Panel: How to uncover the hero behind every storytelling narrative

Every great story needs a hero. Sam Gamgee carries Frodo, mothers and fathers sacrifice for their children, and Captain America stands against Thanos’ army all by himself.

Heroes come in many forms, which is why uncovering them is both critical to successful storytelling and so challenging to achieve.

During a conversation with gaming PR veteran Chase and healthcare storyteller Joshua, Proven Media Solutions founder Dustin Siggins noted that the biggest challenge isn’t proving heroes matter—it’s picking the right one for the right moment. That’s where the fun began, because:

• Chase treated heroes like the Marvel Cinematic Universe on overdrive.
• Joshua spent half the time crossing people off the list like a compliance officer with a red pen.
• And Dustin just pointed out that in politics, the hero is usually whoever looks best standing at a podium with a U.S. senator.

Three Speakers, Three Hero Genres

Chase sees heroes in the faces of local creators. Having spent decades launching video games and building Twitch’s PR function, he described how a local streamer often became the human-interest hook that drove regional coverage. Reporters didn’t bite on “new platform launches,” but they loved the story of someone paying rent, buying a house, or even announcing an engagement on a livestream. By centering these stories on people, the data and platform became relevant without being the lead.

Joshua’s world couldn’t be more different. In healthcare, the “hero” often can’t be the patient (too risky), the product (too static), or even the doctor (too cliché). Regulations, ethics, and mistrust narrow the options. His point underscored the opposite dynamic from Chase: in highly regulated industries, every choice of hero requires a careful audit of both the character and the audience. Picking the wrong spokesperson or the wrong platform can alienate stakeholders rather than persuade.

Dustin bridged the two extremes with his political background. The speaker is often the policy expert or the elected official, but the hero may be the citizen or parent whose story personalizes policy debates and grounds them in everyday realities.

Finding the Right Hero for Each Story

Once options are identified, the next step is deciding whether a hero truly fits the narrative.

Joshua argued for the “Alfred approach”—make the product the sidekick that equips others, while scientists or regulators step into the spotlight. Chase countered with examples of heroes who aren’t even on camera: moderators and chat communities who keep livestreams viable.

Dustin emphasized the importance of tension. Heroes resonate most when they face setbacks and overcome adversity – Luke Skywalker doesn’t blow up the Death Star until after losing his aunt, uncle, and teacher.

Sanitized press releases rarely drive media stories. A patient overcoming odds, a creator building a career from scratch, or a parent in a David vs. Goliath fight—these are stories that balance emotion with evidence, earning media coverage that makes an impact.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Hero Types

Each hero archetype has strengths and limitations:

• The action hero (CEO, doctor, top creator) commands attention but risks being cliché—or, in healthcare, distrusted.
• The everyday hero (patients, customers, or local streamers) delivers emotional resonance but can backfire if audiences feel manipulated or if the spokesperson goes off-message.
• The second-level hero (scientists, moderators, regulators) adds credibility and freshness, but only works if the story stays centered on people and carries the human interest angle.

Joshua warned that healthcare brands risk backlash if they spotlight the wrong character. Chase explained how a toxic influencer could derail an entire gaming campaign. Dustin pointed out that in politics, misjudging the hero doesn’t just weaken the story – it can flip the entire news cycle against you.

Spokespeople: Training for the Right Platform

Even the best hero doesn’t always belong at the microphone. Joshua highlighted how CEOs often want the spotlight, even when investors are the only audience who cares to hear from them. Chase stressed that product managers or esports directors often carry more credibility than executives.

Dustin emphasized that success isn’t just about picking the right spokesperson—it’s about preparing them for the right medium. “You need the right topic, at the right time, from someone with the right title,” he said, describing this as the “3Ts.” Add the right technique—what Chase called the “4Ts”—and you’ve got the foundation for effective delivery.

That means training spokespeople not just for what to say, but how and where to say it. A scientist may shine in peer-reviewed media but struggle in a live TV interview. A parent telling a policy story may connect in an op-ed but not on a podcast. Choosing the wrong medium can undercut even the strongest narrative.

This is where media training makes or breaks campaigns. Heroes and spokespeople may drive the story, but preparation determines whether it sticks with audiences.

The Real Hero: PR Professionals Carrying the Narrative Weight

It only took an hour, but Joshua and Chase finally agreed on something: the real power lies in carefully pairing hero and spokesperson to meet audience needs. Chase joked that every campaign needs a good hero image. Joshua reminded everyone how quickly compliance can derail even the best narrative.

And that means the true hero is the PR professional who finds, shapes, and trains the story. Because no matter how many scientists, streamers, or policy activists you assemble, someone has to play Alfred to keep the narrative from crashing harder than a bad video game launch.

Watch the entire conversation below.