Dave Fransen

Senior Director

Joined Fast Horse: 2006 and 2009

Professional Skills:
Client relations is one of my best skills. I’m also not too shabby at writing.

Path to Fast Horse:
I’ve had a few interesting jobs. I spent 6 1/2 years working in nursing homes in my hometown and in Fargo. I’ve been a waiter three times, and once did a five-hour shift at Dayton’s (now Macy’s). I also have the dubious distinction of having been hired by Jörg a grand total of four times. That’s right, four:
1) First as an intern at Weber Shandwick (1997)
2) Then as a full-time employee at Weber Shandwick (1998)
3) Next at Fast Horse (2006)
4) And again at Fast Horse (2009)

I’m often reminded this time around will be the last.

Community Involvement:
I serve on the board of directors for the Minnesota Land Trust. Previously, I was on the board of the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center.

Key Insight:

Charm is a way of getting the answer ‘Yes’ without asking a clear question.

The List: Things I’ll Never Do

  • Touch raw chicken
  • Swim in an open body of water
  • Use someone’s ear buds
  • Wear someone else’s socks
  • Can I go on?


My Hometown (And Best Thing About It):
Canby, Minn. It showed me what I can be and what I don’t ever want to be.

I’m Famous For:
Noticing things others don’t.

Very Few People Know That I …
Can carry a tune.

Dave's Professional Details

Dave Fransen specializes in strategic program planning, internal and external corporate communication, new product launches and event planning and execution for regional and national clients.

With more than 13 years of experience in consumer marketing and corporate communications, Fransen has worked for a broad range of some of the country’s most recognizable brands. Through his agency work, he has extensive experience in the outdoor recreation industry, having worked on and led the Polaris Industries account over eight years. His experience also includes leadership on the Hormel Foods account, representing such household names as SPAM, Dinty Moore, Always Tender and Jennie-O Turkey. He also led publicity efforts on behalf of Northern Tool + Equipment and oversaw publicity campaigns on behalf of SNICKERS, Sprint Communications, Best Buy and H&R Block. Currently, Fransen leads the Coca-Cola account for Fast Horse, covering brands including Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Sprite and Gold Peak Tea.

His experience also includes overseeing a number of sports-marketing activation programs, including publicity work on behalf of The Coca-Cola Racing Family of NASCAR drivers, Victory Motorcycles’ sponsorship of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, SNICKERS’ sponsorship of The Collection, a group of professional snowboarders and the University of Minnesota’s Hormel Foods Baseball Classic.

Fransen also has broad experience in corporate and crisis communication. He spearheaded an ongoing effort to generate visibility for the CEO of Polaris Industries, resulting in dozens of placements on national broadcast programs, including CNBC’s “Squawk Box” and “Power Lunch,” and in the pages of BusinessWeek magazine. He has handled major corporate announcements to analysts, investors, consumers and employees, including General Mills’ acquisition of Pillsbury and Polaris’ purchase of a 24-percent stake in Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM. He also has managed proactive and reactive communications surrounding issues such as product recalls, manufacturing plant-threatening natural disasters, legislative bans and pressures from special-interest groups.

Beyond agency experience, Fransen also served as a communications manager at Target for two years, overseeing all communications directed to team members at the company’s 1,700 stores nationwide. He also acted as a corporate spokesperson and wrote internal- and external-facing speeches for several of the company’s top executives.

In addition to his work at Target, Fransen was an account group manager at Weber Shandwick. He earned a B.A. in mass communication and speech communication from North Dakota State University in Fargo. Outside work, he enjoys traveling, reading, walking his dog and tackling the occasional crossword puzzle.