Give us this day our daily bread

Baking longevity into your brand: it’s time to use your LOAFS

We’re very sweet on ideas, here at Heavenly. Those little, energy-giving morsels that capture the imagination with a lightbulb moment. We’ve spent many happy years enjoying the reward that comes from creating them, then sharing them. The process of having ideas is less about plucking something from thin air and more about ensuring that the idea can do everything it needs to. Our LOAFS methodology helps us road-test an idea’s potential, particularly whether it’s an overnight sensation or something to stand the test of time.

This is LOAFS and the questions we ask ourselves when starting to sort the wheat from the chaff.

L is for Likeable
Literally, do we like it. Does it excite us and start releasing some energy in our collective imaginations. Has it got buzz. If it does, then it’s time to move onto ‘O’.

O is for Ownable
Oftentimes, this is the trickiest challenge. It’s well-documented that the world is running out of IP, as more products and services seek to protect their IP with trademarks. We have to ensure that our idea is original enough to be owned, emotionally and legally, in everything from SEO to media mentions and trademarks in the appropriate categories and countries. With a sigh of relief that our ‘O’ is OK, we move onto ‘A’.

A is for Applicable
An obvious one, but does the idea suit the organisation or product, in terms of cultural or commercial characteristics. Strong ideas are rooted in truth, so having a snug and authentic fit with the business behind the brand is essential. If ‘A’ is ‘A-OK’, then we move onto ‘F’.

F is for Farmable
This attribute is really the star of the show when it comes to ensuring that a brand idea will last. To us, ‘farmable’ means that we can do a lot with it. Is it an idea that has the potential to keep on giving, inspiring everything from internal culture and behaviours to product propositions, naming, go-to-market strategy, partnerships and so on. The central idea for our clients at talent acquisition specialists Cielo springs to mind: a breath of fresh air from the people whose name means sky. It’s a simple thought but two years on, it’s still going strong. It’s given us permission to take a different approach from others in Cielo’s category, challenging convention and being refreshingly original in everything we do. Equally, if you’ve got an idea but are struggling to work out what you can do with it, the chances are it’s not right. Great ideas should have a glowing core to them, that feed and shape everything they touch. Brimming with energy, we head from ‘F’ to ‘S’.

S is for Shareable
Last but not least on our checklist, certainly as far as the Finance Director is concerned. It stands to reason that people will share an idea they like and understand, more than one they don’t. It’s human nature that we tell our friends about cool things we’ve seen. And more people sharing an idea means spending less on marketing to tell the world about it. It also adds real authenticity to the brand. A great example of this is Tesla, who famously spent virtually nothing on marketing for many years, preferring to let the product speak for itself.

In a nutshell, or at least a baker’s tray, that’s LOAFS. An approach to ideas that continues to serve us well. And save our clients some dough into the bargain 🙂

If you’d like to learn more about LOAFS, or to book a Sandwich Session where we’ll explore and workshop ideas for 2024 and beyond, simply drop us a line at hello@heavenlygroup.com.