from the ashes of Commonground/MGS, not everything is a phoenix

Just read in Ad Age an article titled “New Agency to Rise From Commonground/MGS Ashes,Commonground Co-founders Will Launch New Shop in Chicago”.

Definitively there are ashes here.  The partners burned this one to the ground.

According to the article Ahmad Islam and Sherman Wright, co-founders of Commonground, a Chicago-based African-American and multicultural shop will launch a new agency and have secured MillerCoors work from the now “burnt to a crisp” Commonground/MGS.

First, I know a lot more about the problem internally that is being portrayed in the trade media about the volatile relationship between the partners and their inability to move forward, thus creating a negative relationship with the financial institution that basically cut them off after six months of a tumultuous bank/agency relationship.  Who technically is at fault here?  Not the 300+ employees.

Second, I wondered immediately why Ahmad Islam and Sherman Wright, two of the Commonground/MGS partners, would go public and state they are opening up a new agency when the legal and financial troubles of Commonground/MGS have yet to be resolved.  If I were the bank or clients that have already given money for media and marketing plans and/or the media that is owed money.  I would be looking for a target to hit and slap around.

Third, in the midst of a 300+ person lay-off just before the holidays, these two individuals boast about their individual future plans.  Have they taken legal, PR and sensitivity training?

Fourth, is this an example of how trying to create one agency that handles all Total Market, Multicultural or “we are all that” type of agency really work? Hmm…..

Warren Buffett once told a group of ESPN executives that you need to have three important elements when you hire talent:

• Hard Working (as an adjective)
• Smart (as a verb, like street smart)
• Ethical (as a character trait)

If you get two out of the three, make sure Ethical is one of them.

What do you think?

Gene Bryan
CEO
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