Your biggest marketing asset could also be your smallest—in size and cost. This week, we look at how the humble paper bookmark can be a smart strategy for any business.
In more high-tech news, a new report details how AI is changing physical stores from layouts to clienteling. And Anthropic just launched a tool built specifically for small businesses that integrates with the software most operators are already using.
But before we get into it, check out a poet’s ode to retail in this week’s New Yorker.
[ FIRST GLANCE ]
[ THE TOP LINE ]
From foot paths to hang tags, how AI transforms your store
AI, like most new technology, is something we think of in our software or tech devices. But artificial intelligence is also having a direct impact on how physical stores of the future will present to customers.
A new report from consulting firm McKinsey sees the use of AI in purchasing decisions as the biggest force that will materially change the store’s role over the next few years (followed by growing expectations for convenience and transparency and a shift in consumer spending power).
As AI takes on more of shoppers’ comparison and research tasks, it’s also shifting the role of the physical store into a place for order fulfillment, product validation, immediate access or unique experiences. For convenience-seeking store-goers, that means stores must be designed with shorter paths between entry and checkout and intuitive navigation. For discovery-seekers, it’s something else entirely–they want to stay a while and be engaged. That includes interacting with store associates using AI-supported clienteling tools.
Why this matters: Whether your customers seek convenience or discovery, the way you operate your intelligently designed store also matters. Employee roles, workflows and expectations mean different skillsets that require you to train and coach. For now, that’s not something AI can do. (McKinsey)
Don't sleep on this tiny marketing tool that pays huge dividends
Sometimes the most obvious marketing solutions are right under your nose. Remember the paper bookmark? This tiny piece of print collateral more than carries its weight in marketing power.
Slim, easy to give and keep, and endlessly useful, the bookmark is billed as a smarter way to show up for potential customers, because it’s not overly showy or wasteful, yet most people are inclined to put it somewhere they’ll see it every day: notebooks, planners, journals or even a good old-fashioned paperback book.
With the plethora of cost-effective on-demand digital printing solutions available, it’s easier than ever to brand a bookmark with your logo. You can and should ask it to do double-duty as a thank-you note, a discount, product care or review request card, or a place to showcase a mini brand story or QR code. Or think of it as a premium-looking coupon or a sturdy hang tag. For in-store events, they can serve as mini menus, schedules or speaker/sponsor cards.
Why this matters: With everyone being asked to do more with fewer resources, the bookmark literally fits the bill. This weirdly brilliant piece of paper is the marketing hack you didn’t know you needed. (Popdust)
[ THE LOWDOWN ]
[ THE THINK TANK ]
An SMB mompreneur’s take on juggling work and kids
Like many entrepreneurs, Cali Carleton, founder and CEO of educational toy company Domino & Juliette, started her small business because she couldn’t find what she was looking for in stores. After leaving her finance job, she began homeschooling her kids and describes herself as a “self-taught educator.”
Her experience as an angel investor taught her that sometimes businesses fail, which presents an opportunity for innovation. She’s had to find ways to offset tariff expenses (her products are manufactured in China) and also experienced backlash from parents who didn’t like some of her early products. In addition to working some unconventional hours, she weaves her business into homeschooling, enlisting her kids to test products and weigh in on marketing ideas.
“Give yourself grace. Things won’t be perfect and that’s OK. There are days I feel like I’m doing everything wrong, but I remind myself that my children are learning from this experience, too. They’re watching what it looks like to build something from the ground up, to work hard and to stay passionate about what you believe in." -Cali Carleton
Why this matters: If you’re running your own business while juggling family obligations, consider how sharing your experience with your kids can become educational. Many shop owners credit watching their own parents run businesses with teaching them their own skills. (Westfair Business Journal)
[ THE DOWNLOAD ]
What to know about Anthropic AI’s new small business tool
Anthropic AI’s Claude has rolled out a tool for small businesses that’s essentially a plug-in that integrates with the business software most operators are already using: Intuit QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, DocuSign, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365. Claude for Small Business contains 15 ready-to-run agentic workflows across finance, sales, operations, marketing and CX, as well as 15 skills built on repeatable tasks that owners reported slowing them down the most.
These include planning payroll without fear of being overdue or overdrawn, and closing the month with fewer bookkeeping errors. It’s important to note that you must initiate and approve the work before anything is sent, posted or paid.
Why this matters: We’ve quickly reached the point where agentic AI can integrate with existing business tools, which is huge for small operators who can only manage a few platforms. Anthropic also recognizes that many still don’t know exactly how to use AI, so the free online course (with partner PayPal) AI Fluency for Small Business, features other small business owners teaching you the ropes step-by-step. (Anthropic)
[ POLL ]
Thanks for reading today's edition!
You can reach the newsletter team at [email protected]. We enjoy hearing from you.
Interested in advertising? Email us at [email protected]
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to get this newsletter weekly.
The SKUpe is curated and written by Marcy Medina and edited by Bianca Prieto.
