Living in a Hyperconnected World: The Challenge for Brands
In today’s hyperconnected world, we are overwhelmed with information from social media, television, digital platforms, and radio. Brands face the challenge of standing out in an information-saturated environment.
The Key: Storytelling with a Heroic Factor
According to communication strategist Genaro Mejía, the solution lies in storytelling, but with a heroic factor. This means being transparent and sharing both successes and crises, which Mejía calls “storybeing heroico.”
From Storytelling to Building Community
Data from the Reuters Institute shows that four out of ten people no longer want to listen to news, and traditional advertising generates resistance. However, people continue to watch series, movies, novelas, sing along to songs, and play video games. This confirms that as a society, we remain narrative by nature.
Genaro Mejía proposes implementing the Storybeing heroico, which means reaching the right person—someone who genuinely wants to listen and feel connected.
The Evolution of Storytelling
Previous approaches like storybrand and storydoing have lost effectiveness because the audience quickly detects false messages. Today, deceptive communication can damage a company’s reputation and affect its operations.
Four Pillars for Authentic Company Storytelling
- Transparency: In an era of misinformation, honesty is crucial. Communicate what the company truly is.
- Coherence: The experience and message must be consistent, regardless of the channel—physical or digital. “Coherence builds trust.”
- Consistency: Forget communicating only during campaigns or launches; instead, opt for constant dialogue, 24/7, not just with current consumers but also with potential customers and stakeholders.
- Heroic Factor: A brand can be transparent, coherent, and consistent but uninteresting. To ensure engaging communication, find a heroic element in the founders’ or company’s story that emotionally connects with the audience.
The Power of Crises as a Narrative Driver
Genaro Mejía explains that the heroic factor is sharing how you’ve navigated crises and overcome them, as “no one becomes number one without facing crises, or several crises.” Crises propel you to improve.
“There’s only one thing in the world that connects any person, from any social class, from any country—that’s a crisis. That’s the heart of storytelling.” When you share your own crisis experiences with others, people connect because everyone has faced challenges.
Every company originates from a personal or professional crisis, and throughout its history, it will encounter others that can become powerful narratives. The recent pandemic is an example of how many brands reformulated their communication to inspire and stay close to their community.
Storybeing heroico encourages companies to rediscover their human side and tell stories authentically. In a market saturated with messages, genuine stories not only differentiate but also build community, trust, and sustainable sales.
