The Week of Small Business
The Week of Small Business is a campaign framework designed to spotlight and support locally owned businesses in Fairbanks.
Rather than creating one standalone event, we built a repeatable structure that allows for themed, week-long activations throughout the year. Each edition lives under the larger Golden Heart Passport initiative, which will officially launch citywide in summer 2026.
Think of this as both momentum-building and prototyping. A way to test ideas publicly, gather feedback, and strengthen participation before the full rollout.
At its core, The Week of Small Business exists to make supporting local feel communal, visible, and fun.
WHYSmall businesses are the backbone of Fairbanks. They hold personality, grit, and history. But supporting local can sometimes feel abstract. We wanted to make it tangible.
OUR GOALSKeep dollars circulating locally
Drive meaningful foot traffic across town
Celebrate and uplift our small business ecosystem
Make participation accessible and engaging
Inspired by grade school valentine exchanges, this activation invited businesses and customers to exchange notes of appreciation through decorated in-store mailboxes.
It felt nostalgic, personal, and lighthearted. And underneath that playfulness was a clear economic purpose.
Edition One: The Week of Small Business Valentine Exchange
How it Worked
-
Each business received a branded, mini-mailbox and decorating kit. A small incentive was offered for the best-decorated box to encourage creativity and visibility.
-
Each business selected a small discount or incentive to offer during the week.
-
Customers received Valentine packs prompting them to write what they love about the business.
-
When a customer dropped a Valentine into a mailbox, they received one in return.
The act was simple, but the effect was powerful. Words of affirmation circulated between storefronts and supporters.
Why It Matters
The Valentine Exchange did more than drive foot traffic. It turned February (often a slower retail month) into a reason to gather.
Created visible collaboration across competing businesses
Encouraged intentional exploration of shops across town
Built emotional connection, not just transactions
Generated shared storytelling in-store and online
Edition Two: The Week of Small Business Bingo
A citywide bingo game that encourages residents to visit 24 participating businesses over one week.
Each square on the bingo card features a prompt tied to a specific business. The prompts are engagement-based and do not require a purchase. This keeps the barrier low and the spirit generous.
Participants can:
Complete five in a row for one raffle entry
Complete a blackout for five raffle entries
The game runs from Small Business Saturday through First Friday, ending in a community celebration.
How it Worked
-
Each participating business received a kit delivered by Fairbanks Brand Studio that included:
A display box
20 printed bingo cards
A personalized logo stamp
-
Businesses displayed their raffle items in-store. Customers visited locations across town, completed prompts, and collected stamps.
The prompts encouraged interaction rather than transaction. That distinction mattered. The goal was engagement, not pressure.
-
The week culminated on First Friday at Gather, where participants submitted their cards for raffle entries.
It became a celebration of effort. A room full of people who had intentionally shown up for their local economy.
The response showed us something important:
our community wants structured ways to support local.
Both Bingo and the Valentine Exchange are pilots under the broader Golden Heart Passport initiative launching in 2026.
Each activation strengthens:
Business-to-business relationships
Cross-town customer movement
Collective marketing power
Community pride
The long-term vision is a sustainable, repeatable framework that keeps Fairbanks’ small businesses visible, supported, and interconnected year-round.
This isn’t just about increasing sales for a week. It’s about designing systems that make local support feel natural, communal, and worth celebrating.