“It’s Time to Move On”

1. Purpose of Project

To support business growth in the region and address Regina’s labour market gap, Economic Development Regina (EDR) has launched a multi-year talent attraction strategy – encouraging interprovincial migration from Canadian cities with a higher cost-of-living. The strategy aims to fill high demand jobs within the city and build a future workforce to support new infrastructure and business investment.

To promote Regina’s career, affordability and lifestyle opportunities to external audiences, EDR launched a paid media campaign from February 10 to May 30, 2025, targeting audiences in markets where cost-of-living is a driver for inter-provincial migration.

The ads drove users to unique landing pages within LiveInRegina.com that aligned with the ad content. The Contact Us form on the bottom of each page connects prospective residents to a virtual concierge service staffed by EDR.

2. Effectiveness/Meeting Objectives

Objective: Increase awareness of Regina as a desirable place to live

• Result: Across all three geographic markets, the campaign generated 10.3M impressions and 1.3M video views. Additionally, within the first few days in market, the campaign messaging attracted the attention of Halifax’s mayor, promoting a post on LinkedIn.

Objective: Educate people on the benefits of “breaking up” with their current situation and exploring Regina’s affordable housing, career growth opportunities, and lifestyle balance

• Result: The campaign generated 47,460 ad clicks and 17,500+ website sessions across Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax – focused on housing and job searches. The housing webpage saw engagement rates as high as 93%, and the careers pages generated 300+ referrals to SaskJobs.ca.

Objective: Connect people with specific resources—such as career and housing opportunities or lifestyle services—to encourage them to make the move

• Result: 32 users submitted ‘Contact Us’ forms, engaging with EDR’s virtual concierge service. Of these inquiries, 72% were career-related questions with a growing number from students and soon-to-be graduates.

3. Challenges & Changes Made:

Challenge: In-market testing of the initial ad creative revealed that the tongue-in-cheek approach of the headlines was confusing and did not resonate with audiences. The audience felt the artwork resembled a tourism ad, which created additional confusion over the ad purpose and specific call-to-action.

Action: The ad creative was revised to reflect the feedback received, with a more direct and intentional approach to highlight Regina’s advantage over other major Canadian cities. In each of our identified markets, three “pain points” of the cities were called out in the messaging, with Regina positioned as a solution.

4. Target Audiences

The campaign specifically targeted everyday professionals, recent graduates, and residents of bedroom communities in Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, and surrounding areas who are actively seeking career growth, family support, and improved work-life balance.

This audience was selected based on initial research completed to identify three marketing personas. Collectively, the personas are cost-conscious individuals prioritizing work-life balance and family. Though at different career stages, they all face financial challenges that hinder their ideal lifestyle – whether due to high city living costs or limited career growth opportunities.

5. Any specifics as detailed in the particular awards categories:

This award category did not outline any specifics to address.

6. Sustainability

Regina is not for everyone, but it’s perfect for the right people. Attracting new residents to the city who share the community’s values is important for long-term growth. The ad campaign positioned Regina as a solution to those who are struggling to meet their financial and career goals due to high cost-of-living, limited career growth and lesser quality of life in their home community.