Building our Brand, Attracting Talent

Four Campaigns, one additional website and millions of impressions across the United States, as part of a campaign to challenge misperceptions, build a strong regional brand and convince job seekers to move to the FM Metro.  

With thousands of open jobs and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, attracting talent is often a top of the list challenge for companies we serve. Simply put, the region doesn’t have enough people to support our talent needs. The lack of talent is a barrier to growth for the companies and therefore the regional economy. 

Supported by funds from the State of ND, our organization has created a series of marketing campaigns to change perceptions and attract talent to the region. 

Regional Branding for Talent Attraction

This campaign ran from September 2023 through November 14, 2024 and focused on attracting talent in the sectors of manufacturing and healthcare (to align with grant requirements).  

Goal

We tapped into our data tools to target metros with an oversupply of talent, and a positive wage differential (basically places with an excess of talent who would make more money or have a better quality of life by moving here).  

We built marketing campaigns we believed would grab and hold people’s attention (and based on the stats, it worked) and drove users to sign up for emails allowing us to continue to share all the awesome things about our region. Ultimately, we wanted them to head to our robust jobs board or reach out to us directly. And of course, move here but that’s a little harder to track.  

Top-line numbers  

Reporting Strong Results

The results demonstrate that Fargo’s appeal resonates with people in key cities, especially when showcasing the strong job opportunities and quality of life available in the region.

By achieving engagement rates above industry standards, the campaign proved highly effective at cutting through the noise and connecting with the right audience. 

Campaign Performance Highlights 

Reaching a Wide Audience:

• The campaign delivered millions of views (impressions) to people in key cities across the country, ensuring Fargo’s job opportunities were seen by a large audience.
• Video ads performed particularly well, with high view rates and strong engagement, driving 30% more clicks than industry averages for similar campaigns.
• The healthcare-focused ads were especially effective, achieving click-through rates (CTR) nearly 25% higher than the industry average for similar campaigns.

Engaging Across Platforms:

• Social media ads saw click-through rates (CTR) 20% higher than industry benchmarks, indicating strong interest from audiences.
• Cities like New York, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles showed exceptional engagement, with New York clicks exceeding industry averages by 65%, highlighting the power of the combined tactics in these areas.

Encouraging Action:

• The campaign drove measurable interest, with conversions (actions like visiting the website or learning more about jobs) showing that the ads were successful in getting people to take the next step.
• Retargeting ads were particularly effective at keeping Fargo top of mind for people who had already seen the ads, leading to a steady increase in clicks and engagement over time. 

Immersive Mfg Site 

The immersive manufacturing site was built to give potential candidates and students an immersive experience on a manufacturing floor. As we support companies working to attract more people into the region’s manufacturing careers, this website’s immersive virtual tours allow users to more fully experience working at local companies. Companies also have virtual reality headsets to use at career fairs and other events. The headsets provide candidates a virtual experience that puts them (virtually) right on the manufacturing floor. The GFMEDC partnered with Be More Colorful and Golden Path Solutions. 

Small Town Campaign 

Partnering with the counties around us, we’ve focused this campaign on the benefits of a small community highlighting the many benefits of living in and outside of the metro. In 2024, we built the campaign’s foundation, kicking off the ad campaign in November. The campaign is set to run through 2025.  

Brand Identity Videos

As part of our campaigns, we have produced a young professional video called “You Just Have to Look” and will produce a second video focused on family life in the FM Metro.

Alumni Campaign 

The Alumni Campaign is focused on the region’s alumni who have moved away but are familiar with the great things the community offers. Providing them with the latest information about the region’s job growth and changes in quality of life. The campaign kicks off in 2025. 

Attracting Talent Laid Off Outside our Market

This pilot program takes advantage of our data tools and WARN notices (a national layoff database) to directly message people who may have been laid off. Through email, text and direct ad communication, we connect with potential candidates marketing the great opportunities in the Fargo Moorhead Region. 

Direct Company Support

We are also assisting companies with immediate hiring needs. For example, we started a program called Lightning Recruitment, using our data to support immediate, direct hiring of candidates outside our metro.

Learn More