Speaking

brand driven digital speaking

Looking for a keynote speaker or host for your next event? Or perhaps you are looking for an internal workshop or corporate training event? Brand Driven Digital’s Nick Westergaard can help. Contact Nick to discuss your event and learn about availability and fees.

Professional Speaking

With a background in improvisational comedy and psychology, Nick is a dynamic speaker. His style balances evidence-based insights on branding, digital marketing, and social media with a light and humorous delivery that keeps the audience engaged and entertained. In addition to speaking and keynoting at conferences and workshops across the country, he also teaches marketing at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business.

He is available to speak on a variety of topics within these areas or on a topic of your choosing. To place a date hold, check rates, or to receive a customized speaking proposal, contact us now. If you need bios or photos of Nick for your  event, you can access them at our media center.

Workshops & Corporate Training

Interested in a half- or full-day workshop for your team? Check out our on-site Brand Driven Boot Camp series. This intensive and interactive master class is designed to get your brand’s social media and content marketing in gear. Learn more.

To discuss how we can bring our Brand Driven Digital insights to your workplace for a customized, interactive day of learning and team-building, contact us now.

Host, Emcee, & Panel Moderation

Whether you need an entertaining host for your event or an engaging moderator for your panel, Nick has the skills you need. As host or moderator, Nick will work with you to understand your event and what matters most to your audience. In addition to this preparation, his background in improvisational comedy allows him to add insightful commentary and relevant humor. A seasoned multi-tasker (he has five kids!), he can easily wear many hats at your event including host, moderator, and speaker.

With Nick on stage, you’re guaranteed to have an audience with smiles on their faces. To learn more about Nick hosting or moderating at your event, contact us now.

See Nick in Action

Contact Nick to discuss your event and learn about availability and fees.

Popular Speaking Topics Include

  • Get Scrappy with Social Media — When it comes to marketing, it’s the best of times and the worst of times. New media allows us to reach more people, build personal relationships, and deliver real value to our customers. However, budgets are tighter than ever and we’re constantly distracted by all of the shiny new things coming at us. The answer? Get scrappy. During this myth-busting and actionable talk you’ll discover how getting scrappy can help you put your brains before your budget and simplify your marketing in today’s complex world.
  • Why Branding Matters Now More Than Ever — With social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram forever disrupting the way we do business, do traditional constructs like “branding” still matter? You may be surprised but because of the opportunities created by new media and disruptive technology, strong brands with something to say matter now more than ever. This talk reviews and recasts the role of brands in today’s digital age and provides a framework for building a solid brand, telling your story, and engaging your brand ambassadors.
  • The Future of Social Media — With over a billion users on Facebook and half of U.S. teens creating content on Snapchat, it’s safe to say that social media is here to stay. As new networks emerge and existing platforms add even more features, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all of these rapid shifts. This insightful and engaging keynote takes a look at what’s next, what it means, and what you can do about it.
  • Time, Talent, & Terror: Overcoming Internal Obstacles to Social MediaI don’t want my employees on Facebook all day … We don’t have the right staff for social media … If we’re on social media then people will say bad things about us!!! Sound familiar? This practical talk introduces you to the “3 Ts” that threaten social media adoption — time, talent, and terror — and provides strategies for overcoming each of them at your organization.
  • Pics to Clicks: Social Media’s Visual Revolution — As social media continues to evolve, one reality is coming into focus: brands are becoming increasingly visual. From emerging networks like Pinterest and Instagram to updates to venerable platforms like Facebook and Twitter, it’s clear that brands that aren’t ready for this visual revolution will get left behind. What does this mean and more importantly how can you prepare your brand?
  • How Work Works: Tips, Trends, & Traps from the World of Work — If you’re looking for a talk outside of the realm of branding and digital marketing, this talk draws upon Nick’s experience as co-host of The Work Talk Show podcast. Through his interviews with industry thought leaders such as Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki on how they get work done, Nick has identified several tips and trends to help you and your team succeed in the new world of work.

To learn more about how Nick can customize his presentation for your industry or to suggest a topic you don’t see above, please contact us about speaking.

