It’s no secret that I think the WWE is one of the greatest storytellers of all time. WrestleMania XL was this past weekend, and the pro-wrestling world was bursting with anticipation for Cody Rhodes to finish his story. Behind the Bloodline spectacle, the intricate storylines, and the larger-than-life characters is the master of narrative, Paul Heyman.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame this past Friday, and his acceptance speech was literally everything(so worth checking out). His genius in storytelling, his ability to craft intricate characters that blur lines between reality and fiction, and his ability to get fans right in the feels provides invaluable lessons for communications strategists, marketers, and narrative builders across all sectors. So let’s check out some of his awesome, and understand how we can use these techniques to tell our own stories.
Authenticity and Relatability
In my opinion, Heyman’s biggest strength is his ability to leverage the power of authenticity. He draws out the real-life characteristics and backgrounds (think the Bloodline), with insecurities and egos, making their personas more relatable and engaging. Think back to ECW days — his own personality. How the ECW fans responded to him compared to how the fans respond to him now (I will write a piece on ECW too).
Paul Heyman brought REAL and NEW energy through authentically building personalities that fans invested in and connected with. This authenticity fosters a deeper connection between the audience and the characters, a strategy that can be mirrored in marketing to forge stronger brand-customer relationships. Do you remember the Sandman? The guy who entered ECW holding a kendo stick already bleeding and smashing beer cans into his head? Heyman is ballsy af. It’s so real, not — real.
Understanding Your Audience
Deep knowledge of your audience allows for messaging that resonates on a personal level. (eg. Roman Reigns is OUR Tribal Chief) Heyman’s success stems from his profound understanding of wrestling fans, crafting storylines that speak directly to their desires and expectations (eg. Brock Lesnar beating the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 30 (here)).
Heyman’s ability to tap into the desires, expectations, and even the subcultural nuances of wrestling fans allowed him to craft storylines that resonated on an unprecedentedly personal level. His storylines were not just watched; they were felt, lived, and passionately discussed by fans who saw their own reflections in the narratives unfolding before them.
For all of us not involved in professional wrestling, knowing your target audience and what they want is crucial for creating content and campaigns that hit the mark. Knowing your target audience is about more than just understanding their age, location, or spending habits. It involves delving into their interests, challenges, values, and the way they perceive the world. This depth of understanding enables us as storytellers, marketers and communicators to create brands and content that speaks directly to the audience, striking a chord that resonates with their very identity.
Heyman excelled not just in knowing what his audience wanted, but also in how they wanted to engage with the stories he told. He created a participatory culture around ECW, where fans felt their voices were heard and that they had a stake in the narrative outcomes.
Similarly, in our real world applications, engaging with your audience through the right channels, in the right tone, and with the right message is pivotal. This could mean choosing the right social media platform instead of going gung-ho across all, or involving your audience in your process (Sidebar — Monzo did this really well when they built their brand).
Engaging in two-way conversations rather than broadcasting messages, and being responsive to feedback is important. People crave real connections, and the brands we connect most with are the ones we are most loyal to.
Paul Heyman’s career is overloaded with instances where his deep understanding of the pro-wrestling audience directly influenced his storytelling and promotional tactics, leading to memorable moments and groundbreaking successes. Here are two of my favourite examples:
1. The Rise of ECW and Hardcore Wrestling
One of the most significant examples of Heyman’s audience insight came with the rise of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in the 1990s.
Let us take a moment… ECW! ECW!
At a time when mainstream wrestling promotions like WWE (then WWF) and WCW were producing content that was largely family-oriented and character-based, Heyman sensed a growing demand among wrestling fans for something more raw, edgy, and real. Something bloody and something that was an outlet for America’s emotional build up. ECW came along to answer our prayers. It grew into a promotion that emphasised hardcore wrestling, with more violence, more blood, more bad language, adult themes, and a grittier aesthetic than its competitors.
ECW’s approach was revolutionary. It filled a niche that was previously untapped, resonating strongly with a segment of wrestling fans who felt alienated by the cleaner presentations of larger promotions. ECW’s Hardcore TV and pay-per-view events featured table-smashing, chair-swinging, and boundary-pushing matches that became legendary.
Importantly, ECW was not just about offering violence for the sake of it; Heyman understood that fans were looking for authenticity and passion- something that felt genuine and unscripted. ECW’s success was a direct result of Heyman’s ability to understand and cater to these desires, setting the stage for the future of professional wrestling.
