Jack Bauer's Digital Health Storytelling Lessons
Sam Stern


Jack is back.

In “24″, events happen “real-time”. The 24 episodes of a season represent one day in the life of Jack Bauer. Each episode is an action-packed, pulse pounding, fast-paced ride as Jack thwarts presidential assassination attempts, weapons of mass destruction detonations, cyber attacks, and sinister terror plots.

Jack Bauer is at the center of the action. While Jack is a patriot, he’s certainly no boy scout.

Jack Bauer represents the prototype flawed hero. 

A study of Jack can reveal the hero characteristics you want to incorporate in your Digital Health marketing story.

5 Hero Traits of Jack Bauer

You Can Use in

Your Digital Health Marketing Story


Fearless- Jack operates without fear. He stares down evil and terrorists without blinking. Jack doesn’t hesitate to do whatever is necessary to accomplish his mission.

How can you create a “Fearless” hero to represent your Digital Health business?

Maybe the “fearless” hero is an unsung front-line nurse who performs caring, life-saving miracles with the aid of your Digital Health solution? Maybe your “Fearless” hero is the doctor who defies traditional medical methods while adopting your Digital Health service?

One-Minded Focus- Jack never waivers from his mission. It’s to stop the terrorist’s evil plot. Period. Even if it means ignoring the President’s orders. 

Does your Digital Health “Hero” have a burning focus? How can you put your hero on a larger than life mission? Where does your hero ignore authority to accomplish the greater good?

Action-Oriented- Jack leaps into action. He doesn’t wait for confirmation. He has a sense of what needs to be done… and he does it.

How can you portray your Digital Health “hero” as a person of action?

Each day, front-line healthcare clinicians take action in caring for patients. Often times the action is taken immediately, without hesitation. How can you insert your Digital Health product or service as the “light saber”, helping your action hero?

Sense of Urgency- In each episode of “24″ the clock is ticking. The tension of urgency is always present. Every minute counts.  This urgency and tension creates interest in the story.

Create a sense of urgency and tension in your Digital Health story.

Place your “hero” in life or death situations where every second counts.

Internal Moral Struggle- While Jack is a take no prisoners guy who ultimately does things for the right reasons, he’s tormented. He struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with his daughter Kim. His romantic relationships sputter because he’s emotionally unavailable to share the horrible things he must do in his job.

Jack’s personal moral struggle makes him appear real, human. Without the moral struggles, Jack would simply be a one-dimensional, terror-fighting, world-saving machine in a man’s body.

What flaws or internal dialogue can you add to your Digital Health “hero” to make him or her seem real and believable?

Study Jack Bauer for clues about character development and hero traits you can incorporate into your marketing story.  ”24″ offers an excellent modern day example of tight storytelling and the role of the hero.

Storytelling is YOUR secret weapon to boost your Digital Health Marketing.

Learn how to Tell Stories and Drive Sales.


photo credit: K!T via photopin cc

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