You can access bios and photos in our media center.

Select Speaking Engagements

Previous and upcoming engagements include:

  • Social Travel Summit — Keynote — Leipzig, Germany
  • APPA National Conference — Closing Keynote — Chicago, IL
  • Digital Marketing World — Keynote — MarketingProfs.com
  • Expanding Entrepreneurs Expo — Keynote — Jefferson, IA
  • Quad Cities Public Relations Network — Keynote — Moline, IL
  • Storm Lake United — Keynote — Storm Lake, IA
  • Inbound Marketing Conference — Bold Talk — Boston, MA
  • Marketing Nation Summit — Speaker — San Francisco, CA
  • Dreamforce — Speaker — San Francisco, CA
  • MarketingProfs B2B Forum — Speaker — Boston, MA
  • Social Media Integration Conference — Speaker — Atlanta, GA
  • Explore Minneapolis (Social Media Explorer) — Speaker — Minneapolis, MN
  • Cadillac Dealer Group — Speaker — Dallas, TX
  • Iowa Health Care Association — Speaker — Des Moines, IA
  • Iowa City Area Association of Realtors — Speaker — Coralville, IA
  • ACT’s National Workforce Development Conference — Speaker — Chicago, IL
  • MarketingProfs University — Speaker — MarketingProfs.com (Webinar)
  • EntreFEST — Speaker — Iowa City, IA
  • BarcampICR — Speaker — Iowa City, IA
  • Social Media Club Des Moines — Speaker — Des Moines, IA
  • American Advertising Federation (AAF) — Speaker — Cedar Falls
  • Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) — Speaker — Cedar Rapids, IA
  • American Marketing Association (AMA) — Speaker — University of Iowa
  • Iowa City Chamber of Commerce Expert Edge Series — Speaker — Iowa City, IA

What Others Are Saying

“Lots of people say they understand digital marketing and social media. After all, we’re all on Facebook, right? But Nick Westergaard understands the ONLY difference that matters: how to use social media to build your business. He’s smart, funny, knowledgeable, and engaging – the perfect storm for speakers. Hire him, or risk getting all wet.”
— Jay Baer, Convince & Convert, Author of Youtility

“Nick did a terrific job presenting the opening keynote at the Social Travel Summit in Leipzig, Germany. He fully understood the brief and helped to set the tone of the conference by providing valuable insights on the ‘Future of Social’ in a humorous manner. The audience remained captivated throughout his keynote and the thunderous applause at the end only confirmed the fantastic job he did. Thank you once again Nick for your great contribution to the very first Social Travel Summit!”
— Keith Jenkins, Organizer of the Social Travel Summit, CEO of iambassador

“If you are looking for the perfect blend of killer content with humor and wit, Nick Westergaard is your man. Nick has a unique ability to keep today’s social media ADHD crowd focus and tuned in – not an easy feat in today’s world of multi-taskers.”
— DJ Waldow, Founder/CEO of Waldow Social, Co-author of The Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing

“Nick’s presentation was relevant, interesting and educational without being lecture-like. It isn’t always easy to find new and useful information to share with a room of marketing professionals, but Nick somehow managed to do so. All with a sense of humor and approachable style. I’d easily book him again.”
— Jennifer Kramer Williams, American Advertising Federation (AAF) Cedar Valley

“Nick spoke at my ‘Blogging and Politics’ class at the University of Iowa. The students and I were really impressed. Nick is a very accomplished and eloquent professional who knows the facts and the stories behind the facts about social media and campaigns. But more than that he has obviously thought long and deeply about the strategies and ideas that lead to the advancement of causes and candidates in today’s political world. Plus he kept two dozen 18-year olds and this middle aged professor entranced and fascinated for an hour!”
— David Perlmutter, Ph.D., Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Iowa

“Nick Westergaard spoke to the American Marketing Association about social media and the importance of branding. We liked how he tailored the presentation around where advertising is heading in the future with the increased use of social media. Our members found his speech to be memorable and some even went out and purchased a book he recommended.”
— Jessica Downey, Vice President, American Marketing Association (UI)