• 0

Marketoonist | Tom Fishburne

Marketoonist is the thought bubble of Tom Fishburne. Marketing cartoons, content marketing with a sense of humor, keynote speaking.

  • Campaigns
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Cartoons
  • Contact
  • Book
  • 0

Evolution of Marketing and 20 Years of Marketoonist

October 23, 2022

Evolution of Marketing cartoon
  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $40 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $125 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $60 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
TweetLinkedInFacebookEmail

Last Friday marked 20 years of Marketoonist.  On October 21, 2002, I published my very first marketing cartoon, then called Brand Camp.  It was a cartoon on the 8 Types of Brand Managers.

I had just started as an Associate Marketing Manager at General Mills, working on Yoplait.  I emailed this first cartoon to 35 co-workers from my cubicle on the 4th floor, linking to a newsletter sign-up.  

I imagined this marketing cartoon series would be mainly for my co-workers in the office.  But I soon started hearing from people working in marketing in a wide variety of companies all over the world.  I learned we all share similar stories and experiences in this funny marketing industry of ours (and business in general).

Marketing is constantly in a state of flux, with an endless stream of shiny new things to distract us.  But the more things change, the more they stay the same.  

Over the years, I’ve loved this communal feeling that we’re all figuring it out together.  

I never imagined that this cartoon would have lasted 20 years, and certainly not that it would evolve into my career.  I kept drawing as I worked at different companies (General Mills, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream (Nestle), Method Products, HotelTonight) and in different places (Minneapolis, San Francisco, London). 

In October 2010, I made the leap to focus on Marketoonist full-time, growing it into a custom cartoon studio and giving keynote talks around the world.  This gave me the opportunity to meet many of you in person.

I mostly want this cartoon series to be a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.  And I think that laughing at some of the funny things in marketing can help us become better marketers.

I’m grateful for all of you who have been reading this cartoon over the years.  Thank you for joining me on this journey and supporting me along the way.  

Later this week, I’ll share an interview with MarketingWeek on some of what I’ve observed on this 20-year journey, and the backstories on some of my favorite cartoons over the last 20 years.

Your Ad Ignored Here
"If marketing kept a diary, this would be it."
- Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs
Order Now

Here’s my first-ever cartoon in this series, and a few others that come to mind:

the 8 types of brand managers - October 2002

8 Types of Brand Managers cartoon
  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $40 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $125 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $60 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
  • TweetLinkedInFacebookEmail
| Read Post

evolution of marketing - August 2008

  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $40 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $125 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $60 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
  • TweetLinkedInFacebookEmail
| Read Post

making the leap - October 2010

Brand Camp cartoon: "Making the Leap"
  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $40 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $125 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $60 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
  • TweetLinkedInFacebookEmail
| Read Post

market your bliss - November 2016

  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $40 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $125 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $60 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Share
  • Share this Marketoon
  • TweetLinkedInFacebookEmail
| Read Post

Filed Under: marketing, most popular

  • Paid licensing options include high resolution download.
  • Presentation $40 Add to Cart
  • Newsletter or Website $125 Add to Cart
  • Corporate Blog/Sponsored Post $60 Add to Cart
  • Looking for other licensing options? click here
  • View Cart
Your Ad Ignored Here Book Image

15 years of Marketoonist compiled for your marketing pleasure.

Order Now

About Marketoonist

Marketoonist is the thought bubble of Tom Fishburne a career marketer and cartoonist. Learn More...

Browse Blog Posts

Most Popular Cartoons Browse Categories

Marketoon Campaigns

contentmarketing

Content marketing with a sense of humor.

Learn More

Keynote Speaking

speakingworkshops

Insightful, funny, and visual keynote talks and workshops.

Book Tom to Speak

Search Blog Posts

Interested? Let’s Talk!

Footer Form - Let's Talk

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Marketoons

Browse Categories
Spacing Things Out

About Marketoonist

Tom Fishburne is the Founder and CEO of Marketoonist, a content marketing studio that helps businesses reach their audiences with cartoons.

© 2025 Marketoonist