Bayer has joined up-and-coming social network Pinterest and is using it to share images and information about its activities in the US.

Pinterest, which acts as an online pin-board, was launched in 2010 and rapidly began gaining popularity towards the end of 2011. In January 2012 it received 11.7m unique visitors, making it the fastest social media site to break the 10m unique visitor mark.

“Social media platforms like Pinterest provide another way for Bayer to communicate and collaborate about its business and activities including, but not limited to, the topics of innovation, sustainability, business activities, corporate social responsibility, events and leadership,” the company said.

Pinterest allows users to organise and share interesting things they find online through image 'pins' that are organised on 'pinboards'.

In common with more established social networks like Tumblr, which also has great visual appeal, Pinterest users can subscribe to other users' pinboards and 're-pin' content they want to share with their own network.

Bayer's Pinterest debut on the social network makes it the first big pharma company to start using the site, where it joins Menarini's Spanish operations.

Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk has registered its own account to claim its brand, something may want to consider. As the Pharma Marketing Blog points out, several other pharma company names are already being used, including GSK, Roche Merck and JNJ.