Premiere Speakers Bureau

< Return to speaker

Artie Isaac Speech Topics

“Rainmaker Secrets (Networking To Grow Your Business)”

You are who you know. How can you meet and get to know more people? Even if you think you are too disorganized, too shy, or too fabulous — you can learn a few tricks for better networking. This presentation summarizes dozens of proven methods of successful rainmakers. The presentation takes one hour, including Q&A. You’ll get more ideas than you can use — but if you use even only one idea, you will improve your network.

BASICS: one hour presentation, including Q&A and audience sharing of experience (if volunteers offer to share). Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 6-200 people

FIELD TESTED: After 15 years of asking successful rainmakers for their secrets (and the permission to share those secrets), Artie has developed and presented this topic to professional audiences. Smith Barney has requested this presentation more than six times for the firm’s clients and staff. Also presented to Ohio Health’s Ambulatory Operations team. And the good folks at Chester Willcox.

Some advertisers offer products and services that are easy to buy. But some offer products and services that are so important — health care, education, legal services, financial services, for example — that the customer’s life (or standard of living) is riding on the decision. Similarly, in some B2B cases, the business customer might be risking her company. Often, unfortunately, these purchasers are less qualified to make these purchase decisions than they are for easy, discretionary buys. Artie reviews a variety of companies that understand that their advertising must provide education and courage to the customer.

The presentation ranges in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from 30 minutes to two hours, including advance readings and much lively interaction with the audience. The topic can be inspiring.

BASICS: 30 minutes to 2 hours presentation, including discussion.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

What is a brand? Who truly owns it? How can marketers influence consumer attitudes about their brand experience? How can you advance the brand for your company, product or service? There is a process: start with understanding the consumers (the actual owners of your brand) and the true benefits you offer them. Then examine every touchpoint — every interaction between the consumer and your offer — to ensure that you are imaginatively on brand.

Artie reviews a variety of brands that demonstrate how to offer and deliver on a core brand promise. The presentation ranges in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from 30 minutes to two hours, including advance readings and much lively interaction with the audience. The topic can be inspiring.

BASICS: 30 minutes to 2 hours presentation, including discussion.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has presented “Brand Marketing” to institutional, corporate and academic audiences.

What happens when you acquire a brand? What is the relationship between your flagship brand and the newly acquired brand? Do they merge? Do they compete with each other? Should one be absorbed and killed? Must you continue to support a brand that might eventually be retired? There are tried-and-true strategic alternatives for brand mergers. Like branding, start with a process: inventory the differing needs of the consumers for each brand and the true benefits offered by each of your brands. Remember: brand merger is part of a larger business strategy, not the end goal itself.

Artie reviews a variety of brands that have merged in a variety of ways, maximizing value for the overall enterprise. The presentation ranges in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from 30 minutes to two hours, including advance readings and much lively interaction with the audience. The topic can be inspiring.

BASICS: 30 minutes to 2 hours presentation, including discussion.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has presented “Brand Mergers” to institutional, corporate and academic audiences.

“Creativity (How to live a creative life)”

Can you become more creative through more creative living? Yes, you can. You can learn how to be more creative, how to manage creative people, and how to work in a company or city that is (or is not) creative. Based on a lifetime of admiring and working with highly creative people, Artie can describe how they live their lives for greater creative output. This presentation is part inspiration, part prescription. The presentation ranges in length (depending on the forum’s agenda), from one hour to — really — a full curriculum of fifteen weeks (of weekly three hour sessions).

BASICS: 1 hour to a full semester of learning. No audio-visual equipment needed.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has taught creativity management to MBA candidates at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and The New Center at Capital University. Artie has also taught creative living to not-for-profit administrators during a power outage at the Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, to 170 entrepreneurs at the Ohio Growth Summit, and to recently divorced and separated people at the North Broadway Methodist Church (where the lights were on).

“Crisis (What’s a crisis, what to do, how to prepare)”

What is a crisis? What should you do when you are thrust into a crisis? And what can you do to prepare? Through readings, lecture, panel discussion, and crisis simulation, Artie teaches groups how to be smart and ready for the unexpected. The presentation can be customized for your industry and ranges in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from one to five hours, including advance readings and much lively interaction with the audience. The topic is always engaging and sobering.

BASICS: 1 to 5 hour presentation, including simulation.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie developed and taught a mini- university for the Columbus Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization (formerly YEO) in 2004.

