Heroic failure narratives: building conveyed authenticity and engagement from downfalls

ABSTRACT

This research investigates how heroic failure narratives displayed by a social media influencer are received and signified by online audiences. Based on a netnography, we analyse the journey of a marathonist and social media influencer in his unsuccessful quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Our analysis reveals how failure in a heroic quest triggers narratives and meanings related to a humanized heroic archetype. We delineate the concept of heroic failure narratives as those that, despite the failure to perform, perpetuate a prominent and special condition of the protagonist, conveying authenticity, building engagement and humanizing the relationship with the audience. We depict three heroic failure narratives, their meanings and functions: (1) Failure as a heroic process; (2) Failure as an affective bond; and (3) Failure as a tragic human fate. We discuss how heroic failure narratives may affect admired public figures, online audiences, brands, and society at large.

KEYWORDS:

• Failure
• hero
• myth
• archetype
• online audience
• social media influencer

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Fundação Getúlio Vargas.

Notes on contributors

Fernanda Scussel

Fernanda Scussel is PhD in Business Administration. Her research interests are consumption practices, consumption experiences, and the role of social media in shaping consumers' decisions.

Benjamin Rosenthal

Benjamin Rosenthal is an assistant professor of Marketing at Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil. His research interests are the micro- and macrolevel factors influencing consumers. His research projects cover diverse topics, such as consumption practices, brand communities, social movements, social media, and older consumers.

Maribel Suarez

Maribel Suarez is an Associate Professor at the COPPEAD Graduate School of Business (FederalUniversity of Rio de Janeiro). Her main research interests are related to consumption patterns change.