I loooove Pinterest. It’s a great method of organizing bookmarks of useful ideas, an interesting source of inspiration, and a trove of pretty-stuff-I-covet. BUT I *hate* it as a marketing tool. As a consumer I find it really annoying and distasteful when I see it used solely for vapid self-promotion.

My example is Dunkin Donuts. I *adore* Dunks, and I think overall they are a solid enduring brand (disclosure: I even own stock). That they jumped on the marketing bandwagon and are pinning pics of their stores and their wares is just very sad to me. Are they sharing or investing in their inspiration? Are these pins useful to the company in any way other than shameless publicity? I might not be as grossed out if maybe the R&D dept was pinning bacon and other food trends to suss out new flavors and products, or possibly if they were pinning great recipes to go with their products or pretty home decor that speaks to the vibe of the brand or a particular donut (which could be kind of fun). But instead it seems to be something they do just to have a presence in whatever marketable medium is trendy.

I’d like to think that our generation of media-socialites is smarter than that. We want transparency, honesty, and a real persona to a brand. Real success will lie in utilizing social media and other marketing methods appropriately, judiciously, and with an actual heart and brain behind them. Figure out what/who your brand is and stay true to it, always, and you won’t go wrong.

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