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“Tom Fishburne is the David Ogilvy of cartooning.”
– Seth Godin
Keynote talks with humor and insight
For more than twenty years, Tom Fishburne has captured the marketing industry in a weekly cartoon series called Marketoonist — while working with some of the world’s most interesting brands.
From drawings on the backs of Harvard Business School cases and doodles emailed to coworkers from a cubicle at General Mills, Tom’s cartoons and insightful articles are now read by half a million readers a week.
Tom has delivered more than 200 keynote talks in more than 30 countries, using humor and insight to tell the story.
When not at the drafting table, Tom Fishburne gives keynote talks to audiences around the world. He uses his cartoons to help tell the story, along with his extensive experience in marketing and business.
With a speaking style that is inspiring, engaging, comedic, and visual, Tom excels in the tricky agenda slots, including early-morning wake-ups and post-lunch food comas.
A few of the 200+ events in 30+ countries that have entrusted their audiences to Tom
Most requested keynote topics
Tom has road-tested keynote talks on marketing, technology, innovation, and the future of work in over 200 events in more than 30 countries (and half the US states).
The Funny Side Of Marketing:
Avoiding the Customer Journey to Nowhere
We now have the ability to deliver more consistent and creative customer experiences than ever before. So why does customer engagement so often fall flat? We’ve all felt the pain of customer engagement that doesn’t work — customer journeys that break, consumer data without insight, attempts at personalization that misfire. A sense of humor can help us probe those pain points and explore how to become better marketers.
Thriving In The Awkward Adolescence Of AI And Technology
Technology changes exponentially; organizations change logarithmically. Most organizations haven’t kept pace with the potential brought by technology. From AI to data to digital transformation, technology initiatives are often adopted shallowly, missing their full potential. If we want to pursue technology transformation, we ultimately have to think about organizational transformation.
Overcoming Idea Killers and Building a Culture of Innovation
The creative process shouldn’t end after the brainstorm, yet ideas often suffer a thousand cuts on the path to launch. In this keynote talk, Tom will unpack the mindset that organizations need to adopt in order to develop remarkable marketing and innovations. He will frame ways to build a culture that champions creativity and overcomes idea killers. No idea is born perfect, and innovation requires the collective creative efforts of everyone in an organization.
What's included in every speech?
An inspiring performance (of course)
A Cartoon Caption Contest
5 Licensed Cartoons in an Event Frame for Promotion
Featured promotion in the Marketoonist newsletter
50 Copies of “Your Ad Ignored Here”
Book Signing
Participation in Panel Discussions and Interviews
Hybrid Broadcasts & On-Demand Replays
Customize your event
Cartoon caption contests
Included in every keynote, Tom runs a cartoon caption contest to get audiences excited before the event and laughing at the collective sense of humor during the keynote talk.
Original custom cartoons
Cartoons can capture the essence of themes and conference tracks to promote the event (and can also make fun swag giveaways).
Collaborations beyond The keynote
Book signings, panel discussions, and interviews are welcome additions to an event.
Not your typical webinar
Remote speaking is also an option for virtual or hybrid talks with an integrated picture-in-picture video feed from Tom’s cartoon studio just north of San Francisco.
“We’ve been collecting speaker evaluations since 2005 and Tom Fishburne was our highest rated speaker ever. He not only engaged and amused, but landed important lessons that stuck with people long after the day was done.”
Jennifer Nelson
Johnson & Johnson
“Tom is a tremendously engaging speaker who not only delighted our audience with his witty insights, but also provided clear advice. We were hoping that Tom would excite and inspire our audience, and he did not disappoint.”
Sarah Neels
“Tom was our highest rated speaker for the entire event — universally received 5 out of 5 stars from every attendee who rated his session. A brilliant presentation that deftly mixed humor and insight to inspire the audience.”
Scott Brinker
MarTech