Hi there! Welcome back to On Brand - your weekly dose of actionable strategies and insights to grow & monetize your personal brand.

Did someone say more recession indicators?!

The $10 coffee here, a limited edition Summer Fridays lip balm there, or yet another Sunday coffee and croissant. It's like a little reward for living in a world that's on fire.

The psychology behind why we're seeing such a massive rise in "little treats" is fascinating, and I geek out on consumer psychology so much. So if you're the same, I think you're going to love today's issue.

We're going to deep dive into why it's happening - why we're seeing such a rise in what I call "micro spending" - and also how you can take these insights and apply them to your business.

Let's do this.

In this issue:

• 🪩 Free Workshop Alert

• 💻 ICYM: Interesting things from the internet

• 💄 Our obsession with little treats

• 🍒 Free resources for your brand

FREE WORKSHOP ALERT

Turn your expertise into scroll-stopping content

We’re hosting a live workshop on how to turn your expertise into a personal brand that attracts opportunities.

What we'll cover:

• Framework for creating content that gets people excited

• How to define your personal brand (beyond just posting more)

• Using AI to streamline content creation without sounding generic

Who it's for: Entrepreneurs and creators who want to be known for their expertise, build a community around their message, and attract opportunities, whether that's brand partnerships or growing their business.

Interesting things from last week

The best things we’ve read, watched and listened to.

• A new app with 1M downloads in the first week that’s changing online dating is making waves.

• Instagram is trialing new analytics and they’re actually really helpful?!

• Posting on social media is just self-development in disguise.

• Female-founded business news: the closure announcement that broke so many hearts, is the cult favorite back?! + big news for one of my favorite founder-led brands.

The little treats economy is here y’all and it's a fundamental shift in how we spend.

Let me set the scene for you. It’s 2025. The dream of owning a house feels more and more unrealistic. Even buying a new car or going on a nice vacation feels out of reach. So instead, we've shifted our spending habits.

Can't buy a house? I can at least buy nice coffee.

The psychology behind it all

This behavior actually has a name. The lipstick effect was first identified in 1998 and it became more mainstream after 9/11. It got its name because during economic downturns, lipstick sales would actually increase while everything else declined.

Let's be real, we live in a very consumer-driven society. We're taught that buying more stuff increases our status and makes us feel good. That's why we associate purchases with feeling good in the first place.

Here's what's happening in your brain.

Dopamine hits during the anticipation of a purchase, not after you actually get the thing. Sometimes you buy something and you're really excited about it, but when you have it, you're just like "oh okay, this is it, I'm not really feeling that much."

You see something you want → You get a little dopamine hit → You buy it → You're happy for a second → Dopamine drops and you start looking for the next thing.

And the cycle repeats. That's why small treats feel almost as satisfying as big purchases.

Big brands are catching onto this shift. Prada opened up a café a couple of years ago in London (and it’s rumoured to open up one in NYC soon) and it's become very popular. They understand that while people might not be able to spend $3,000 on a bag right now, they're very happy to treat themselves to a nice coffee and pastry just to have that experience of being in the Prada world.

(We talked about how to build a brand world people want to live in a couple weeks ago - Prada is a perfect example of this strategy in action.)

Here's what's really happening.

For Gen Z and Millennials, the dream of owning property or even making bigger purchases like a car or a really nice vacation feels unattainable right now. Things are getting so much more expensive and salaries just aren't catching up.

Ironically, this has left us with some disposable income for little treats that make us feel good. You can either save up for months for one big purchase and get that dopamine hit once, or you can get yourself little treats more often and experience those dopamine hits regularly.

I'll be honest - the only designer item I ever bought was a pair of Prada shoes after hitting a really big milestone. I was SO excited about getting them, had saved up for so long... and then I got them and was like "this is it?" Obviously I was happy, but it didn't feel spectacular. It was just... normal shoes that I'd saved up for forever.

Because you're able to get yourself these little treats more often, you're getting dopamine hits more often. And let's face it, we're already a dopamine-overwhelmed generation with social media likes and everything, constantly chasing the next high. These little treats become a nice escape from... well, existing in this world.

How to leverage this in your brand & business

Without feeling icky or manipulative

If you're building a business right now, the little treats economy isn't just something to observe - it's something to strategically embrace. Here's how:

1. Master the $15-35 sweet spot

The impulse purchase zone. High enough to feel substantial, low enough to feel guilt-free.

You don't need to rethink your entire strategy. But if you're direct-to-consumer and on the higher end, consider adding lower-ticket offers that feel like quick wins.

Fashion brand? Add a $12 hair clip. Service provider charging $2,000+ for consulting? Create a DIY-style offer to get people into your world first.

The goal is to have a wider customer pool and more ways to connect with your brand.

2. Build around experience & identity, not just the transaction

Your customers aren't buying your product. They're buying who they become when they use it.

Here are some examples:

• Sustainable fashion brand → "I'm conscious, values-driven, and make thoughtful choices"

• Interior designer → "I live in a space that reflects who I truly am"

• Productivity course → "I'm efficient, organized, and crush my goals"

3. Position as ritual or support system

Make your product part of someone's ritual. Not just another purchase.

The little treat becomes the trigger for feeling better. It's about the transformation, not the object.

Here are some examples:

• Meditation app → The "centering myself before chaos" morning ritual

• Fresh flowers delivery → The "making my space beautiful for the week ahead" Sunday ritual

• Face mask → The "treating myself after a hard week" Friday night ritual

4. Use messaging that actually helps

Traditional marketing is pushy. Pain-point focused. Makes you feel insecure.

People have a visceral reaction to that now. Anxiety-inducing subject line in marketing email? Immediate unsubscribe.

If you've been online for a while, you know there was an era of predatory messaging around 2020-2022. I'm so glad it's over.

Being human in 2025 is a strange experience. Your customers are living in uncertainty. The messaging that lands makes people feel safe, empowered, included. Part of something bigger.

Anything that creates anxiety won't work.

Take La la land Kind Cafe - their TikTok strategy is pure feel-good vibes (check it out here if you want to brighten your day). You associate them with good feelings. Next time you walk past and you crave a coffee? You'll choose them over someone else.

This shift isn't going anywhere. Economic uncertainty has fundamentally changed how people spend, and businesses that understand this will thrive while others struggle to figure out why their traditional approach isn't working.

As a small business, this is how you can cut through the noise of big brands with big budgets - by creating something that genuinely makes someone's day better.

Your brand or your product can be someone's little treat.

We’ve created free tools to help you level up your personal brand this year. Grab both of them below.

Obsession-Worthy Brand Guide

Your blueprint for a personal brand that connects and converts. Downloaded 3,000+ times and rated 5 stars, it helps you show up with clarity so your content actually lands.

On-Demand Personal Brand Strategist

Get a powerful ChatGPT prompt + five follow-ups to clarify your positioning, grow your audience, and create content that drives results. 

That’s it for this week.

As always, thanks for being here! And let me know - what little treats are you buying lately? (No judgment here for sure as I sip my iced matcha)

PS: I can’t wait to see you for our August workshop!

The Girls Club Team 

Say hi on Instagram or Linkedin.