Malinda Sanna of LookLook on Disrupting Luxury Market Research Through Cultivated Communities

In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook, Zachary speaks with Malinda Sanna, founder and CEO of LookLook, a boutique consumer-insights platform that has quietly become the go-to partner for some of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands.  Malinda recounts her years at top New York agencies, when she realized that traditional market research, panels, focus groups in strip-mall meeting rooms and endless surveys, was failing even the savviest clients.  Driven by a “no regrets” philosophy, she began recruiting participants one relationship at a time: spotting well-heeled women over cocktails at Barneys, striking up conversations at Bergdorf Goodman’s shoe department, then weaving those connections into “cultivated communities.” Fifteen years later, Look Look has conducted more than 900 studies with over 30,000 real consumers including high-net-worth women, beauty aficionados, automotive enthusiasts and more, who are eager to share honest feedback and shape the brands they love. Zach and Malinda dive into the pivotal decisions that fueled Look Look’s growth, and the one change she might have made sooner: shifting from a mobile app to a web-based platform for greater flexibility and faster updates.  They explore how Look Look’s hybrid qualitative-quantitative approach feels more like a friendly group chat than a sterile survey, why real-time text conversations unlock deeper insights, and how that intimacy turns participants into brand evangelists. Malinda also opens up about expanding into China via a bespoke WeChat mini-program that lets her team engage luxury buyers at “China speed,” and she teases Look Look’s next evolution: a three-part offering that blends insights, media and experiential activations to ignite desire and deliver measurable business impact.  Whether you’re wrestling with siloed research teams or trying to crack a new market, this conversation offers a master class in modern consumer discovery, proving that when you treat people as more than data points, everyone wins. Timestamps Lessons learned: migrating from a mobile app to a web-based platform – 02:21 Cultivated communities vs. traditional panels for consumer insights – 04:36 Barney's grassroots recruiting story and building a high-net-worth network – 08:08 Changing luxury consumer behaviors and emerging global players – 12:57 Modern qualitative methods: immersive digital experiences & peer-to-peer influence – 18:55 Connect with Malinda [email protected] https://www.looklook.app/ https://newsletters.looklook.app/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceolooklook/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryverse100 Sponsored by We Feature You PR - Helping entrepreneurs build thought leadership through strategic podcast placements and launching their own shows. Ready to amplify your voice? Get in touch today. Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Chapters (00:00:00) - The Power of Focus Groups(00:00:27) - Outlook: The Business of Consumer Research(00:01:52) - Have You Got Any Regrets?(00:04:50) - The Process of Consumer In-Research(00:12:39) - What's Luxury Brands Getting Wrong(00:15:26) - Luxury Brands in China(00:18:55) - What Would a Different Approach to Data Gathering at Tiffany?(00:24:54) - The 3-Part Solution for Consumer Marketing(00:27:58) - How To Get In Touch With The Luxury Community