How To Turn Event Speaking Into a Brand Strategy [VIDEO]

Why It Matters

Treating speaking as brand strategy improves audience trust, boosts event ROI, and prevents wasted spend on sessions that alienate attendees; aligning talk objectives with the marketing funnel drives clearer business outcomes.

Summary

Panelists Liz Lean and Jay Aunzo argue that event speaking should be treated as a strategic brand tool rather than a platform for thinly veiled sales pitches. They say many sponsored talks fail because speakers aren’t briefed on the session’s role in the marketing funnel and default to product demos or promotional content that disappoints audiences. Effective event speaking, they contend, focuses on earning trust, delivering genuine value, and aligning the talk with clear post-event objectives—whether lead generation, community building, or product launch. The speakers recommend thinking deliberately about audience intent, funnel placement, and follow-up to maximize ROI from paid speaking slots.

Original Description

Read more: https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/content-marketing-strategy/event-speaking-brand-strategy

The best marketing strategy from the stage or behind the microphone? Never mention your product.

Too many brands make that mistake, and audiences notice it immediately. "All you're saying to the audience from the jump is, 'I want all your time, but you weren't worth much of mine.' And they can tell," says Jay Acunzo, keynote speaker and public speaking coach. He recently joined Liz Lathan, event expert and co-founder of Club Ichi, to chat with CMI’s Robert Rose for the program, Event Speaking as Strategy: How Brands Build Authority on the Stage.