INSIGHTS FROM CARNES AGENCY
As we close out 2025, most hospitality leaders are already deep in planning mode for the year ahead. New vendor partnerships. Member engagement strategies. Industry conference schedules. The pressure to do more is everywhere.
But here’s what I’ve noticed working with hospitality associations,...
Every brand has a promise. “Customers first.” “Innovation at our core.” “We’re different.”
It’s all starting to sound the same because…. it is.
Promises used to matter. Today, they’re table stakes. People don’t believe what brands say anymore....
I’ve never seen my peers as competition, but I used to operate more in my own lane than I needed to.
I remember the first time someone in my industry reached out to collaborate. I said yes, but I was curious, what could we create together that we couldn’t alone? That partnership ended up...
AI didn’t cause the noise. It just turned up the volume.
And yet, despite all that precision, most marketing still misses the point: people buy based on how they feel, not what they know.
That’s the tension we’re all living in. Machines can process faster than we can think. But meaning...
Every click, every scroll, every second online now leaves a trail of data. Dashboards glow. Alerts ping. Tools multiply.
And yet, despite all that precision, most marketing still misses the point: people buy based on how they feel, not what they know.
That’s the tension we’re all living in....
Everyone wants more. More followers, more clicks, more reach. It sounds good in theory, but in practice, bigger doesn’t always mean better. The brands making the biggest impact right now are focused on going deeper instead of wider.
The most effective marketing today is about going deeper. Relevance...
Every brand talks about authenticity. However, somewhere between polished campaigns and buzzword-heavy mission statements, the word lost its meaning.
Authenticity isn’t a trend or a tone. It’s a mirror.
It reflects what your company believes when no one’s watching, how your people behave when the camera’s...
Hospitality is built on consistency. Guests come back because they know what to expect, not because you changed the lobby playlist.
Birthdays used to feel like milestones to rush toward. But lately, I’ve found myself slowing down enough to appreciate what’s already here.
If my twenties were about chasing...
Hospitality is built on consistency. Guests come back because they know what to expect, not because you changed the lobby playlist.
Yet when it comes to marketing, too many brands trade that consistency for whatever’s trending… or worse yet, what others are doing.
The strongest hospitality brands...
It’s been happening for a while now. Attention spans are shrinking faster than a TikTok scroll. You have about two seconds to make someone stop, and maybe 10 to make them care. And yet, most brands are still writing content like it’s 2015; long, corporate, and forgettable.
The Shift That Changed Everything
We’re...
Ninety days ago, I took one of the biggest leaps of my life launching Carnes Agency. It’s been a fast-moving, faith-filled, purpose-driven season that’s challenged me, stretched me, and reminded me just how much can change in three short months.
It’s been an incredible whirlwind of learning, growth,...
Let’s talk about something that sounds completely backwards at first: The best way to grow your business on social media is to stop trying to sell anything.
I know what you’re thinking – that sounds crazy, right? But here’s what I’ve been watching play out over and over again....
Even in 2025, with all the tools and resources we have available to us, I’m still seeing it from time to time: a brand that looks like it’s stuck in the dial-up era. Perhaps it’s because the owner or founder is “too busy” to make a change. Doesn’t know where to begin. Or their business is still...
This week, I saw a prominent industry CEO post something meaningful on LinkedIn. The photos were great… real people, real moments.
But the words? Flat. Generic. Painfully obvious AI.
What’s interesting is that the post still got great engagement, but after reading it… the real people and real moments...
I’ve been wanting share something that’s been quietly shifting under our noses: the way LinkedIn actually works in 2025. I’ve found this shift to be truly fascinating. LinkedIn’s algorithm has completely flipped the script, and honestly? This change is amazing news for those of us in hospitality...