man hiking at moraine lake, with the mountains reflecting off the calm, blue water

Government of Alberta

Alberta is Calling

Alberta’s economy continues to diversify. Large tech and manufacturing companies are bringing their business to the province. We are on the cusp of a hydrogen resource boom. And traditional sectors also have renewed vitality. Now, we just need the skilled workers to fill those jobs.

The background

outdated perceptions

In order for Alberta to thrive now and in the future, we need skilled, young labour. Labour that we just can’t pump out fast enough organically. So, we need to attract skilled workers from other parts of Canada. Workers who may not realize the career and lifestyle opportunities, along with the affordability advantages that Alberta has to offer.

couple dining out in a nice restaurant with plush seating and low lighting

the insight

debunking misconceptions

Focus group research found that Alberta is portrayed by some as lacking in culture and diversity. We knew this version of Alberta wouldn’t appeal to skilled, young workers living, for example, in the urban centres of Toronto and Vancouver. We would need to address their misconceptions of Alberta head on by using publicly available and completely defensible data to compare Alberta’s advantages in affordability, career opportunities and lifestyle to other strategic Canadian cities.

the challenge

We needed to increase migration of skilled workers while driving awareness of career opportunities, lifestyle advantages and lower cost of living in Alberta.

woman in hiking clothes hopping across stones in a mountainside lake

THE STRATEGY

show it, don’t tell it

Saying that “Alberta is diverse and rich in culture” could easily be dismissed as marketing language. The messaging needed to focus on jobs, housing and lifestyle, with imagery showcasing a diverse, culturally rich province.

the canadian rocky mountains with the text "it's mountain time somewhere"

THE STRATEGY

lead with cost of living

Through research, we found that our audience was very concerned about their ability to ever afford to own their own home. In fact, 37% of Toronto millennials say they'd need to relocate to own property. By leading with housing prices and cost of living, we are addressing a major pain point. We wanted to emphasize this by telling authentic stories from new Albertans who have relocated from more expensive provinces in recent years.

alberta is calling

On August 15, 2022, we officially launched Alberta is Calling, the Government of Alberta’s talent recruitment campaign. Throughout the latter half of August and front half of September, we ran radio, audio streaming, digital and social media ads in Vancouver and Toronto. The first phase of the campaign highlighted Alberta’s advantages, including affordable homes; liveable, family-friendly cities; and career opportunities.

The campaign was supported by a full campaign website, further reinforcing the benefits of life in Alberta. The site features testimonial videos with relocation stories, statistics around housing and cost of living, careers and earning potential, and lifestyle features.

two large billboards outside a busy subway station

the campaign

station domination

On September 21, we dialled the campaign up a touch. Okay, maybe a lot. We took over Canada’s busiest subway station at Yonge-Bloor in the heart of downtown Toronto. Our station domination included over 200 unique assets selling the benefits of Alberta to Torontonians during the long commutes to their unaffordable houses. We also wrapped the Vancouver Sun and dominated busy intersections, including Granville and Robson, with messages about Alberta.

newspaper mockup of the vancouver sun featuring alberta is calling

THE CAMPAIGN

media coverage

The campaign has received media coverage by many major Canadian outlets, including feature stories from the following media:

the campaign

It wasn’t just the media that took notice, Reddit users, TikTok creators and the public noticed, and commented on the campaign effectiveness.

screenshots of social media buzz on tiktok, reddit, and twitter about alberta is calling

results
that
matter

We shattered our goal of 250k website views and 4,500 email sign-ups in the first 6 weeks. ATB Economics expects Alberta’s positive net migration from other provinces to increase well into the first quarter of 2023, and we are confident the Alberta is Calling campaign will make a real contribution to that trend.

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Over 650,000 visits to the website in the first 2 months

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The campaign has received 144 million impressions and counting

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It has received over 25k Twitter impressions

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6,500 curious subscribers signed up for emails

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Users have spent over 3 minutes engaging with information on the website

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Major Canadian media outlets covered the campaign, including 10 feature stories

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According to Statistics Canada, Alberta's population grew by 60,000 between July and September of 2022, more than any other year since they began estimating populations in 1951.