'Big Mario' Internal Comms: Why Your People Are the Heroes, Not Your Messages

(And how to stop creating comms that feel like unskippable cut-scenes.)

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Every internal comms pro has one big secret: we don’t get out of bed in the morning to talk about messages. We get out of bed to make work easier, clearer and less maddening for the people doing it.

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But somewhere along the way, corporate communications got trapped in a loop of:

• “Here’s our new thing!”
• “We’ve updated the system.”
• “Please read the attached 1200-word essay about our latest framework.”

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It’s very… little Mario. Lots of running around. Sometimes aimlessly. Not much power.

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You may have seen Uncle Shaan’s brilliant “big Mario marketing” concept. We absolutely love it here at Guru HQ, and think it’s bang on the money. Or should that be the golden coins? (I promise not to laden this blog with too many Mario/Nintendo references and puns!)

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It got us to wondering if we could borrow a page from the “Mario marketing” framework (huge shout-out to Shaan) and give it an internal comms glow-up.

Because whether your people are hybrid, frontline, remote or just emotionally done… they’re all Mario.

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Our job as comms people? Give them the power-ups.

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If that simple concept isn’t central to your internal comms strategy and tone of voice guidance, you may have a problem on your hands. If you’re at all unsure, we recommend an internal comms health check to see how many lives your Marios have left.

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Your Employees Are Mario, Not Your Comms

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Let’s set the scene. And if you know nothing at all about Nintendo’s most famous mascot, all you need to know for this to make sense is that in his default “little Mario” state, he is more susceptible to attacks and losing a life. Once he finds a power-up of some description, he gains additional powers and becomes “big Mario” – stronger and more resistant to obstacles and attacks.

• Employee = Little Mario
  Busy, battling obstacles, dodging fireballs (or endless pings from MS Teams), trying to reach the goal without losing lives.
• Your comms = The Power-Up
  Grow-big mushrooms, fire-flowers, the occasional invincibility star (a.k.a. an actually useful email that answers all their questions).
• The result = Big Mario
  Confident, equipped, informed, resilient, less stressed, ready to smash their day.

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The problem? Most internal comms forget who the hero is, and start treating the message like the main character.

It’s not. Your comms are the power-up. Your people are Mario.

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The Harsh Truth: Most Comms Are About the Power-Up, Not Mario

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Here’s what employees don’t care about:

• The clever name of your new initiative
• The 14 stakeholders who approved the message
• The fact you updated the intranet tile (again)
• A 12-minute leadership video filmed in 480p
• A slide deck with more bullet points than personality

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Here’s what they do care about:

• “Does this make my job easier?”
• “Does this help me avoid chaos later?”
• “Does this affect my day?”
• “Will this stop me making a mistake?”
• “Will this remove friction?”
• “Does this help me feel connected, informed, and not like an idiot?”

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If your comms doesn’t help Mario win the level, it’s background noise.

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How To Turn Every Message into a Power-Up

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Here’s the magic formula:

Power-up comms = What the employee can do after your message.

Not what the message is.

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Bad Example (Power-DOWN):

“We’ve launched a new navigation bar on the intranet.”

Good Example (Power-UP):

“Finding what you need is now twice as fast. No more clicking through 6 menus to reach the holiday policy.”

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Bad Example:

“Here’s the new performance framework.”

Good Example:

“Want clearer expectations and fewer awkward appraisal convos? Here’s the new framework in 2 minutes.”

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Bad Example:

“We’ve updated the system.” (Yawn.)

Good Example:

“You can now submit expenses in under 60 seconds, and the system auto-fills half the fields for you.” (Employee happiness +37)

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Tip: Always, always include the WIIFM: What’s In It For Mario.

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Power-Up Comms vs Power-Down Comms

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Use this as your cheat-sheet:

POWER-UP COMMS

• Short
• Clear
• Human
• Outcome-driven
• Empathetic (“I know you’re busy, so here’s the quick version…”)
• Answer the “so what?”
• Remove friction
• Make people feel confident

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POWER-DOWN COMMS

• Long
• Corporate
• Jargon-heavy
• Talks about the project, not the person
• Creates tasks instead of clarity
• Leaves people confused
• Makes employees feel small

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If your message feels like an end-of-level boss fight, you’re doing it wrong.

