Kansas Launches Campaign to Entice Former Residents to Return Home

Kansas launches campaign to entice former residents to return home

By Jennifer M. Latzke, Kansas Farmer

According to the adage, if you love something, set it free. If it’s meant to be, it will return to you.

The state of Kansas is working to tip the scales in favor of that return path, launching a new campaign to attract former residents to come home to Kansas.

Lt. Gov. and Secretary of Commerce David Toland unveiled a new talent attraction campaign, called “Love, Kansas,” the first week of July. The national campaign invites former residents to choose the Sunflower State as their future home, highlighting Kansas as an exceptional place to live, work and raise a family. Special emphasis will be placed on “boomerangs,” or individuals with previous ties to the state.

Toland shared his own boomerang story in Kansas, when a heartfelt phone call from a family friend about a job opportunity in his hometown of Iola inspired him to come home.

“It’s simple: We need more humans in Kansas to keep up with the phenomenal economic growth our state is experiencing,” Toland said in his remarks. “The best way to do that is to first approach Kansans who left the state for economic opportunities elsewhere and invite them to build a life in a place they know and have connections to, whether in their hometown or elsewhere in the state. And with the ‘Love, Kansas’ campaign, we aren’t just extending an invitation to those who once called Kansas home to come back — we’re also inviting families from around the country to build their lives in the Sunflower State.”

“Love, Kansas” will focus on the state’s abundant job opportunities, high quality of life, excellent education system and affordable communities, according to the Department of Commerce. The campaign will be driven at the local level but will strategically target key markets across the U.S., with a strong focus on digital and social media platforms. Influencer and journalist engagement, as well as targeted in-person events both within and outside of Kansas, will play a crucial role in reaching potential boomerangs. 

The first 50 communities to partner with “Love, Kansas” will be eligible for a $5,000 grant to assist in their efforts to attract new residents. Already, 19 pilot communities and seven universities have joined the initiative.

Learn more at lovekansas.com.