DP Knudten | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

The 'D' is for David. The 'P' is for Paul.

And the ‘Knudten’? It’s pronounced ‘canoe-ten.’

As an over-a-quarter-century veteran ad man, DP has worked as a copywriter, Creative Director and Marketing Strategist on some of the biggest brands in the business including Coca-Cola®, The Athlete’s Foot®, ClosetMaid®, Georgia-Pacific®, and Great Wolf Resorts®. His résumé includes tenures at ad agencies such as DDB Needham (Chicago), McCann Erickson (Atlanta) and creative shops in Denver, Sarasota, and Madison, WI.

A writer by trade, he enjoys playing in the intersection between the visual and the verbal, using his NonFiction Branding™ approach to move people—and product—for companies throughout the United States.

DP cut his branding teeth in the trenches at McCann Erickson creating a variety of work for Coca Cola and its various brands. You will never see him drink a Pepsi product, ever. He’s also

worked on a wide array of brands from the prosaic (Georgia Pacific forest products) to the poetic (HelpHOPELive), and the no-nonsense B2B (Honeywell) to the wet & wild B2C

(Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort). His personal favorite: Southeastern Guide Dogs of Sarasota, Florida. Ask him to see the TV spots. If you love dogs, you’ll love them.

DP developed his proprietary BRANDNature™ branding and messaging system by combining and refining the branding best practices he experienced at McCann Erickson, DDB Needham,

and several other regional agencies. Then he added a little extra spice of his own to create a process that helps identify, purify and codify the true story of your personal or company

brand to create advertising and marketing strategies that attract, engage, and convert.

Co-author (with Spencer X. Smith) of ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind,' and the creator/producer/host of the popular The ROTOMA Podcast and NONFICTION BRAND podcasts, DP is a recognized expert in the fields of personal / small business branding, creativity, and the intersection of culture and branding. A sought-after speaker, he presents a range of provocative and entertaining talks featuring his unique POV and processes to companies and groups throughout the United States. DP’s latest (ad)venture is NonFiction Brandversity™, an online community for passionate personal and small business branders.

“Know who you are. So you can be it.” That two-sentence call to action succinctly sums up what the NonFiction Brand™ philosophy, and DP the person, are all about.

To find out more about DP, visit www.dpknudten.com, check out his book ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media ‘Top of Mind,’ or listen to his two podcasts (The ROTOMA Podcast and NONFICTION BRAND) wherever fine podcasts are FREE.

Current position (1)

Chief Collaborator

COLLABORATOR creative

Degrees (1)

Theatre

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

1979 to 1983

Presentations

Presentations (8)

CREATIVITY ON CUE—Power tools for anyone who needs to be capital ‘C’ Creative NOW!

In today's crowded market, cut-through creativity is needed for everything you do. Whether it's planning mind-blowing meetings; attracting hordes of past (and brand new) attendees to your events; marketing, recruiting and engaging your current membership; or serving products and services to the thousands of associations out there, to demand attention in our increasingly 'shiny object' culture, on-demand creativity is a must.

In this highly informative, entertaining, and most importantly, actionable presentation, long-time Creative Director, author and podcaster DP Knudten will share a 'you can do it' toolbox full of tips, tricks, and techniques that can help you churn out great ideas every time you need them.

PERSONAL BRANDS AND COMPANY CULTURE—Friend, Foe, or Fantastic?

It’s a brave new world out there. The days of hiding and hoarding your best people are over. And more and more people are building personal brands via the always-on, globally visible channels of social media. Inevitably, some of these personal brands are going to find their way into your organization. So what do you do now? Stop them, encourage them, create a ‘one size fits all’ policy that leaves incredible opportunity on table?

That’s what ‘Personal Brands & Company Culture—Friend, Foe, or Fantastic?’ is all about. This highly visual, and example-filled presentation shows how personal brands can boost company brands, enhance cultures, and work to attract, engage and retain the very best talent. And a little spoiler re: the title; it’s FANTASTIC.