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The Big Mario Test

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Use This Before You Send ANY Comms

Before you hit “publish”, ask: “After reading or watching this, will the employee become Big Mario - more able, more informed, more confident?” If the answer is “Umm… not really?”, “Well, it depends…” or “They’ll know more, but won’t be able to do more…”, then congratulations, you’ve written a big, fat, pixelated mid-level obstacle, not a power-up.

Fix it. Then send.

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How To Re-Write Any Comms to Be Mario-Friendly

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Here’s a quick exercise you can turn into a blog sidebar or downloadable PDF:

Step 1: Write the message normally (no judgement, pour it out).

Step 2: Highlight every part that talks about YOU (the organisation).

Step 3: Rewrite every sentence to focus on THEM (the employee).

Step 4: Move the most useful bit to the top.

Step 5: Cut 30%. (Yes, 30%. We believe in you.)

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Your comms will immediately transform into something readable, understandable and -dare we say- appreciated.

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The Secret Weapon: Why Video Turns Your Mario into Mega Mario

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If written comms are mushrooms, then video is the Super Star of internal communications: instant energy, boosted clarity, and a much higher chance your people will actually notice, understand and remember what you’re telling them.

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Because here’s the truth (and you already know it): People skim emails.
People forget newsletters.
People mean to read the intranet update… but instead get distracted by coffee, Teams, or existential dread.

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But video? Video is the comms equivalent of giving Mario invincibility and a fabulous glitter trail.

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And when you build video the Mario way -focused on employee empowerment- it becomes one of the most effective power-ups you have.

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Why Video Makes Employees “Big Mario” Faster

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1. Video is easier to understand

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The human brain processes visuals much faster than text.
That means complex updates (new systems, processes, structures) suddenly become digestible instead of dizzying.

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Little Mario reaction to a 500-word update: “Nope.” Runs back to start.
Little Mario reaction to a 50-second, clear, captioned video: “Ahhhh, got it.” Moves forward.

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2. Video captures attention (even when people are busy)

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For hybrid, mobile or deskless workers, video is simply easier to consume than a 900-word monologue.

Whether someone’s on a break, in a corridor, on the train, hiding from Accounts, or between tasks, a short, well-made video is a quick upgrade, not a chore.

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3. Video makes your comms feel human

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People respond to people.
Facial expressions, tone, energy: these things don’t survive the trip through email formatting.

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When your comms feel human, employees feel connected.
When they feel connected, they feel informed.
And when they feel informed… yep, you guessed it: Big Mario.

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4. Video answers the “so what?” faster

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You can show the impact visually:

• what’s changing
• what do they need to do
• what problem disappears
• how this helps their day

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No scrolling. No guessing. No mental gymnastics. Just clarity delivered in seconds.

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How to Make Your Internal Videos True Power-Ups

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If you want your video to actually help your people transform, make sure it’s:

• Short (90 seconds is your sweet spot)
• Mobile-friendly (vertical or square, think “Mario Kart on a phone”)
• Fully captioned (non-negotiable)
• Focused on the employee outcome (not the organisational backstory)
• Warm and human (ditch the corporate glare from the CEO’s ring light)
• Clear on the “level-up”
  → “This will save you time.”
  → “This will prevent mistakes.”
  → “This will make your day easier.”

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Because video isn’t a flex. It’s a tool. A supercharged tool, sure. But still a tool to help them succeed.

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How This Changes EVERYTHING

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When you shift from “What do we want to say?” to “Who can our people become after hearing this?”, your comms goes from:

• ignored → opened
• heavy → helpful
• corporate → human
• noise → clarity
• irritation → impact

Employees stop seeing comms as a chore and start seeing it as support.

And THAT is when internal comms becomes a strategic superpower, not just another obstacle on the map.

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Final Word

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You’re Not the Hero. You’re the Power-Up Distributor.

And that’s the fun of it.

You’re not here to make fancy messages.
You’re here to help your Marios:

• avoid fireballs
• beat the level
• understand what's happening
• feel part of the journey
• save time
• reduce stress
• win more often
• enjoy their work more

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Your comms is the boost. They are the hero.

And the day you master that, you go from writing updates… to writing impact.

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If you feel you need help with translating any of this to your internal comms, give us a shout! We’ll have you powering-up your teams quicker than Bowser can steal your latest star!

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