The holidays might feel far away, but in marketing years, they’re basically tomorrow. By the time you’ve finished your Halloween candy, your competitors will already be filling carts, inboxes, and booking calendars. If you’re waiting until November to start, you’re already late.
When November hits, your audience has made a lot of their decisions: where to book, what to gift, who to follow. The brands that show up in the holiday rush with last-minute creative are fighting for leftovers. The ones that succeed? They’re already live, building rhythm, recognition, and desire.
Think about what’s changed in 2025:
- Consumers are researching earlier, influenced by content before sales even start.
- Luxury and hospitality audiences crave experiences worth sharing, not just discounts.
- Retail is blending online and in-store touchpoints, making consistency non-negotiable.
- Your edge this season isn’t a bigger budget—it’s smarter timing and sharper storytelling. That means:
- Build anticipation with layered content drops.
- Anchor your message in values and experiences, not just percentages off.
- Stretch your calendar beyond Black Friday, weaving in community events and brand-owned moments.
We help our clients design holiday experiences worth remembering and refine goals worth crushing.
Because glitter is great, but ROI shines brighter.
Grant Alert: Backing Alberta’s Big Ideas
Don’t miss out on dollars designed to drive Alberta’s next wave of growth.
Travel Alberta is helping businesses think bigger this year. Their Product Development Fund is designed to support Alberta-based organizations creating or enhancing tourism products, experiences, or services that drive long-term economic growth.
Whether you’re in hospitality, retail, or experience-based tourism, this grant can help fuel the projects that move the needle. From developing new offerings to refining existing ones. With support available for research, planning, and execution, it’s a chance to bring bold ideas to life while strengthening Alberta’s tourism sector.
At Carmella, we’re passionate about spotting opportunities like this and helping our clients leverage them to grow smarter. If you’ve been sitting on an idea that could transform your business and draw more visitors to our province, this might be your moment to make it happen.
👉 Learn more about eligibility and how to apply here:
Travel Alberta Product Development Fund
Weekly Faves
Read, Watch, Listen
Read: AI Snake Oil by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor
Private Office Space for Rent
Back in Office, Back in Season
Need a dedicated place to focus? We have a private office available in our brand-new Canmore workspace.
This modern office offers the perfect mix of privacy and connection. It’s a quiet spot for heads-down work, with access to shared amenities like a boardroom with mountain views, natural light, and a collaborative atmosphere.
Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur, remote worker, or small business owner, this space gives you the professionalism of an office without the overhead. Plus, you’ll be working alongside a creative community—including us, Team Carmella.
Move-in ready, simple, and stylish. Your desk is waiting.
Get Your Sh*t Together
Less chaos, more campaigns.
We’ve all been there: five versions of the logo floating around, campaign photos buried in someone’s desktop, and the social graphics saved as “final_FINAL_use-this-one.jpg.” It’s chaos disguised as “organization,” and it’s slowing you down.
Clean files = clean campaigns. When your Google Drive, Dropbox, or server is set up properly, your team isn’t wasting half an hour tracking down a font file or digging for last year’s holiday promo graphics. You can launch faster, collaborate smoother, and save your sanity in crunch time.
Here’s how to start the cleanup:
- Archive the junk – move outdated assets into an “Archive” folder so they’re not cluttering up your view.
- Name like you mean it – no more “final-final.” Adopt simple, clear naming rules (ex: project_date_version).
- Build a home for everything – photos, logos, videos, decks, ads. If it doesn’t have a folder, it doesn’t belong.
The brands that scale effortlessly aren’t more creative, they’re more organized. Get your files together now, and your next big idea won’t get buried under 63 random “final” PDFs.
Outsmart, Outdoors
Where strategy meets altitude. more campaigns.
The best ideas don’t happen under fluorescent lights. They happen when your team trades screens for scenery, noise for nature, and “meetings” for moments that actually spark momentum.
At Mount Engadine Lodge, an offsite is more than a getaway—it’s a growth tool. Think chef-prepared meals that fuel brainstorms, alpine trails that double as walking meetings, and cabins where the Wi-Fi is strong but the distractions are weak.
This isn’t about escaping work. It’s about doing better work: aligning faster, thinking sharper, and leaving with a plan that’s as clear as the mountain air.
Quote ‘CARMELLA’ when you book and enjoy Afternoon Tea for Two on us. Because the higher you plan, the higher you go.
Fueling the Future of Alberta Tourism
Funding that scales your impact.
Travel Alberta is investing in the future of Alberta’s tourism economy. Through their Investment Program, local businesses can access funding to expand offerings, strengthen infrastructure, and deliver unforgettable experiences that bring visitors back year after year.
This program goes beyond seed funding. It’s about building resilience and scale. Whether it’s growing capacity for peak seasons, enhancing community-based tourism, or adding the finishing touches that elevate a visitor’s experience, this investment is designed to help Alberta businesses compete on a global stage.
For hospitality, retail, and experience-driven operators, that means resources to accelerate growth, sharpen competitiveness, and leave a lasting mark on the province’s tourism landscape.
At Carmella, we know momentum matters. Opportunities like this can transform how businesses operate, market, and expand. Take full advantage and apply today.
Explore eligibility and details here:
Travel Alberta Investment Program
Famous Last Words
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity”
-Albert Einstein
Why Clients Keep Coming Back
Think of us like your go-to neighbourhood café: friendly, familiar, full of great ideas, and always serving up what your business needs most. We build marketing that connects and delivers with heart.
