By Roger Susanin
HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – A group of Connecticut business leaders and influencers are turning into the best kind of keyboard warriors.
The Hartford Athletic can overcome just about any opponent, but off the field, team leaders face an unlikely foe Ted Lasso would describe as stinkin thinkin.
“We truly have everything so it’s tough to understand any of the negativity,” said Michelle Roux, COO, Hartford Athletic.
She loves everything about her home state but noticed that friends and fans would often bash Connecticut, almost like it was a badge of honor. She wasn’t the only business leader who noticed.
“The more you reinforce that the more apt people are to believe that it’s true. And it’s not,” said Sam Barrett, Rebellion Group.
He is a local marketing and advertising guru and gets especially frustrated by Connecticut slander on social media, which his research says makes a big difference.
“If there’s like pervasive negative sentiment that exists than you ultimately start to believe that narrative,” he continued.
So he, Roux, and other business leaders decided to take back their algorithms by teaming up to amplify pro Connecticut messages. They call the effort “The Connective.”
It is not about manipulating anyone’s message. The goal is simply to find people and organizations who love our state and spread the word by sharing each other’s content.
The idea has taken off.
Rebellion group hosted a bunch of heavy hitters at a recent kick off event from a bunch of organizations including the Hartford Yard Goats, Beardsley Zoo, the Connecticut Sun, and the Travelers Championship.
They hope this is just the beginning and want more regular people who are passionate about our state to join the connective.