“New Marketplace” Thought Leaders Honored For Industry Excellence on Crain’s “40 Under 40” List
Commonground Co-Founders Aim to Master the Art and Science of Universal Appeal
Chicago, IL – The award-winning, cross-consumer marketing agency Commonground has announced its co-founders, Ahmad Islam and Sherman Wright are among Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine’s annual Top 40 under 40 list for 2009.
Each year, Crain’s selects forty individuals under the age of forty from the Chicago-land area, who are considered champions of their respective industries. Past lists have included presidents and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, high ranking political figures and thought leaders from various industries.
While the 2009 list features a wide array of business mavens and marketing peers, Commonground’s Ahmad Islam and Sherman Wright stand out as the only African-American entrepreneurs on the list, with a flourishing agency that can boast an authentic and multi-faceted multicultural philosophy. The agency takes a non-traditional approach to multicultural marketing, leveraging what they’ve coined, the “New Marketplace”, as an means of dimensionalizing multicultural, being inclusive of the general market as well as the traditionally defined multicultural marketplace.
Launched in 2004, and approaching their sixth self-funded year of providing a full-range of marketing disciplines, the Commonground team is forecasting an $11 million revenue stream for the coming year. “We are very honored to be recognized by Crain’s for the work we create on behalf of our client roster,” offered co-founder Sherman Wright, “it’s a symbol of the perseverance of our agency, our diverse culture and our commitment to building a foundation for mutual understanding.” In addition to the Crain’s honor, the agency heads have also been recognized as Gillette “Men of Style” and Commonground was the recipient of the 2009 Ex Award, for Best Nightlife Marketing Campaign.
Committed to being an active partner-in-process to their roster of blue-chip clients, such as The Coca-Cola Company, MillerCoors, General Mills and others, Islam and Wright foster an environment of cultural and professional diversity. “By making a conscious effort to walk the talk, we find the middle ground and we lead by reflecting the true diaspora of our country,” said co-founder Ahmad Islam, “and it manifests in the ways our clients benefit from our style of service.”
The agency partners will be feted along with the other 40 under 40 honorees during an upcoming event held by Crain’s Chicago Business. The evening is a compliment to the approaching anniversary the agency will commemorate in January 2010, and a testament to growth in spite of challenging economic times.
To view the full article with video on each, visit:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/40under40-2009/index.html#wright
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/40under40-2009/index.html#islam
About Commonground
commonground: that powerful place where deep insights and creative spirit make the difference in the new marketplace
Commonground is a full service, multi-discipline marketing agency with headquarters in Chicago, and offices in Atlanta and Houston. Launched in 2004, Commonground is 100% independently owned, with a roster of talented multicultural professionals who have a body of industry expertise and experience servicing some of the globe’s most influential brands. The client partner roster includes blue chip brands such as MillerCoors, Nike, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Bacardi, American Family Insurance, Nickelodeon, General Mills and Alberto Culver.
For more on Commonground – visit www.discovercg.com
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