Why marketing to millennials in the name of workforce development can make a difference Commuters taking Chicago?s Blue Line, part of the city?s L rail system, may feel like they?re in high demand lately. On station platforms and train cars running northwest from downtown, riders have recently seen numerous ads asking millennials to make a move.
Berwyn, a suburb just west of Chicago, has tried to entice millennials to move into its charming brick bungalows with posters showcasing a potential new crop of artsy, tattooed neighbors and the tagline ?full of character.? An ad blitz from the state of Wisconsin asks riders to trade their stifling city commute for a simpler, more affordable life in cities like Milwaukee. Why not swap rush hour traffic with a canoe trip in Madison?s Lake Mendota" Homewood, a south suburb, created a comic book campaign extolling the availability of farmers markets and kombucha. These subways ads?and other social media campaigns, like the blunter-than-he-sounds Iowa nice guy videos?all make the same point. Why waste money on an urban lifestyle in Chicago, when everything you want is cheaper over here"
It?s a question these multi-million dollar ad campaigns, backed by local and state economic development agencies?and taxpayer dollars?want more and more Chicagoans to ask.

?When we did the market analysis, we found concerns about the amount of time Chicagoans are commuting, losing time with family and friends, and the cost of living ...