Digital ad campaign encourages professionals to 'Live In Lou'

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - A Louisville labor shortage continues to leave jobs unfilled, putting a drag on economic growth.

In response, Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) relaunched its "Live In Lou" website to target professionals and convince them to move to the city.

Liveinlou.com invites people to consider the city as their next home by encouraging them to "Make A Living In Lou," "Live It Up In Lou," even "Find A New You In Lou."

The website shows a city full of possibilities, with more than 1,300 job listings just a click away.

"We're kind of a well-kept secret," Christine Tarquinio, GLI Director of Talent Attraction, Retention and Development, said. "There's lots of things to do, people are welcoming, the city is beautiful. And then with all the opportunity with open jobs, nobody can beat us."

The competition is strong and the labor shortage is particularly troublesome for employers looking for tech talent and nurses.

"We have an aging population. And the care that aging folks need is directly proportional to the amount of nurses that we need," Steve Cunanan, Kindred Healthcare Chief People Officer, said. "It's growing and that's what's creating the shortage."

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The GLI search for talent concentrates in a 500 mile radius. Digital ads target nurses and IT professionals in cities like Chicago, Columbia, SC, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. The ads appear when people matching the right profile use certain apps or social media.

One ad encourages nurses to schedule a "bad-job-ectomy" and offers a link to the website and Louisville jobs. Another asks people who are into code to "try this one: 502."

"That's part of what Live In Lou is trying to do," Tarquinio said. "We want to show the rest of the world how great Louisville is and how much opportunity there is here."

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