The trend predictions you'll want for your 2025 digital strategy
Pinterest's new research + takeaways from their Global Trends & Insights Lead
quick summary ⚡️
Pinterest’s new trend report + what their Global Trends & Insights Lead has to say about it
Cultural gems for your to-read list, including the latest on Ballerina Farm, the rise of tacky Christmas, and ‘brain rot’ is the new word of the year
Why Facebook should be a part of your digital strategy
takeaways from Pinterest’s 2025 Trend Report
Anyone else in the thick of it with 2025 planning?
We love a retrospective as much as the next person, but we’ve got our eyes on the new year. And with the Pinterest Predicts report hot off the presses, we’re having a lot of fun dreaming up 2025 content.
This time of year is inundated with so-called experts making trend predictions, so we always look for some data to back it up. Sydney Stanback, Pinterest’s Global Trends & Insights Lead, gave M.T. Deco a peek under the hood at how her team creates the report:
“Our trendspotting process is powered by how our audience uses Pinterest, and leverages our monthly active user base of over half a billion people from around the world to identify emerging trends. These users come to Pinterest with high intent, searching for ideas and inspiration to thoughtfully plan what’s next for them. We then apply a rigorous machine-learning backed methodology that allows us to identify and forecast how these trends will likely grow on Pinterest. We achieve this in three core steps:
First, we analyze the keywords for billions of Pinterest searches. In order to sift through these searches we apply volume and growth threshold. For the first time this year, we applied visual search technology to spot emerging visual patterns on the platform.
Then, with a boost from machine learning, we have a team of internal strategists and researchers that come together to identify the emerging trend clusters. From this, we’re able to narrow down thousands of clusters to 20 distinct trends. We then have an external partner review the working list to ensure inclusivity and global representation.
As a final step we gut-check growth potential. We use a mix of predictive analytics and platform engagement signals to ensure the trends have staying power.”
Their 2025 report, out today, is a goldmine for brands, creators, and side hustlers alike.
Trends are important if you want to be part of the cultural conversation. But they can be overwhelming, too. That’s why we love Pinterest Predicts, because it helps you plan how to be relevant.
And while trends can be fleeting, when we think about the ones to engage with, we like to consider those that are indicative of something larger at play. UTA’s gave us this great insight about trends vs. movements, pointing out that trends can go as quickly as they come, but many of them are part of larger societal and cultural movements. Here’s what Sydney had to say about that:
“We’re seeing a strong Gen Z influence in this year’s report, with 65% of our trends being driven by this generation. Unlike other generations who tend to use Pinterest for planning – whether it's hosting a party or renovating a home – Gen Z brings to focus aesthetics, feelings and personas on Pinterest. This highlights how our fastest growing audience is expressing their identity in new, creative ways while also driving new use cases for Pinterest. Their values are deeply reflected in the report, with an unapologetic boldness and maximalist expression taking center stage. This is something we’ve really seen emerge over the past few years. People have increasingly become more daring and expressive and this audacious energy is more prevalent than ever before in our Pinterest Predicts 2025 report. From the ‘fisherman aesthetic’ to ‘Chaos Cakes’ these trends reflect a strong desire and collective shift towards embracing individuality, and leaning into hyper-personalization.”
As you read through this trend report and others, think about the bigger message behind each of the predictions, and identify the ones that most closely align with your North Star. That will ensure authenticity and help your content stand out in the crowd.
There’s so much inspiration to be found in this report, but here are three highlights that we think will resonate the #ForYou audience:
IRL event ideas: As brands and creators seek to create more in-person moments for their communities, they can do so with over-the-top decor and aesthetics to make for Insta-worthy content. Specifically, Pinterest users are very into the Rococo era (worth a Google) and surrealism (which we just saw on the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” premiere).
Everyday eco living: It feels like there’s a new climate change headline every day, so it makes sense that people are looking to improve their daily habits. “In 2025, Boomers and Gen X will revolutionize sustainable living with recyclable fashion, self- sufficient gardens and community spaces.” Big yes!
Showcasing creativity: We all have a creative side, and Pinterest thinks we’ll see more of it in 2025, with searches up for things like door murals (+70%) and hand painted furniture (+135%). This feels like an opportunity for an exec to show off their creativity with a home office makeover, or a Marketing Team collaborating on a new space.
Of course, we had to ask Sydney for her highlights, considering how much time she spends on this work.
“My favorite takeaway from the report is how our trends are empowering people to reimagine how they show up in the world. It’s inspiring to see people move toward bold, expressive choices that feel uniquely their own, shaping aesthetics and behaviors in ways that celebrate personal identity.”
head on over to the report to learn more
if you want to start doing more on Pinterest, this will help you get started
💎cultural gems💎
The cultural moments and news that caught our attention this week:
TYCOON OR TRADWIFE? THE WOMAN BEHIND BALLERINA FARM MAKES HER OWN PATH, ny times
“The goal of all this enterprise, Ms. Neeleman said, is not to accumulate more wealth, converts or fame, but to bring her followers the joy she experiences in family farming.”
ICYMI,
broke down what we can learn from Ballerina Farm and how she built her massive community on the MTD blog.SO LONG SAD BEIGE CHRISTMAS. TACKY CHRISTMAS IS COMING TO TOWN, washington post
“While Tacky Christmas may come across as just another micro-trend, in practice, it’s a rejection of the kind of hypercuration that tends to make waves on social media. Rather than creating the illusion of perfection, it embraces a more lived-in, blended bounty.”
‘BRAIN ROT’ IS OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS’ WORD OF THE YEAR, nbc news
“The first use of ‘brain rot’ preceded the internet: It was in Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 book ‘Walden.’ But ‘the term has taken on new significance in the digital age,’ Oxford University Press wrote, thanks in large part to Gen Z and Gen Alpha communities online.”
30 UNDER 30 SOCIAL MEDIA 2025, forbes
“Hundreds of millions of people are now creating content on social media—either as their full-time job, a lucrative side-hustle, or just for fun. And as the creator economy continues to boom, emerging talent continues to rise.”
AT LEAST WE HAVE NETFLIX’S INSANE NEW CHRISTMAS MOVIES, the cut
“They all offer the easy comfort of a rom-com with insane plot points that only someone like Lindsay Lohan could bring to life.”
the case for including Facebook in your digital strategy
If you’re not on Facebook, you’re missing out.
The only platform used more is YouTube - and it requires a lot more production than Facebook.
Whether you should include Facebook in your digital strategy is very much about *who* you’re trying to reach. Chances are, they’re on the platform. And if you’re thinking about Gen Z, Meta wants them there [duh], so they’re putting $ into those efforts.
If you’re on board [or getting there], we’ve got a few thought starters to help you brainstorm how you might want to show up on Facebook:
Cross-post content from other platforms: If you’re already creating content for other platforms, consider sharing it on Facebook and see how the audience responds.
Create a private community: It’s a great way to hear directly from followers and consumers, often turning them into bigger fans.
Use it as a customer service tool: If you’re not quite ready to dive into content creation, consider making your Facebook page a dedicated customer service tool - just make that clear to your followers.
for the full breakdown, head here