Talent Attraction Spotlight: Northeast Indiana
January 12, 2022 | By: Rachel Deloffre
Northeast Indiana
As cities and regions across the country vie for talent, we are featuring economic development organizations implementing creative talent attraction marketing efforts as part of our Talent Attraction Spotlight blog series. This week, we are diving into Northeast Indiana’s “Make it Your Own” talent attraction campaign.
Talent Program at a Glance
Duration: 2019 – Present
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership encompasses 11 counties and the city of Fort Wayne. In partnership with DCI, it launched the Make It Your Own talent attraction campaign in 2019 as part of its goal to increase the population of the region to 1 million residents by 2030. The campaign targets talent ages 21-45 to live and work in the region and was designed for businesses to use in their talent recruitment efforts.
Campaign Elements:
- Robust “Living Here” section of the Regional Partnership’s website, which serves as the hub for all things talent. It includes a jobs portal, cost of living calculator, quality of life information, recruitment materials/resources for employers, a Make it Your Own video and more.
- Proactive media outreach and lifestyle media visits to the region.
- Recruitment toolkit for employers, which includes a pocket guide with key messages/talking points, Make It Your Own swag, look book with whimsical language and beautiful imagery and a promotional video.
- Digital/social media campaign surrounding its launch – targeting talent in five key markets.
- Attendance at the 2021 Northeast Indiana Human Resources Association’s conference, where the Regional Partnership presented to local HR professionals and had a booth. They connected with hundreds of HR professionals who were excited about the campaign materials.
Why it Works:
- Employer-Focused: Through research, the Regional Partnership discovered that local employers didn’t have the information they needed to sell the region. A key part of the campaign is ensuring they have language to talk about the region. The Regional Partnership’s key messages are an important element of the campaign, and the organization continues to evolve and expand them to appeal to specific audiences.
- Visual, Creative & Collaborative: In 2020, the Regional Partnership and its partners held the Make it Your Own Mural Fest. Over 11 days, artists created 11 high-quality murals—one in each of Northeast Indiana’s 11 counties. The murals were all unveiled on the same day, with celebrations and events taking place region-wide to recognize the artists and the communities. The event fueled local pride and quality of place, drew in visitors and generated media buzz. It was entirely sponsorship driven, funded by private companies, foundations and grants.
Reach:
- Hundreds of HR professionals via NIHRA conference
- Millions of readers through articles in top tier media, such as Forbes, Chicago Tribune, NPR and Fodors Travel
This post is part of our ongoing Talent Attraction Spotlight series. Catch up on our previous spotlights — Oklahoma City and Chattanooga.
