“Brand Love” Author Lydia Michael Shares Tips with Thrive Entrepreneurs
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 8, 2025)
West Bloomfield, MI – What do big brands know that small business owners could use for themselves?
For “Brand Love” author Lydia Michael, those lessons have been a passion since working for Garnier Fructis back in 2016. Michael was part of the team in Germany aiming to rebrand their products to entice a younger generation. While the brand had gotten by with their bright fruity scents, people were leaning towards more natural products. Through focus groups, reformulating the products, and recreating the brand, Fructis reclaimed it’s position as a beloved hair care product not just in Germany, but around the world.
That firsthand experience fueled Michael’s curiosity and passion for how thoughtful branding creates loyal customers. In addition to writing a book on the subject, she is the owner of Blended Collective, which focuses on helping small businesses build their own version of “Brand Love.”
She also works with Oakland Thrive, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting small business growth. On Sept 30 Thrive hosted Michael for a presentation about her passion at the West Bloomfield Library, attended by entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and businesses.
So what exactly is Brand Love? It’s the emotional bond between a consumer and a brand. This could mean loyally in terms of repeat purchases. But it can also mean having such a strong affection that a customer talks about the product or service to others, also known as advocacy. “When you’re truly winning, that’s when you voluntarily have people sharing your business with others,” she said.
Brand Love is important to a business. “It’s cheaper to retain a customer than to acquire new customers,” Michael said.
The key, she said, is understanding the emotional reasons why people buy. “People don’t buy into what you sell, they buy into who you are,” she said. Beyond that, they buy into brands they identify with. “Who they are.”
Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream is a great example of how relatable values translate into Brand Love. Taking stances on political and social topics and incorporating them into their flavors draws in like-minded shoppers who go out of their way to support a brand they relate to personally.
For example, their Sunny Honey Home Ice Cream wasn’t just about the creamy lemon ice cream with honey caramel swirl and lemon cookies, it was ice cream with a mission. The flavors were inspired by Morocco, Afghanistan, and Syria. It was created by a team of people with refugee backgrounds. And sales help to fund a program to support refugee entrepreneurs.
And for people who want to feel like they are doing something good literally will eat that up.
On a local level, the ways entrepreneurs connect with their communities – including the causes they support, the events they volunteer at, and the ways they partner with others – can all help potential customers know where their values are. And there can be ways they can feel connected, and invested, through shared interests and passions.
Michael touted data by Forrester Research that said 6 out of 10 shoppers rely on a “gut feel” when making purchasing decisions, and that 90% of customer decisions are based on emotion, not logic.
“We can’t be just one or the other, but if you’re loo logical you lose that connectivity,” she said.
There are a number of ways that connectivity can happen and each business owner was encouraged to think about what makes their business, and themselves, unique.
For some businesses that may mean emphasizing the convenience. How does a business make a client’s life easier? One fun thing that Michael noticed was that in Europe there were not many drive up windows, but in America people will drive up to get prescriptions and to do their banking. At first she thought this was strange, “but now I love them!” she said
Finding ways to appeal to customers who are looking for convenience can be a good strategy for some businesses.
Another way to stand out an connect with customers is personalization. Starbucks coffee did not just soar to the top of the coffee market because of their beans. And convenience is often lacking as customers will wait in long lines for their Starbucks fix. So what makes people love them so much?
The answer, Michael said, is in customization. From being able to create unique drinks with a vast variety of options, to the simple human touch of a name written on the side of a paper cup, Starbucks makes customers feel like they are special, and they are the ones in charge of their own experience.
As local business owners contemplate what makes their endeavors great, they can use their unique qualities to connect emotionally with the customers they wish to serve.
And while Michael shared many tips during her Thrive presentation, there’s one in particular worth ending with, which is that of authenticity.
In an era of AI generated content, being human (and therefore imperfect) is a quality that people genuinely do gravitate towards.
“People think they can just use Chat CDP, but you need to use your own voice,” Michael said. “When I read posts like that I keep scrolling. I’m not engaged. I know what I’m looking it. It needs to be you.”
Learn more about Lydia Michael and Blended Collective at https://blendedcollective.com/lydia-michael/
Learn more about Oakland Thrive, including future classes, presentations, and networking events at https://oaklandthrive.org/
