There has never been a more exciting time than now to work in marketing. With each new wave of technology, we can connect with our audiences faster, smarter, and deeper than ever. But to take full advantage of these technologies, we need to build the right marketing mindsets. And who better to talk about that than Tom Fishburne - a 'marketoonist' like no other.
For nearly 20 years, Fishburne has entertained and educated audiences worldwide with his wry, playful observations on marketing. Marketing leaders stop by his cartoons, not just for a refreshing break, but also to learn how to market better.
Fishburne’s cartoons prompt us all to think about how we can serve our customers and stakeholders more humanely. He makes us question our everyday work, people, processes, and businesses - and does it with so much elan!
Tom Fishburne showcases the realities of obsessive marketing through ‘marketoons’
Salesforce and some of our Trailblazers recently met Fishburne in an exclusive master class for Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs). Apart from the initial fangirl moment, I was captivated by his talk on ‘The New Marketing Mindset’. Fishburne used cartoons to show how brands can connect and engage in the moments that matter. He explored topics such as how to avoid the ‘shiny new thing’ syndrome when evaluating new marketing technology, and how to be data-driven without being data-blinded.
Here are my three takeaways from ‘The New Marketing Mindset’ master class by Fishburne.
1. Are we really back to normal?
We can all agree that a marketer's life has never been more challenging. The pandemic threw us a number of curveballs while we were still juggling new expectations around martech, AI, data and analytics, customer journeys, and hyper-personalisation.
However, far from feeling defeated by more than a year of crisis, marketers are entering the next phase of their work with renewed optimism and purpose.
Our 2021 State of Marketing report found that 78% of the 8,200 marketing leaders surveyed have changed or reprioritised their marketing metrics. What’s more, 66% of marketers expect revenue growth at their companies over the next 12 to 18 months – and they see themselves as having a bigger role in driving that growth.
So, whether we return to normal or not, marketers today are more optimistic about serving their customers where and when it matters most.
2. Do we lack empathy?
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it when some brands reached out to me during the pandemic, asking about my well-being. It’s a different matter that they were all healthcare and wellness brands.
We all want to jump onto the ‘moment marketing’ bandwagon, and bask in the glory of going viral. But perhaps we should take that ‘moment’ to ask ourselves, “Does this add value to my customer?”
Fishburne calls it a missed opportunity when we aren't being relevant and empathic to our customers. In fact, 68% of customers expect brands to demonstrate empathy, but only 37% of customers say that this is a reality. Similarly, 66% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, but only 34% of companies generally treat customers as unique individuals.
This is a chance for marketers to close the gap. By hyper-personalising customer experiences and interactions through technologies like AI, you can engage deeper with audiences, and build stronger brand affinity.
3. Do I really know my customer?
Customers today expect brands to understand their unique needs, expectations, and behaviours – and tailor their marketing messages accordingly. Doing that can be hugely challenging when your customer data is scattered across different systems, emails, and spreadsheets. But with a platform like Salesforce Customer 360, you can create a single unified view of your customers across teams.
That matters all the more today when brands need to identify and know the digital identities of their customers instead of just their transactional data.
Marketing today is spelled D-A-T-A.
Around the world, the way we market and engage with customers is fast changing. New opportunities are opening up to reinforce and rebuild trust with new and loyal customers alike.
Fishburne’s insights can help you build the right marketing mindset for a modern digital world.
Sign up for his master class here.
About Tom Fishburne!
From drawing cartoons on the backs of business cases at Harvard Business School to being featured on Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and The New York Times, to being a keynote speaker, Tom Fishburne is a “Marketoonist” like no one else.
Tom uses his hand-drawn cartoons to give inspirational keynote talks with a unique blend of humor and insight. He speaks regularly as a Marketoonist at conferences, summits, and corporate events on the topics of marketing, innovation, business, and digital transformation. Tom is consistently ranked one of the top keynote speakers at events around the world.
The cartoons that feature in this blog have been published with Tom Fishburne’s permission.
