Do You Have to be “Into Minnesota”?

Lake Harriet in Winter by Amy Mingo. Licensed under CC BY 2.0

A friend of mine made an interesting observation about Denver, Boulder, and other cities in Colorado. He said, “The people who move to Colorado are really into Colorado.” By that he meant that they were extremely into the lifestyle there, notably outdoor endeavors. He mentions that it can be difficult to get people to show up for events in the city on weekends because people are out doing things. Those who aren’t as into the Colorado lifestyle either don’t come or don’t stay. In part, he surmises, because Colorado is not close to anything else.

Of course this isn’t a hard and fast rule. It’s just an observation of a characteristic that’s more common in Colorado than elsewhere.

I wonder if the same thing might be true when it comes to Minnesota recruitment. Minnesota has its own lifestyle going, which includes a lot of outdoor and winter sports. Minnesota also has its own unique local culture. And like Colorado, Minnesota is not particularly close to anything else.

So the question that comes to my mind is whether people really need to be “into Minnesota” at some level to be a good candidate for attraction. This is where something like “the North” branding can help. It can get people to understand what the Minneapolis and Minnesota lifestyle is such that those who might want it can find it and get drawn in.

from Aaron M. Renn
http://www.urbanophile.com/2018/05/25/do-you-have-to-be-into-minnesota/