Edition 104.

Instagram wants carousels to say more, and these two brands are making the smart home a ‘smarter shop.’

5 brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week:

✍️ More carousel-caption control

Instagram is testing captions for each individual carousel slide. It’s a feature once reserved for paid carousel ads (which I often design for clients). I noticed it firsthand while posting for Spoken Flames this week. Try it and you’ll see. You now get the option: one caption for the whole carousel, or separate captions per slide. More work? Maybe. More storytelling potential? For sure.

Takeaway: The carousel is becoming a mini storybook, not just a swipe dump.

🤖 AI eyes small biz

Anthropic launched Claude for Small Business. It’s “a one-click plugin” that connects to the tools small biz owners call old friends. Think QuickBooks, Canva, and DocuSign, to name a few. The pitch: help lean teams turn AI from just a chat box into real operational workflows. Plus, they’re hosting free, in-person AI workshops nationwide, along with a virtual AI fluency course if you can’t attend in person. All the details 👉 here.

Takeaway: AI players chased enterprise and consumers first. Now, they’re onto the next untapped prize: small businesses.

🍽️ Complement, don’t compete: a brand play

The Geek Squad’s in the kitchen aisle as Best Buy opened consult spaces inside two IKEA stores in Frisco, TX, and Tampa, FL. The move flips a partnership that started last year with IKEA “shop-in-shops” inside 10 Best Buy stores. The value is this: a shopper planning an IKEA kitchen can map cabinets, then talk through appliances, smart lighting, delivery, and installation without turning it into a second errand. Less store stops. More time for the Swedish meatballs? 😋

Takeaway: Smart home features create a perfect bridge between the tech giant 🤝 home giant, and show that the best brand move isn’t always “beat the competitor,” but find the *category-adjacent* brand partner your customers will need next.

✈️ From travel inspo to instant bookings

The travel industry’s having its social media moment. Last week I covered Expedia’s partnership with the livestreamer with the most global aura, and this week TikTok expanded its GO initiative. TikTok GO isn’t brand-new, but it is getting bigger. After early U.S. testing in 2025, TikTok is expanding the program with more travel and experience partners. Creators tag eligible hotels, attractions, and local experiences, and earn commissions when their content drives in-app bookings.

Takeaway: “I saw it on TikTok” is moving from gadgets and beauty buys, to full-on vacation experiences and transactions.

🚀 More businesses. More ideas. More action. (8% more to be exact)

TikTok-ing travelers aren’t the only ones on the “go.” The U.S. Census Bureau reported 5.62 million new business applications were filed last year. That’s an 8% increase from the year before. And that maps out to over 15,000 new business applications filed EACH DAY in the U.S. The growing application number shows people are actively starting, testing, and formalizing ideas.

Takeaway: The market may feel cautious, but entrepreneurial energy and business ideas are still buzzing.

P.S. If you’ve taken the I Have a Business Idea, Now What quiz, did you notice your personalized “easter egg” last week? 😀

I worked some coding magic to make your weekly read a little more personal.

So now, every Sunday edition of The Brand Bloc will include your personal Idea Stage resources — it’s what you get when you take the quiz — in the bottom tiles.

And hey, you’ve already taken the quiz, so your unique Idea Stage resources are already linked below. And they’ll be there for you every week! Expect your resources page to expand.

More brand bytes next Sunday at 5!