Vincent Franklin

Biography

Vincent Franklin has two careers which have, on occasion, eerily mirrored each other. As a communications expert, he has spent much of his life telling brands how to better communicate their messages both internally and to prospective customers. As an actor, he is perhaps best known for his roles as Tory spin doctor Stewart Pearson in The Thick of It and Head of Contracts Nick Jowett in Olympic sit-com Twenty Twelve.

Incorporating his writing and acting skills, Vince delivers entertaining presentations on the power of language to both inform and confuse, especially in the worlds of communications (both internal and external) and marketing. Mocking some of the needlessly convoluted, esoteric terms and management-speak used throughout business he highlights how to simplify, provoke and achieve.

He considers the type of language a brand uses, the assumptions people make about it, and why a serious company looking to engender trust shouldn’t be overly familiar in an attempt to speak to their customers like normal people. He also explains the value of stories in leadership and when attempting to change the culture of a business and aid understanding and co-operation between departments. Vince advises financial services companies, government departments and a range of brands including VW, Fortis and HSBC. He considers what needs to be said, how it should be said, and what’s stopping people from doing it.

Vince’s acting career has seen him work with acclaimed directors Mike Leigh and Jane Campion and appear in The Bourne Identity and Doc Martin. He starred in BBC drama Bodyguard, Happy Valley, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and Channel 4’s multi-channel drama Cucumber-Banana-Tofu. Along with his roles in The Thick of It and Twenty Twelve, Vince also played sales/motivational speaker Rowan in The Office, who saw his session hijacked by David Brent and his guitar.