John Follis
Encyclopedia
John Follis is an award winning ad exec and marketing expert credited with originating the Web 2.0
term "G-Cred" and the value of having it. His agency's work has been described as "simple and effective" (ADWEEK) and “in your face” (TIME). He currently runs Follis Advertising, LLC and is creator and host of The Marketing Show with John Follis.
in New York. In the mid-1980s, his entrepreneurial career began with freelance work for such major New York shops as Chiat/Day, Della Femina and Kirshenbaum & Bond. His work on the Kenneth Cole
account resulted in awards and national press.
In 1988, Follis co-founded Follis&Verdi, with clients such as The American Stock Exchange
, No Excuses Jeans, Solgar Vitamins and Sorrell Ridge Fruit Spreads—a case taught at the Harvard Business School and featured in Forbes. In ‘93, Follis/DeVito/Verdi won 9 ADDY Awards making it the second most awarded agency in New York. That same year Follis formed Follis Inc to include a focus on non-traditional and online marketing. In 2003, in response to the shifting media landscape and to provide an alternative to the traditional ad agency model, Follis created "Follis Marketing Therapy". And, in 2006, Follis created "The Follis Marketing Report" blog and "The Marketing Show with John Follis" podcast syndicated on iTunes
.
for several years. His original essay, MAD AVE, appears in Mirror On America a pop culture anthology including essays from Dick Clark, Stephen King
, Dave Barry
and MTV’s Kurt Loder
. Follis’s campaign for the Marble Collegiate Church
is featured in the college text, Principles of Marketing. His early ad work on the Kenneth Cole account is featured in Cole’s "Footnotes" (Simon & Schuster, 2003). In 2006, Follis published How to Attract and Excite Your Prospects: A Guide for Getting the Best Marketing Results.
In his '07 ADWEEK article he coined the term "G-Cred" referring to online credibility. And, in 2010, he published "G-cred. The New Measure of Credibility."
, ANDY’S, Addy Awards
, One Show, New York Festival, Obie, Athena, Creativity, and Golden Web Awards. He also received a special White House invitation for his agency’s work for the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse. (See photo:http://www.follisinc.com/whitehouse.htm )
, and the Fashion Institute of Technology
in New York City. He is also a nationally requested speaker having spoken at such venues as The American Management Association, The World Business Academy, Social Media '07, and the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute. (Hear talk at:http://www.themarketingshow.net/john-follis-speaks-at-yale-entrepreneurial-institute)
, CancerCare
, the Olympic Games
, Marble Collegiate Church
, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
, SmokeFree, Scholastic’s Stay in School Program, and The National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse,. His work for the NCPCA resulted in being honored at The White House
. An interview about Follis' non-profit involvement can be heard on The Marketing Show at: http://follis.typepad.com/follis_blog/2007/07/john-follis---m.html
Web 2.0
The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
term "G-Cred" and the value of having it. His agency's work has been described as "simple and effective" (ADWEEK) and “in your face” (TIME). He currently runs Follis Advertising, LLC and is creator and host of The Marketing Show with John Follis.
Background
Follis began his career working for major advertising agencies such as FCB/Chicago and DDB WorldwideDDB Worldwide
DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc., known internationally as DDB, is a worldwide marketing communications network. It is owned by Omnicom Group Inc, one of the world's largest advertising holding companies...
in New York. In the mid-1980s, his entrepreneurial career began with freelance work for such major New York shops as Chiat/Day, Della Femina and Kirshenbaum & Bond. His work on the Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole Productions
Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. is an American fashion house founded in 1982 by Kenneth Cole. He originally named the company Kenneth Cole Incorporated in September 1982 and planned to showcase his new line of shoes during market week at the Hilton New York Hotel...
account resulted in awards and national press.
In 1988, Follis co-founded Follis&Verdi, with clients such as The American Stock Exchange
American Stock Exchange
NYSE Amex Equities, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange is an American stock exchange situated in New York. AMEX was a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was known as the New York Curb Exchange. On January 17, 2008, NYSE Euronext announced it would acquire the...