“Ethics of Speech for More Productivity and Peace”

How can your workforce, your community, your family live a better, more productive life? Since so much of our lives are the result of spoken words, it pays to consider the ethics of speech. What statements should be avoided? Some types, like slander and libel, are obviously a bad idea. But what of true stories, warnings and compliments? How can you watch your tongue for better relationships at work, in the street, at home and in the mirror? This presentation offers a 30-minute review of cultural approaches to the ethics of speech, followed by a lively 30 minutes of questions and answers. The topic is immediately provoking — because we have all been mis-taught that “talk is cheap” — so the discussion after the presentation is always interesting.

BASICS: 30-minute presentation, followed by 30-minute Q&A, no A/V needed

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences of all ages, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has presented this topic to educators, students (6th grade-college), corporate employee groups, church and synagogue groups, transport nurses, camp counselors, Downtown Rotary and Kiwanis.

“Generational Marketing”

The times they are a-changin’ and they are a-changin’ the people. How are you influenced by the years during which you came of age? What beliefs and experiences do you share with your contemporaries? How are the younger and older generations different from your own? Based on demographic and psychographic studies in marketing, Artie summarizes the generational shifts during the past century. The presentation can be customized for your industry and ranges in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from one to four hours, including advance readings and much lively interaction with the audience. The topic is always engaging and offers self-discovery.

BASICS: 1- to 4-hour presentation, including workshop exercises. Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie developed and taught a mini-university for the Ohio Association of Independent Colleges. Artie has also presented on generational marketing to the Presidents Advisory Council and to the Columbus Association of Credit Unions.

“History of Advertising”

Advertising offers an oddly personal look into how we live. Similarly, the study of the evolution of American advertising offers a delightful insight into American history, beyond the usual political history. This presentation offers a decade-by-decade review of advertisements to explain how our consumer culture has shaped our lives. The presentation can range in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from 60 minutes to 2.5 hours, including lively interaction with the audience. The topic is always engaging, for both victims and perpetrators of advertising.

BASICS: 1 to 2.5 hour presentation, including discussions. Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has developed and taught a course in “The History of Advertising” at the Columbus College of Art & Design.

“Marketing Strategy (How to plan your marketing)”

There is a cycle for the marketing of successful enterprises: plan, test, assess, refine — and keep testing. How can you become more proactive — and less reactively opportunistic — in your marketing? The presentation takes one to three hours, depending on whether the forum wishes to have a hands-on marketing planning exercise. In any case, you’ll learn the fundamentals of marketing strategy planning.

BASICS: one to three hours, including Q&A and (for three hour version) an audience workshop. Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 6-200 people

FIELD TESTED: After 20 years of working with successful marketers, Artie has developed and presented this topic to professional audiences and clients through Young Isaac's Clarity process.

“The Found Tribe (Ethiopian Jews)”

How did the Jews come to Ethiopia? Theories abound, none can be confirmed, but one thing is clear: they’ve been practicing Judaism in Ethiopia for two millenia. This community, which once numbered one million souls, was found more than a century ago and has been returning to Israel in substantial numbers for decades. What is the story of the 100,000 Ethiopian Jews who now live in Israel — and what is the plan for the 20,000 Falesh Mura who remain behind in critical circumstances? Based on information learned during a three-day mission to Israel in August 2005, Artie will describe this beautiful and inspiring tribe of survivors.

BASICS: 30-minute presentation. Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 8+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has presented this story to fundraising groups and religious school students.

“Values-Driven Marketing”

Some enterprises hold core beliefs very dearly. They refuse to compromise their standards or ethics. Even when tempted by short-term gain in return, they hold fast to their values. These values-driven marketers are unusual — often unusually successful and unusually introverted about their values. Artie reviews a variety of companies who are values-driven and discusses the special challenges and opportunities they face.

The presentation ranges in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from 30 minutes to two hours, including advance readings and much lively interaction with the audience. The topic can be inspiring.

BASICS: 30 minutes to 2 hours presentation, including discussion.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie is currently developing content for this topic. A pilot version is ready for presentation.

“What Goes Around (Viral Marketing)”

Viral marketing is the newest trend in cost-effective, widespread marketing. It can be any marketing campaign or creative piece that is willfully shared by one member of the target audience with another. Artie will review a variety of these pieces: videos, web games, photos, jokes — dissecting what makes them especially viral. The presentation can be customized for your industry and ranges in length from 30-45 minutes. The topic is humorous and can be disturbing, because viral material can be disturbing.

