Bedel: ‘Hoosiers by Choice’ Created to Showcase Indiana
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe secretary and chief executive officer of the Indiana Destination Development Corp. says the new Hoosiers by Choice campaign is part of an effort to better tell Indiana’s story. The campaign, which will run throughout 2021, spotlights people who have moved to Indiana and decided to make the state their home. Elaine Bedel says she believes the campaign will help showcase the benefits of living in the Hoosier State for everyone, but also complement the state’s economic development efforts.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Bedel said the campaign is focused on anyone who might have an interest in working and living in Indiana.
“A lot of it is focused on attracting talent and so the tech talent that’s out there that could potentially be moving here to work for our businesses in Indiana or to even remote work from Indiana to whatever businesses they are affiliated with,” said Bedel. “It’s just really to kind of tell that quality of life story that sometimes it’s hard to get out and if people don’t come here and experience it, they don’t know what it’s all about.”
The campaign involves transplanted Hoosiers explaining in short videos why they chose to live in Indiana. Among the first to be spotlighted in the campaign is Indiana Fever General Manager Tamika Catchings.
The IDDC cites data from the 2018 National Movers Study, which shows more than 51 percent of state-to-state moves involving Indiana were inbound, with more people moving into the state than out.
Bedel says those who have participated early in the campaign have expressed some of the same thoughts.
“I think a common theme is it’s easy to live here; I can buy a house where where I couldn’t when I was in California or perhaps New York,” she said. “One of the things that keeps coming up all the time is the people – how much they enjoy the people in Indiana and that the people allow them to get engaged in the community, they’re welcoming, they’re supportive, they’re helpful.”
Bedel says while it would be difficult to quantify the overall impact of the campaign, she believes it will be help grow the awareness among people outside of Indiana as well as corporate recruiters.
“They have always told us that one of the barriers is, you know, ‘I like the job but why would I come to Indiana?’ So we hope that being able to share with them some of these videos of Hoosiers by choice, people who came here that may be similar to their situation can be helpful in that process and we’re also providing some other tools (such as) destination maps so that they can kind of see what other amenities will be around the location that they may be working and living.”
The campaign will feature new videos every week with more people telling their story. You can learn more about the campaign and how you can submit a video by clicking here.
Bedel says the campaign is focused on anyone who might have an interest in working and living in Indiana.