Optimistic, uplifting, encouraging—these are words not often used to describe the internet. But that’s where Pinterest has carved out a sizable niche, which has grown to 250 million worldwide monthly users saving more than 175 billion ideas (about everything from godparent proposals to patterned wallpaper) on its network.
As chatter heats up about a possible IPO in the spring (the company is currently valued north of $10 billion), ad revenue is predicted to top $700 million this year. Unsurprisingly, marketers may be turning to the platform for precisely the same reason that users are—namely, for a snark-free refuge amid the digital cesspool.