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| BRAND MAN: David Farmer’s software helps franchised companies battle inconsistency. photography by Elizabeth Lavin |
Company: Ad Giants
Title: CEO and founder
Stats: Based in Dallas, founded in 2001, 28 employees, 120 percent annual revenue growth
Why You Need to Know him:
Ad Giants CEO David Farmer had 22 years of advertising experience when he decided to strike out on his own. Six years ago, Farmer came up with the idea for One, Internet software that helps franchisees stay on the same page as franchisers. “I saw that technology would enable companies to build synergy for their brands,” Farmer says. “To make a brand strong, everybody needs to be singing out of the same hymnal.” Encouraged by family friend and mentor T. Boone Pickens, Farmer raised venture capital for his startup—which also offers Silo, a file-management program, in addition to One—and impressed his mentor so much that Pickens invested in the company himself. Now, having helped companies like Wendy’s, Citgo, and Union Pacific stave off brand-dilution, how does 48-year-old Farmer plan to grow his Giant? “We want to scale our product and our growth and reach globally for new clients,” Farmer says. “People talk about the giants of the advertising industry, the key players. Our name speaks to the size of our ambitions in marketing.”
