Last week, we had the opportunity to present our Brand Love in Action workshop to Global Ties Detroit fellows who were in Detroit as part of the 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 (𝐘𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐈) 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 of the U.S. Department of State, supported by American Councils for International Education.

The session brought together six fellows representing Estonia, Finland, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Croatia, and Azerbaijan. Each of them is a leader in innovation and startup ecosystem development in their home countries, which created an inspiring space for dialogue and exchange.

The workshop focused on how cultural values, norms, and nuances influence the way people form emotional connections with brands. By understanding and respecting these cultural layers, companies can move beyond traditional marketing and foster deeper, long-term connections. Drawing from our owner’s book book Brand Love, we explored how the concepts and frameworks such as “Brand Love Drivers” and “The Eight Brand Love Stages” could be applied across industries ranging from e-commerce to AI and ecosystem building. While the principles of emotional branding remain universal, the fellows discussed how their implementation shifts depending on cultural and market context.

The session made it clear that cultural understanding is an essential part of branding. Customers don’t just buy products. They buy how a brand makes them feel, and that feeling is shaped by culture.