Tom Fishburne: Brand Camp cartoonist and marketing guy

offline decisions

 

Just off a plane after a whirlwind week back in San Francisco, so a little bleary-eyed, and haven't been great at updating the blog lately.  I took a bunch of marketing photos while in SF though, and hope to post some of the them over the next few days.

I jotted the pencil sketch of this cartoon on the turbulent plane thinking about how convoluted decision-making can be.  There's that old saying that a failure to decide is still a decision.  Of course, I'm guilty of this too.

It cracks me up whenever I hear, "let's take this decision offline", in a meeting because the subtext feels like a welcome delay tactic.  Everyone's relieved to just keep the meeting moving.  It reminds me of this classic New Yorker cartoon:

pharmer's market

This week, we moved to a new flat in Richmond (a little further down the Thames from central London), and discovered that it has a great local farmer's market.  I'm kind of a farmer's market junkie.  I like to chat up the people working the stalls and I'm always amazed by how passionate and enthusiastic they are about what they do.

I started wondering what it would be like it everyone had to put their brand or product on display in a "market" like this.  Then, my mind jumped from "farmer" to "pharma" and out popped this cartoon.

I find the explosion in direct-to-consumer drug ads facinating and more than a little creepy (particularly the embarrassing side effects).  I learned that the US is the only industrialized country in the world that allows them. 

The idea of a "pharmer's market" felt like a pretty good metaphor for the shopper-oriented drug marketplace in the US.  I come from a family of doctors and they are amazed by the number of patients who come in the office insisting on medication that they don't really need.

brand resolutions

'Tis the season to make resolutions.  Including many that fall quickly by the wayside.  It's only human of course.  That's why gym memberships try to lock you into a long contract.

Something about the idea of brands/products making resolutions just like the rest of us cracks me up.  Particularly, since marketing is full of same foibles that we all share.

I like anthropomorphizing products.  My first started doing this about 5 years ago with this next cartoon.  This is still one of my favorites.

Speaking of talking brands, I recently reread Tom Peter's classic "The Brand Called You" piece from a 1997 Fast Company.  Wow, really inspiring and worth a look. 

Now, I'm off to make a few resolutions.