sure participating in the research is worth your audience’s time. High-quality B2B research leads to high-quality, actionable data.

Curious for more? Watch the full webinar here.