Medellín, fighting stereotypes
For my Reputation Management class I needed to write a case about a reputation issue faced by an institution, a person or a team. I chose to write about my home: Medellín.
As a teenager, in the late 80s and early 90s, I experienced growing up in the most violent city in the world, at that time. And also, I have experienced the transformation of the city in the last 15 years. Today I feel proud of that transformation, also I enjoy the quality of life offered and the warmth of its people. Today, as I finish the program at Stanford, I can choose to live in the Bay Area in the USA or Mexico City or Bogotá (Colombia); but none of those are appealing to me, I am choosing to live in Medellín.
Lately, Medellín has been in the media more than usual. After Netflix launched its original series Narcos in 2015, Medellín was found in that negative spotlight again. That is why I want to tackle this case. To help my home fight the "narco" stereotype. To show the world the resilience and determination of "paisas" (how people from Medellín are called). And to contribute to the continuous development and growth of Medellín and its people.
To start, let me give you some context about Medellín. 5 key facts you need to know about the city:
The protagonist of this case is Federico Gutierrez, Medellin's Mayor during 2016-2019. To learn about him and his challenge use the carrousel images below:
Netflix & Narcos: Bringing back Pablo Escobar
Most of us are familiar with Netflix, America’s leading entertainment company that provides digital streaming video on demand. Netfilx started in 1997 renting DVD’s over mail. Moved to a subscription model in 1999. Technology wasn’t good enough for streaming until 2007, when Netflix launched the service. And finally started to produce original content by 2012. Over those 20 years the company has kept growing its audience to more than 115 Million people worldwide by the end of 2017.
Original content is a key part of Netflix's strategy and Narcos has been one of their worldwide successes (click on the images to learn more):
After Narcos, and due to its success, there have been many other cultural products around those violent times in Medellín and Colombia. Most recently the movie Loving Pablo, set to premier June 15th 2018, starting Javier Bardem & Penelope Cruz.
Medellín in the 80s & 90s
All these content is "based on a true story". So what really happened in Medellín and Colombia during those troubled times? The carrousel images below will tell you the key facts!
Also, some numbers are relevant. Find below Medellín's murder rate per 100,000 people between 1980 and 2012 compared to Colombia as a whole :
Medellín, a city transformed:
So why do the people of Medellín, including me and Mayor Federico, feel so proud of our transformation? Here are some highlights! (browse the carrousel images below)
"As a city, we have been telling the story of our transformation and, today, Medellin is also known for its transportation system, for the quality of life that it offers, and for its wonderful people. That is the real Medellin: an innovative city, a home rather than a destination, a warm city – not only regarding the weather." Federico Gutierrez Medellín Mayor 2016-2019
If you were the Mayor of Medellín, what would you do?
We would love to hear your comments and ideas!
And finally...
Birds of Peace, by Fernando Botero. The first sculpture was destroyed when a bomb was placed on it during a concert on June 10th 1995. Killing 22 people and injuring about 100. The second sculpture was placed in 2000 as a sign of peace and as a tribute to those who lost their lives during those troubled times. The original bombed bird sculpture was left as a reminder of the hard times experienced by the people of Medellín.