Don’t Let Speed Fail Storytelling

My son used to love this Pixar/Disney character. Some of you may have heard of him: Lightning McQueen. In certain points of the movie(s), which I’ve watched a gazillion times, he could be heard giving his pre-race mantra: “Okay, here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed…. I eat losers for breakfast… No, no, no, focus. Speed. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning.”

Yeah. It’s kind of long, but it has stuck with me for both parental and professional reasons. From a parental standpoint, it’s probably because I had to stay on my toes with a toddler who was always putting himself in harm’s way. Professionally, it feels relevant to those of us working in communications right now. You’re all racing. You all want speed.

But in a world where attention splinters and trust must be earned moment by moment, speed alone doesn’t work anymore.

If you’re responsible for brand storytelling, tune into sessions like “Unscripted: How Stories Earn Attention across Culture and Media,” at Cannes Lions 2026. This session by Malcolm Gladwell, a New York Times bestselling author, and Questlove, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, drummer, DJ and member of The Roots, talked about what makes stories resonate, why certain ideas actually spread and how creators hold onto audiences as narratives shift and grow. The practical takeaway is that you can build cross-platform stories that begin with genuine connection. Position your brand so it shows up in culture with authenticity. Create a consistent narrative voice that audiences return to again and again.

But how do you do that while moving at Lightning McQueen speed?

Find some intentionality

Questlove says he spent years creating music without intention. He and his collaborators would jam, see what stuck and build from there. Then he studied other artists and realized their songs had purpose before they were written.

He shared that he never went through that process, but his next album will probably be the first created with specific purpose in mind.

This is where most brand storytellers get stuck. You have a content calendar. You have social platforms. You have internal channels. But before any of that, you need to know what you are trying to accomplish and why as you hop in the car and start racing. That’s the work before the work. Some organizations skip that part.

Your storytelling teams are testing what works across TikTok, LinkedIn, email, podcasts, earned media and internal channels. The format changes. The audience changes. The platform changes. But if the intention is clear and the voice is consistent, the story will travel. Without it, you’re just moving for the sake of moving.

Authentic isn’t optional

Also, stories don’t spread because they’re clever. They spread because audiences sense that someone actually knows what they’re talking about and actually cares, and it shows. So there’s a trust factor.

Questlove told a story about how he watched the Red Hot Chili Peppers huddle before 80,000 people every few songs during a concert. He assumed they were calling audibles, switching things up on the fly. But they weren’t. After inquiring among the band members about their huddles, he was told they were expressing gratitude and showing their audience that they actually liked each other.

Your audience knows when you’re creating something because you believe it versus because the content calendar demands it. They sense it. They feel it. And they respond differently.

So, what do we do now

Here’s what you need to ask yourself: Are you moving at Lightning McQueen speed because you have somewhere to go, or because you’re afraid of slowing down?

If it’s the latter, your storytelling won’t land. Without intention behind it, even well-produced content feels generic. There’s no point of view. The messaging doesn’t stick.

If it’s the former, you already have the answer. You know what you’re trying to accomplish. You’ve got the data to back it up. You understand your audience. You have a narrative voice that’s consistent and distinctly yours. Now you just need to commit to it.

Intention plus authenticity equals storytelling that actually moves people and culture. That’s how you build audiences that return to you. That’s how you earn attention in a world that’s learned to tune out everything else.