Ze Frank

Science Communicator, Humorist & Entrepreneur; Former President of Buzzfeed Motion Pictures & Chief Research & Development Officer at Buzzfeed

Travels From Travels From:
Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Ze Frank Biography

Ze Frank, an American online performance artist and humorist, is renowned for his innovative and engaging content. Based in Los Angeles, Frank has generated an array of notable works such as "The Show," "A Show," and "True Facts." His distinctive contribution to the digital landscape has been acknowledged with a Webby Award for Personal Website and a feature in Time's "50 Coolest Websites." He has also served in academia as an adjunct professor at institutions such as ITP/NYU, Parsons School of Design, and SUNY Purchase.

Frank's presence in the digital world extends beyond content creation. He has held significant roles at BuzzFeed, serving as the president of BuzzFeed Motion Pictures and later as the chief research and development officer. His prowess in engaging audiences was exhibited when he launched the daily video program "The Show with Zefrank" in 2006. This program combined commentary on media and current events with viewer contributions and activities. In 2012, Frank started "A Show," funded by a Kickstarter campaign, further showcasing his ability to connect with audiences. "True Facts" is Frank's series on YouTube where he details, among other oddities, scientific facts on a wide variety of wildlife, plants, insects, etc.

Frank has been invited to speak at TED Conferences multiple times, with presentations spanning over a decade from 2004 to 2014. His topics, such as "What's so funny about the Web?" have demonstrated his ability for insightful commentary on digital culture. Frank's speaking engagements include appearances at the Ruby on Rails conference, the Caroline Werner Gannett Lecture Series at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and as a substitute host on the PRI public radio show Fair Game with Faith Salie.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/11/2024.

Ze Frank Speaking Topics

  • Thinking Social

    Length: 45 to 60 minutes.

    Using a mix of personal anecdotes and examples from companies that get it or don’t, this talk tries to get at the big questions surrounding social media.

    Audiences are becoming more engaged and increasingly expect to be able to interact, give their opinions and converse with brands.

    When and how do you decide to engage in social media platforms? How much time do you devote to social media and who should be doing it? If you think of social media as a “conversation” with your customers, then what is your brand’s “voice” and how do you find it? How do you keep the conversation going using “action chains” targeted at specific user expectations? How do you increase participation and maximize its value? What can be measured and what can’t?

    The goal of the talk is to present the costumer with ways of thinking about these questions, and models for moving forward in an ever-changing landscape.

    Values: Marketing in a connected world—how to approach Social Media; how to get the most from your customers.

  • Smart Fun—Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Everything

    Length: Variable, up to an hour; can also be done as a series of short interstitials throughout a conference.

    A collection of visuals and stories inspired by years of online curiosity and research. From the history of airplane safety cards to the audience-assisted search for the creator of a random online viral audio clip. Very funny and fast paced. In the style of the performance that was a hit at the Ted conference, etc…

    Values: Fun.

  • Smart Fun—The Hard Way: Lessons Learned from a Life Online

    Length: Variable, up to an hour.

    Through stories, interactive applications and tons of slides, Ze talks about his crazy experiences in the online world, starting with a viral hit that propelled him into the center stage of online celebrity (before that even existed) through the creation of the world’s first earth sandwich, to a two thousand person game of ro-sham-bo, to collaboratively written music about anxiety, to a dress up your vacuum cleaners bit. A funny and often touching look at the modern struggle of connecting with a vast but unseen audience.

    Values: How to connect with your audience. How to change with the changing desires of your audience. Fun.

  • Contagious Media Workshop

    Length: two 45 minute talks and an hour of moderated question and answer directed at the company's specific challenges.

    Ze and colleague Jonah Peretti, co-founder of HuffingtonPost, cover contagious media in depth from both cultural and practical standpoints. The two presentations are followed by a planned Q&A session to address the specific concerns of the brand or company.

  • Contagious Media: Beyond Viral Marketing

    Length: 45 to 60 minutes.

    Viral Marketing campaigns are risky and even when they work it is hard to convert that success into long-term value. Network–oriented thinking shouldn’t be in isolation, it should permeate all facets of a brand's online and offline presence.

    This talk draws upon years of experience as a creator of widely shared media, as the facilitator of massive online communities, and as a social media consultant to a wide range of industries.

    How do you build in “social imperatives” so that people share your media? How do you build opportunities for your customers to show you what they think is interesting? How can you use statistics to adjust your strategy in real time? How do you create “emotional resonance” with your audience? Once you have started a conversation with the audience, how do you keep it going? How do you increase participation and how do you get people to talk behind your back?

    Values: Marketing in a connected world—how to effectively engage online audiences.

Ze Frank Videos

  • Ze Frank's web playroom
    http://www.ted.com On the web, a new "Friend" may be just a click away, but true connection is harder to find and express. Ze Frank presents a medley...
  • Ze Frank: Are you human?
  • ZeFrank Human Test VidCon 2013 - YouTube

Ze Frank Books

  • Young Me, Now Me: Identical Photos, Different Decades
    Young Me, Now Me: Identical Photos, Different Decades

FAQs on booking Ze Frank

  • How do I book Ze Frank to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Ze Frank for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Ze Frank, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Ze Frank or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Ze Frank

    Speaking fees for Ze Frank, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Ze Frank are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Ze Frank, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Ze Frank speak about?

    Ze Frank is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Architecture, Blogging, Business, Comedy, Consulting, Creativity, Design, Education, Innovation, Inspirational, Literary, Marketing, Sales, Science, Technology, TED.
  • Where does Ze Frank travel from?

    Ze Frank generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Ze Frank’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Ze Frank for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Ze Frank for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Ze Frank or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Ze Frank is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Thinking Social, Smart Fun—Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Everything, Smart Fun—The Hard Way: Lessons Learned from a Life Online, Contagious Media Workshop and Contagious Media: Beyond Viral Marketing. The estimated speaking fee range to book Ze Frank for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Ze Frank generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Clay Shirky, Ray Kurzweil, Jimmy Wales, Gary Vaynerchuk and Sally Hogshead. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Ze Frank for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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