BASICS: 30-45 minute presentation. Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Young Isaac has produced viral marketing campaigns — and, in the process, became students of the trend.

“What’s So Funny (How to Understand New Yorker Cartoons)”

Ever see a cartoon in The New Yorker and miss the joke? Wonder how it sailed over your head? Redeem yourself through understanding. This presentation offers an enjoyable perspective on what makes New Yorker cartoons funny, even when they aren’t. (Sometimes they just aren’t. It’s not you.) The presentation takes 30 minutes, works as a great ice-breaker for teams, and includes an interactive “you-be-the-cartoon-critic” exercise. The topic is always fun, because the source material (New Yorker cartoons and the perspective of New Yorker cartoon editor Robert Mankoff ) is witty, once you understand.

BASICS: 30-minute presentation, including “you-be-the-cartoon critic” exercise. Required materials: each person needs a pen or pencil.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 12+ years of age, 4-30 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has developed and presented this topic as an after-dinner (or between-the-courses) ice-breaking exercise. Artie has presented “Cartoon Lovers’ Taxonomy” to corporate audiences.

“Why People Do (Consumer Behavior)”

Why do people behave the way they do? How do attitudes lead to behavior? And what can you do to influence behavior? This presentation offers an engaging introduction to consumer psychology, including behavioral models such as the theory of reasoned action and positioning. The presentation can range in length (depending on the forum’s agenda) from 60 minutes to 2.5 hours, including a lively session of questions and answers where the audience can raise their own marketing challenges. The topic is always engaging, for anyone who lives a life among humans.

BASICS: 1 to 2.5 hour presentation, including Q&A. Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room. Optional, but helpful: whiteboard or large easel pad of paper.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 18+ years of age, 20-200 people

FIELD TESTED: Artie has developed and presented this topic as part of a curriculum at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, and the Columbus College of Art & Design. Artie has presented “Why People Do” more than 100 times to corporate and institutional audiences.

What makes people laugh? What is the secret ingredient that turns a simple phrase into a punchline? Can you be funnier? How does comic timing work? Based on his experience as a stand-up comedian and a professor of consumer behavior (not much different), Artie Isaac offers an enjoyable perspective on what makes humor funny. The presentation takes 40-60 minutes, works as a great ice-breaker for teams, and can include an interactive “you-be-the-cartoon-critic” exercise. The topic is always fun, because the source material (including New Yorker cartoons) is witty, once you understand.

BASICS: 40- to 60-minute presentation. Required A/V for PowerPoint presentation: screen, ability to darken room. Optional, but helpful: whiteboard or large easel pad of paper.

RECOMMENDED FOR: audiences 12+ years of age, 4-400 people

FIELD TESTED: During several decades of after-dinner experience, Artie has proven his chops with comic observations and storytelling.

Need a couple good ideas for your marketing effort? What are the latest ideas in not-for-profit marketing? This presentation is a review of the latest and most interesting marketing ideas for a broad variety of not-for-profit organizations. Artie does more than look at leading organizations; he inspires creative thinking for agency innovation.

BASICS: 1 hour, including Q&A and discussion. PowerPoint presentation requires a room that can be darkened and a screen or white wall for projection.

RECOMMENDED FOR: executive directors/CEOs, marketing and development directors, and trustees of not-for-profit agencies.

FIELD TESTED: Artie developed and presented this topic for Fifth Third Bank's Thrive! Conference. Fifth Third's marketing director says: "Thanks so much for your participation in our event yesterday! Clearly, your session was a hit, judging from the SRO crowd you had. I'm thinking we may want to have another session on marketing next year, since it seems to be a very popular topic."

What's going on in e-commerce? And how can not-for-profit agencies grab the opportunities that such technology offers? This presentation is a review of the latest and most interesting e-commerce thinking by art museums, fundraisers, and the ingenious Mud Volleyball organizers at the Epilepsy Foundation. The session does more than look at leading organizations. It inspires creative thinking for agency innovation.

BASICS: 1 hour, including Q&A and discussion. PowerPoint presentation requires a room that can be darkened and a screen or white wall for projection.

RECOMMENDED FOR: executive directors/CEOs and trustees of not-for-profit agencies.

FIELD TESTED: Artie developed and presented this topic for the First Annual Members Conference for GroundWork Group.