2. Brock Lesnar’s “The Next Big Thing”
Fast forward a few years — another example of Heyman’s insane audience understanding was his management and promotion of Brock Lesnar in WWE. Recognizing the shifting landscape of WWE’s audience, which was beginning to favour a mix of real athletic prowess alongside traditional wrestling storytelling, Heyman positioned Lesnar as “The Next Big Thing.” This wasn’t just a catchy moniker; it was so much more. It crafted a narrative around Lesnar’s legitimate athletic background, including his NCAA Division I wrestling championship — which would work well in his transition to UFC and then add clout when he returned to WWE.
Heyman’s portrayal of Lesnar tapped into fans’ desire for a wrestler who could dominate with believable force, a stark contrast to the more theatrical characters of the past. (Stardust, right?!) Most of the character base for Lesnar emphasised his size, strength, and wrestling ability, setting him up as an unstoppable force within WWE.
This resonated with fans and allowed Lesnar to quickly ascend to the top of the promotion, reminding me a little of Goldberg’s wild undefeated streak. I do wonder if Heyman pulled inspiration from Goldberg for the character. How it played out was that Lesnar landed up capturing the WWE Championship within months of his debut. Heyman’s understanding of the evolving expectations of wrestling fans enabled him to effectively market Lesnar in a way that felt fresh and compelling, further solidifying both their legacies in the process.
The Allure of Controversy
Heyman has never shied away from controversy, using it to keep storylines fresh and push conversations further. In his Hall of Fame acceptance speech he even points out how many times he has been cancelled, and how many times he has bounced back.
Why do I mention this? Well, because we have a fortune to learn from this resilience — especially in the age of social media and cancel culture. If we are aiming to please every single person with every word we say, we will never have the conviction to say anything at all which defeats the purpose. So, while staying true to your brand values is essential, incorporating edginess or controversy can differentiate your messaging and capture attention, provided it is executed tastefully, or not, depending on your goals. There is more to be said about becoming the world’s favourite villain.
Long-term Planning Meets Flexibility
Something Heyman SMASHES (pun definitely intended — only true pro wrestling nerds will pick up on this joke) is strategic and long-term planning. It creeps towards something very sinister when you think about it. Either way the manipulation tactics used over long periods of time (sometimes months and years) ensure cohesive and impactful messaging. However, Heyman teaches us the importance of adaptability too — being ready at any moment to pivot based on audience feedback and changing circumstances, ensuring your narrative remains relevant and engaging.
An example of this is the emergence of the Solo Sikoa / John Cena storyline within the Bloodline storyline — spanning months, legitimising Sikoa as a real contender in the future but still playing perfectly into the ending of the main event of Wrestlemania Sunday.
Storytelling as a Brand Builder
Effective storytelling transforms brand perception and loyalty. Crafting narratives that highlight your brand’s unique angle is key. Authenticity can be felt, not said, and if you are able to directly address audience needs as well, this can significantly elevate its appeal. We learn so much from the master storyteller- he demonstrates especially well the transformative power of storytelling in building emotional investment. And this is what keeps people coming back for more.
Maximising Strengths
Identifying and leveraging your brand or product’s unique strengths, while minimising weaknesses, is a page from Heyman’s book that every marketer should take. Tailoring narratives to showcase these strengths can enhance marketing effectiveness dramatically.
It sounds ridiculously simple — it is. Don’t spend time talking about things that you aren’t good at, talk about the things you are.
Direct Engagement
Heyman’s engaging promos and direct communication with fans underscore the importance of interactive content and personalised communication in today’s digital age. He has been so ahead of his time for so long.
How many times have we seen Heyman calling on Siri to ‘Phone Roman Reigns’ only to go off air before we hear what is spoken about? He brings the audience into this game of reality or storyline which gets the WWE Universe into a frenzy. The countless football teams acknowledging the Tribal Chief on social media is proof that this tactic works.
Engaging directly with your audience can enhance message impact and foster a community of loyal followers, creating excitement and inviting them to be a part of the conversation. The more the audience feels like they are living in the brand story, the better. In reality, spending time in conversation with your audience, and UGC is a relatively low budget and easy way to achieve this.
I’m going to wrap up here although there is SO MUCH more to be said. As we look forward to the aftermath of WrestleMania XL, with some new champions and what looks like a new era for WWE, it’s clear that the lessons from Paul Heyman’s playbook extend far beyond the wrestling ring.
His strategies offer a masterclass for anyone looking to elevate their narrative building, marketing, and communications tactics. In a world where authenticity, adaptability, and direct engagement are increasingly valued, Heyman’s particular brand of genius is more relevant than ever. I highly recommend taking 20 minutes to listen to his acceptance speech from his Hall of Fame induction.
While inducting Heyman, Roman Reigns recalled that Paul Heyman gave him this advice years earlier; you don’t need anyone, you only need to believe in yourself. You only need to believe you can do it. And this is EVERYTHING.
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