Qualitative Creative Development

Loaf came to us with an exciting, open-ended brief: to understand their brand, their market, and how their unique tone and language could drive growth. To truly ‘relax into’ the brand, we had to immerse ourselves in the minds of their customers. We spoke with those who loved Loaf, those who aspired to own it, and those who knew little about it. Quickly, we realised that Loaf isn’t just another sofa brand — it’s relaxed yet premium, aspirational yet attainable, beautiful yet comfortable. And we were eager to help them grow.

We ran eight qualitative focus groups, using brand personification exercises to explore deeper emotions towards Loaf. Activities like the classic ‘brand dinner party’ brought their market to life, while brand mapping showed where Loaf stood out against competitors. We also tested their ads to get a clear steer on what was hitting the mark and what needed refinement.

As this was Loaf’s first piece of qualitative research, the broad scope of the brief posed a challenge. The sheer volume of insight we gathered was both exciting and overwhelming, and distilling it down into clear, actionable conclusions became our biggest task.

The research confirmed the things Loaf were doing right, highlighting the importance of a seamless connection between brand, product and showroom. It also showed were Loaf should focus their marketing efforts, helping the brand to bring Loaf's inviting, comfortable spaces to the forefront.