Lessons from a Sunset Talent Attraction Campaign
August 18, 2026
What can communities learn from a sunset talent attraction campaign? For Matt Lewis, vice president of partnership strategy at the GREATER MSP Partnership, the answer is found in looking beyond the campaign itself to the systems, partnerships and community investments that make talent attraction and retention sustainable.
On this episode of Talent Wars, host Patience Fairbrother Wallace speaks with Matt Lewis to reflect on the Make It MSP campaign: what made it successful, where it fell short and what its evolution and eventual sunset can teach communities today. Drawing on his recent “belated exit memo,” Matt shares the ideas that have continued to shape the region and state’s approach to talent attraction and retention.
Listen in to learn:
- Why effective talent attraction depends on an ecosystem of partners
- How newcomers and recruiters can serve as trusted ambassadors for a community
- Why a strong sense of place can help communities connect with prospective residents
- How community investment and marketing can reinforce one another
- Why the right structures and partnerships can help talent attraction efforts have a lasting impact
Tune in for a candid conversation looking beyond the end of Make It MSP to uncover what this campaign’s experience can offer communities navigating their own talent attraction challenges.
Listen and subscribe to Talent Wars on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. To submit guest or episode topic ideas, email patience.fairbrother@aboutdci.com.
