'You Can in Michigan' campaign launched to increase state population, talent
‘You Can In Michigan’ campaign launched to promote population and talent growth
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials announced a multi-million dollar marketing campaign on Tuesday called "You Can In Michigan." The campaign aims to attract new talent and reverse Michigan's declining population.
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - In an effort to attract new talent and reverse Michigan's declining population, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other state leaders announced a multi-million dollar marketing campaign on Tuesday.
"You Can in Michigan" —now the largest state talent attraction campaign and effort in the country— will fill open jobs, grow the state's population and enhance the state's economy, according to Whitmer's office and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
The advertisements will run in Ohio, Illinois, California, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington D.C., and Washington State.
"Michigan is a welcoming, inclusive state with strong career opportunities for workers and resources for cutting-edge, high-tech industries that will define the future," Gov. Whitmer said during a virtual news conference Tuesday.
The national campaign will showcase Michigan's attractions through TV, radio, print, and social media advertisements, billboards at Michigan colleges and universities, and a new website called themichiganlife.org, according to the news release. The website will allow "job seekers to explore the state, calculate their cost of living, and define and reach their career goals."
The "You Can in Michigan" campaign will receive an initial funding of $20 million from the state to cover the production costs of the marketing campaign for the first two years. Additionally, $3.5 million will be allocated for advertising costs until the end of this year. In total, MEDC is investing $59 million as part of its continuous initiative to attract talent to the state.
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The campaign will be an addition to the state's existing programs, policies and marketing efforts that aim to grow Michigan's population — such as the creation of the Growing Michigan Together Council and the appointment of the first-ever state chief growth officer.
"I really hope the campaign inspires people to dream big and realize they can truly have a life with everything Michigan has offer," said Nando Garza, an actor featured in the "You Can In Michigan" commercial.