Chicago Marketing Company Commonground Owners Discuss Business, Advertising and Social Networking

Chicago marketing company Commonground was honored this year as two of the four African-Americans in Crain's Chicago Business Magazine's annual Top 40 under 40 list for 2009. Both Sherman Wright and Ahmad Islam have an impressive background in marketing, especially from a multicultural standpoint. They took time out to speak with Shamontiel, the Chicago Culture and Events Examiner, about Chicago, what brought them here, the marketing industry in Chicago and how they chose their entrepreneurial professions.

Shamontiel: What grabbed your interest about the marketing and advertising industry?

Sherman Wright: I saw the movie 'Boomerang' with Marcus Graham. I thought that he had the coolest job. And I said I needed to figure out what he did, and I found out that basically he worked at an agency and got paid to come up with ideas. That was my first introduction into the world of marketing.

Ahmad Islam: I was the kid that was winning the art contests in elementary and junior high school, and also winning the candy and magazine sales contests in junior high school so I think I've had the mentality of a marketer pretty much most of my life.

Shamontiel: How did you two meet?

Sherman Wright:Leo Burnett and I was at Upshot, and we had a mutual friend who knew we were both young African-American males with executive positions at major ad agencies. We were both fraternity brothers. We were Alphas. When he met us, he said, "I've got to put you two guys together."

Ahmad Islam: It wasn't a lot of [young, African-Americans] in general marketing agencies at senior levels so we were introduced by a mutual friend. We never really kind of spent that much time talking and getting to know each other until the Cancun trip. I was down there with my wife. We'd just found out that we were expecting our first child. I was doing the heavy-lifting on the margarita side, and she couldn't hold up her end of that deal. I was thinking I was getting away from the city and working for a week or so, and happened to look to my right and there was Sherman.

Sherman Wright: I guess it was fate. He was there vacationing with his wife. I was there with my wife. We had just came back from our honeymoon, and somebody gave us a trip to Cancun. I ran into him at a resort, and we spent a week just talking. We spent that whole year getting to know each other, writing the business plan, kind of developing a model, and then in 2003 I left (Upshot) in November. He left (Leo Burnett) in December. We launched (Commonground) in January 2004. So we spent a year and a half getting ready to go off on our own.

Shamontiel: Your company Commonground emphasizes multiculturalism. Why is diversity in marketing and advertising so important to you? How do you get your clients to want diversity?

Sherman Wright: I think the biggest challenge is getting (marketing agencies) to break tradition. Most of your organizations are not as nimble, and they've been doing things a certain way. A lot of times, as far as those individuals at the top don't necessarily have visibility about what's going on in the marketplace because they're so tied up into the business from a functional standpoint. As business people if you can show them a model that works and benefits them, I think they're more open than they've been in the past, especially with the challenges you're seeing in these times.

Ahmad Islam: I think diversity is critical. The understanding of the cultural nuances of the marketplace are critical to the success of any brand who is looking to maximize the potential to generate revenue in today's marketplace.

Shamontiel: Who holds more power in the marketing and advertising industry-the consumer or the marketing executives? How has it changed since you've created Commonground?

Sherman Wright: The power is in the consumer because they have the buying power so they're the ultimate tiebreaker. From an organization and company when we're working with our clients we have the power in regards to set that tone about what they want to say about their brand. Now ultimately consumers have power in moving a product and engaging a product when they believe in it-be it social networking and communication in this digital age. Consumers have the opportunity to expose marketers and really tell the truth.

Ahmad Islam: Social media has thrown a kind of new dynamic into the mix that has changed the game in some ways, especially for those marketers that are trying to reach consumers that are heavy users of social media but aren't necessarily as comfortable giving up control. I think what has happened is with the emergence of social media and digital media as a critical means to connecting with and speaking to numerous core consumer segments, the consumer in a lot of ways has gotten more power and more influence. Ultimately marketers still have a certain level of control in terms of the consumers that they talk to and the products that they bring to market, but ultimately the marketers that are successful are those that are basing their decisions on a wealth of consumer insight.

Shamontiel: How do you manage to stay successful with our current economy?

Sherman Wright: The economy tells you that if things that you've been doing are not working, you need to change or you're not going to be there in the future. We have big expectations for ourselves. Our vision is to kind of change the face of the agencies as well as the type of entity that engage individuals, clients and be successful.

Ahmad Islam: One of my mentors told me that companies that find a way to keep moving and continue to be smartly and intelligently aggressive in this environment will find success. For (Commonground), that's what's been important is continuing to be aware of the reality of the environment but not let that paralyze us or stunt our thinking to be proactive and help our clients move their business and grow their business. You can't win by sitting out of the game.

Additional Notes: This entry was originally published by the Chicago News & Events Examiner.