Connecticut’s Year-Long Pizza Campaign Serves Up the Largest Brand Perception Shift in State History
New Data Shows Dramatic Lift in How Americans View Connecticut
Hartford, CT – [December 2, 2025] – One year after declaring itself the Pizza Capital of the U.S., Connecticut is proving that bold marketing and an authentic voice can reshape how a nation sees an entire state.
New national perception data shows the most significant single-year shift in Connecticut’s brand reputation ever recorded, turning years of outdated stereotypes into measurable momentum.
A State That Became Hard to Ignore
For decades, Connecticut struggled with a stubborn reputation: a ‘drive through’ state, hard to define, easy to overlook – and often perceived as too uptight to feel relatable. The “Pizza Capital of the U.S.” campaign changed that narrative, igniting national conversation – across news, social media, and late-night TV – and driving a cultural reappraisal of the state’s identity.
It created a halo effect – proving that when people came for the pizza, they stayed for the story of Connecticut.
Among U.S. adults, positive associations with the state increased sharply across core brand attributes:
• Fun – up 96%
• Welcoming – up 90%
• Progressive – up 91%
• Nearly 80% said their overall view of Connecticut became more positive
One of the most notable shifts: Connecticut broke through on one of travel’s biggest motivators: food, now the top reason Americans say they’d travel for an experience. Nationally, 23% now associate Connecticut with great pizza, ranking the state ahead of Detroit, and New Jersey.
“This campaign showed what happens when Connecticut bets on itself and its ideas,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Pizza was the hook, but the goal was always bigger. It gave us a way into a national conversation we weren’t in before. We showed the country a different side of our state – energetic, welcoming, and inventive – and it delivered real momentum we’re ready to build on.”
A Shift That Drove Real Behavior
The shift in perception didn’t stop at attitudes — it translated into travel:
• 22% increase in visits to CTvisit.com YOY
• 50% increase in pizza-related searches on CTvisit.com
• 68% lift in nationwide searches for “Connecticut Pizza” on Google
• 37% increase in long-distance visitors (500–3,000 miles) whose trips included a stop on the Connecticut Pizza Trail
• Travelers who visited Pizza Trail restaurants stayed half a day longer on average
Return on Investment: A High-Value Play
Typical tourism campaigns are known to earn a $3:$1 return on investment, but Connecticut’s pizza push generated at least $11 in measurable, incremental tourism revenues for every $1 spent on the campaign.
“This wasn’t a gimmick,” adds Anthony Anthony, Chief Marketing Officer for the State of Connecticut. “It was a strategic proof point. We didn’t ask people to think different about Connecticut—we gave them a reason to. And when they engaged, they found a state that is full of life. We didn’t just grab headlines; we changed minds – and sparked a national conversation about the state that hadn’t existed before.”
Global Validation
The shift in perception has already gone international. Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2026 report named New Haven one of the Top 10 Trending Travel Destinations in the world for U.S. travelers, with travel search interest up 39% — placing Connecticut alongside global destinations like Mykonos, Jaipur, and Sardinia.
“We set out to prove two things,” added Anthony. “That we could make every taxpayer dollar work harder, and that we could move the needle on how people see Connecticut. The results showed both – including the largest shift in our brand perception ever recorded.”