, No Excuses Jeans, Solgar Vitamins and Sorrell Ridge Fruit Spreads—a case taught at the Harvard Business School and featured in Forbes. In ‘93, Follis/DeVito/Verdi won 9 ADDY Awards making it the second most awarded agency in New York. That same year Follis formed Follis Inc to include a focus on non-traditional and online marketing. In 2003, in response to the shifting media landscape and to provide an alternative to the traditional ad agency model, Follis created "Follis Marketing Therapy". And, in 2006, Follis created "The Follis Marketing Report" blog and "The Marketing Show with John Follis" podcast syndicated on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Published works
Follis has been a featured columnist in ADWEEK Ad Age and the New York Enterprise Report. His MAD AVE column has been featured on Talent ZooTalent Zoo
Talent Zoo is an alternative employment and recruitment website pertaining to the communications industry, serving the advertising, marketing, public relations, digital media, and social media markets. Talent Zoo also publishes original articles and blogs pertaining to the communications industry,...
for several years. His original essay, MAD AVE, appears in Mirror On America a pop culture anthology including essays from Dick Clark, Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, Dave Barry
Dave Barry
David "Dave" Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author and columnist, who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comedic novels.-Biography:Barry was born in Armonk, New York,...
and MTV’s Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder is an American film critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at Rolling Stone, during a tenure that Reason later called "legendary". He has contributed to articles in Reason, Esquire, Details, New York, and Time. He has also made cameos on...
. Follis’s campaign for the Marble Collegiate Church
Marble Collegiate Church
The Marble Collegiate Church, founded in 1628, is one of the oldest continuous Protestant congregation in North America. The congregation, which is part of the Reformed Church in America, is now located at 272 Fifth Avenue at the corner of West 29th Street in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan,...
is featured in the college text, Principles of Marketing. His early ad work on the Kenneth Cole account is featured in Cole’s "Footnotes" (Simon & Schuster, 2003). In 2006, Follis published How to Attract and Excite Your Prospects: A Guide for Getting the Best Marketing Results.
In his '07 ADWEEK article he coined the term "G-Cred" referring to online credibility. And, in 2010, he published "G-cred. The New Measure of Credibility."
Awards and honors
Follis and his agencies have won multiple ad awards such as Clio AwardsClio Awards
The Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
, ANDY’S, Addy Awards
Addy Awards
The ADDY Awards is the world's largest advertising competition with over 50,000 entries annually. Founded in Florida in 1960 it was adopted by the American Advertising Federation, a not-for-profit industry association, as a national competition in 1968....
, One Show, New York Festival, Obie, Athena, Creativity, and Golden Web Awards. He also received a special White House invitation for his agency’s work for the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse. (See photo:http://www.follisinc.com/whitehouse.htm )
Teaching and speaking
Follis has been an adjunct professor of advertising and marketing at the Parsons School of Design, the School of Visual ArtsSchool of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
, and the Fashion Institute of Technology
Fashion Institute of Technology
The Fashion Institute of Technology, generally known as FIT, is a State University of New York college of art, business, design, and technology connected to the fashion industry, with an urban campus located on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of...
in New York City. He is also a nationally requested speaker having spoken at such venues as The American Management Association, The World Business Academy, Social Media '07, and the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute. (Hear talk at:http://www.themarketingshow.net/john-follis-speaks-at-yale-entrepreneurial-institute)
Non-profit work
Follis and his agencies have worked with such orgizations as Unicef, the League of Women VotersLeague of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is an American political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave women the right to vote...
, CancerCare
Cancercare
Weldmar Hospicecare Trust is a local charity providing high quality specialist palliative care services for people with cancer and similar life threatening diseases in Dorset...
, the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, Marble Collegiate Church
Marble Collegiate Church
The Marble Collegiate Church, founded in 1628, is one of the oldest continuous Protestant congregation in North America. The congregation, which is part of the Reformed Church in America, is now located at 272 Fifth Avenue at the corner of West 29th Street in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan,...
, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
, SmokeFree, Scholastic’s Stay in School Program, and The National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse,. His work for the NCPCA resulted in being honored at The White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. An interview about Follis' non-profit involvement can be heard on The Marketing Show at: http://follis.typepad.com/follis_blog/2007/07/john-follis---m.html