The City of Owen Sound has launched a unique marketing campaign targeted to young entrepreneurs from the GTA and Southwestern Ontario. It urges these people to think outside the box and make Owen Sound home for their next business venture.
The campaign, titled "Are You Most," is cheeky and innovative, breaking the conventional rules of digital marketing and workplace attraction. Its premise is that Owen Sound is not for everyone; it's not even for most people. But for the right person – someone with vision, courage, tenacity and a desire to help shape the city's future -- it's an excellent match.
The campaign launched Monday at www.areyoumost.com, and will be followed by social media ads targeting young, educated professionals interested in relocating to a smaller, vibrant community on the cusp of growth. It positions Owen Sound as the next boomtown, but doesn't shy away from the challenges.
"Too far? For most people. Too cold? For most people. Too small? For most people," it prompts, suggesting these can also be viewed as opportunities.
The web site leads viewers through a series of questions to determine if they might be a good match, filtering out those who aren't. "We want to attract the type of people who see a challenge as an opportunity in the making," says Community Services Director Pam Coulter. "We are trying to find 10, 5, 3 or even that one person that we're looking for."
A short list of qualified candidates will be paired with local ambassadors to "test drive" the city for a weekend this fall. They include downtown retailers and people working in technology, film, health care, food services, insurance, real estate, music and art. Jacquie Furtner, co-owner of the Bare Birch home furnishing store, is one of them. "I love this city," she enthuses.
The Are You Most campaign will run until October, and the recruitment structure can be used in future. The City has retained BC Hughes Inc, Tourism Development, Management and Marketing, to assist with the program.
