If you were going to rebrand Connecticut, what would you emphasize?
That’s a question the state is asking as it attempts to spiff up its reputation.
Research cited by Gov. Ned Lamont found that even though 73% of Connecticut residents like living in the state, only 50% would recommend it to others.
The state retired its previous slogan, “Still revolutionary,” created in 2012, and has unveiled a new campaign: “Make it here.”
It’s an attempt to update Connecticut’s image, distance it from the Greenwich vibes, and help residents and visitors think of the state as more than a place you drive through between New York and Boston.
That rebrand was the focus of a recent New York Times article by Amelia Nierenberg looking at how Connecticut is attempting to remake its reputation.
Nierenberg joined Alison Stewart on a recent episode of “All of It” to discuss this effort. Below is an edited version of their conversation.
Alison Stewart: Why does Connecticut believe it has an image problem?
Amelia Nierenberg: It’s a funny question. When I moved to Connecticut in August, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what Connecticut was. And everybody in state government I talked to would often start with saying, “Well, I know that you probably think that Connecticut is this, but actually it’s this.”
I think just the realization that everybody thinks that Connecticut is sleepy and stuffy and preppy has been affecting their ability to recruit new families, to start lives there, to seem like an attractive destination and to draw new businesses.
So this is more about business and long-term residents than tourism?
I think it’s about making Connecticut feel like a place to people in Connecticut, which makes them want to invest there and set down roots there — either by starting a small business or buying a home or choosing to raise their children there.
Who does Connecticut see as its major competition?
Connecticut sees Massachusetts as its major competition. I think that…
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