BRANDING UNDER AN UMBRELLA—Building your personal brand while working for theirs.

Personal branding is an absolute must for any professional who wants to build a future-proof career—but how can you do that while working under a corporate ‘umbrella’ brand without confusing clients, stepping on company marketing toes, or leaving opportunity on the table?

That’s what this presentation by DP Knudten is all about. Co-author of ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind,' DP brings a ton of branding tips, tricks and techniques learned over his quarter-of-a-century plus career in advertising, and applies them to the brave new world of social media.

Can you have your corporate brand cake and eat it personally too? Why yes, you can, and during this fast, fun and example-filled presentation, DP will show you how.

COMMUNICATING CULTURE: Are you by Action—or Accident?

Right after finding out where the bathrooms are, every new hire is unconsciously desperate to know one thing: what's the culture here?

No matter how many smart questions they asked at the interview, there's still a critical window of time in which to communicate your culture to this newbie in a way that encourages them to become an enthusiastic pillar of that culture within the company. The question is, is that 'culture communication' happening passively, actively, or somewhere in the middle.

In this fun, provocative, and hands-on session, DP Knudten will share not only the principles behind the 'why' of smart culture communication, but the 'how' as well. If you feel that you've clearly got a solid culture, but maybe aren't getting the word out there as efficiently and effectively as you could be, check out this entertaining, inspirational, and immediately actionable presentation.

MORE THAN A LOGO—Creating a brand that attracts, retains, and builds valuable relationships.

To some, a brand is little more than a logo and the consistent use of color, type and tagline. In reality, a true brand communicates everything you do—and all the whys customers should select you and your products and services.

In this fast, fun, and inspirational presentation, renowned brand strategist DP Knudten as he shares true stories and real-world case studies, and immediately actionable ideas on how you can discover, craft and communicate your ‘completely true / completely you’ personal or small business brand.

SELL THE TRUTH—Discover, craft and communicate the authentic brand you already are.

Truly sustainable and scalable brands are based on truth. The question is, when you are the 'brand' in question, how can you find the most compelling—and engaging—truth about yourself without coming off like a complete narcissist.

DP Knudten’s ’SELL THE TRUTH’ presentation will give you a handful of immediately actionable tools to help you find your personal or corporate truth—and identify the most effective channels for communicating it.

SELL THE TRUTH is a fun, provocative and ‘packed with examples’ presentation your authentic personal brand (you) won’t want you to miss.

WHAT’S THE ROI OF SOCIAL MEDIA? You’re asking the wrong question.

What’s the real value of engaging in social media? Those looking for a hard ROI are often unimpressed—and they should be. But what if they are asking the wrong question? What if what they should really be asking about is ROTOMA, the return on ‘top of mind’ awareness social media can generate—for FREE—all around the world.

DP Knudten, co-author of the popular book “ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media ‘Top of Mind,’ asks and answers that question in a fast-moving, fun and fascinating presentation filled with real-world examples and case stories that encourage audience members to consider a new point-of-view about the true benefits of the most powerful awareness and engagement tools ever created: social media. This highly visual talk is a perfect addition to any event, and is guaranteed to get people thinking, talking, and re-assessing their personal POV re: social media.

BRAND vs. COMMODITY—If you’re not the one, you’re the other.

You went to school for eons, developed a deep background within your professional category, and offer a level of expertise and personal service that soars above your peers. But guess what: to the marketplace you're just another Fill in the Blank.

UNLESS YOU’RE NOT.

That is what BRAND vs. COMMODITY is all about: 
Creating a brand that commands a premium place in the market, and defines you against all others—even colleagues within your current company, agency or firm.

This informative, fun, and action-provoking presentation takes a look at the uncomfortable situation facing professionals in a variety of industries, and offers some real, immediately actionable steps toward creating a personal brand that identifies, defines, and establishes you as something special within your area of expertise.

If you've ever lamented that fact that your audience considers you 'just another fill in the blank,' DP Knudten’s BRAND vs. COMMODITY can help.