Canadians Encouraged to "Move Up" to Prince George

PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Sept. 3, 2014) - A new Initiatives Prince George (IPG) marketing campaign is being targeted at five Canadian cities in an effort to attract new residents to Prince George, which is a mid-sized city of around 80,000 people located in north-central British Columbia. Beginning on September 4, 2014, residents of Toronto, Windsor, Vancouver, Victoria and Edmonton will start noticing advertisements emblazoned with the slogan 'Move Up Prince George' popping up in subways, sky trains, bus shelters, and buses, as well as in post-secondary publications and online through mobile and social media ads.

"We want to let Canadians who live in larger cities and are looking for a lifestyle change know that Prince George offers them great employment opportunities, all of the amenities of a larger urban centre, and access to the beautiful BC outdoors," says Heather Oland, CEO at Initiatives Prince George. "In Prince George, one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and that means people can move up to a higher paying career. We also have low average house prices and that means people can move up from renting to owning a home. If you are underemployed in any Canadian city, then move up to Prince George. The opportunities are endless."

www.MoveUpPrinceGeorge.ca connects people who want to relocate for work with job opportunities through a career search page that features all available jobs in Prince George that are listed online. The website also features the top 10 reasons why people should move to Prince George, along with a sophisticated amenities map to help people plan their move. If people want a more personal look at the city, they can read a series of blog articles written by IPG staff and community members.

This marketing campaign stemmed from a study commissioned by IPG to determine the careers that are in highest demand in Prince George, along with the best cities for local businesses and IPG to target in employee recruitment and population attraction efforts. The Workforce Intelligence Study identified 10 cities that should be targeted, including Toronto, Windsor, Vancouver, Victoria and Edmonton. IPG chose to target advertising in these cities bases on plans to attend career fairs in several of these cities and historical migration patterns to Prince George. IPG will promote 'Move Up Prince George' at the National Job Fair in Toronto on September 16^th and 17^th and the University of Victoria Co-Op and Career Fair in Victoria on September 23^rd and 24^th.

This campaign will be promoted in Toronto, Windsor, Vancouver, Victoria and Edmonton on an ongoing basis, with advertising being rolled out to include other major Canadian cities over time.

About Initiatives Prince George:

Initiatives Prince George (IPG) is the municipally owned economic development corporation for the City of Prince George and the Official Business Engagement Partner of the 2015 Canada Winter Games. Together with regional partners, IPG works toward ensuring the continued strength of the local economy by facilitating the retention and expansion of existing businesses, attracting businesses to expand and diversify the economy, advocating for increased workforce capacity, and marketing the City of Prince George to attract new businesses and residents.