Michael Farmer (academic)
Michael Farmer | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Princeton University Harvard Business School |
| Occupations | Author Academic Strategy consultant |
| Notable work | Madison Avenue Manslaughter |
Michael Farmer is an American academic and writer.[1][2] He serves as Professor of Branding and Integrated Communications at the City College of New York (CCNY) and is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Farmer & Company LLC.[3]
Early life and education
Farmer attended Princeton University on a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship and graduated with an A.B. in English literature in 1964. Following his undergraduate studies, he served in the United States Navy for five years, including time aboard destroyers and as a professor of naval science at Iowa State University.[4] He later earned an MBA at Harvard Business School.[5]
Career
After completing his MBA, he taught marketing research at IMEDE in Switzerland, then joined the Boston Consulting Group in 1973.[6] He began his career as a weapon officer with US Navy.[5] Later, in 1977, he became Associate Dean for Policy and Resources at the Harvard School of Public Health. In 1979 he joined Bain & Company, where he led its European offices during the 1980s. In 1990 he founded Farmer & Company LLC.
Academic role
Since 2017, Farmer has served as Professor of Branding and Integrated Communications at City College of New York, teaching courses on agency management and brand communications.[7]
Publications
Farmer’s first book, Madison Avenue Manslaughter: An Inside View of Fee-Cutting Clients, Profit-Hungry Owners and Declining Ad Agencies, was published by LID Publishing on 15 September 2015[8] and it was reviewed by Financial Times and NZ Herald.[1][9] A subsequent edition was released in 2017, and a third edition in 2019. In 2023, his follow-up book Madison Avenue Makeover: The Transformation of Huge and the Redefinition of the Ad Agency Business was published, documenting the reinvention of the agency Huge.[10] He has also written for The Daily Telegraph.[11]
Bibliography
- Madison Avenue Manslaughter (2015; 2nd ed. 2017; 3rd ed. 2019)
- Madison Avenue Makeover (2023)
- Madison Avenue Media Madness (expected 2026)
References
- ^ a b "Penguins, frogs and the death". Financial Times. October 31, 2016.
- ^ Brown, David. "Creative clash". ProQuest 1796809670.
- ^ Zane, Leslie (18 June 2024). The Power of Instinct: The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Life. PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-5417-0387-2.
- ^ "Michael Farmer's Biography". Muck Rack. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Michael Farme biography". 27 January 2016.
- ^ "Michael Farmer". Branding & Integrated Communications, CCNY. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Michael Farmer in Media Village: "Our students are not put off by Madison Avenue's manslaughter"". BIC CCNY Blog. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Madison Avenue Manslaughter (3rd edition)". LID Publishing. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Top Kiwi". NZ Herald.
- ^ "In Huge's reinvention, a seasoned agency critic sees promise — and fresh challenges". MarketingDive. 31 July 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Michael Farmer". The Telegraph.