Fun fact: the partners met in September, 1989. Hence: nine eight nine
We’re proud of our story, and we’d love to write you in.
989Group is a marketing communications agency based in Chicago and New York City.
We help our partners imagine possibilities, tell their stories, build their brands and grow their organizations.
People
Our business is consumed with knowing people and finding ways to reach and sway them. We are incredibly curious about what moves people and preoccupied with understanding why people do what they do. Our solutions are thoroughly customer-centric in every way.
Approach
Through multi-variant mechanisms and methodologies developed over years of experience and practice, we take great care in thoroughly dissecting, understanding and explicating specific markets from every angle. We believe long-term solutions do not exist independent of context, but real solutions are thoroughly contextual and readily integrating into daily life.
Chemistry
We choose our clients very carefully. Chemistry is extremely important to us. Our approach is partnership. We operate as insiders who seek to be immensely helpful and beneficial to our clients – not outsiders who have all the answers and leave more work than they produce. We want our relationship with every client to be warm, sanguine, upbeat, positive, proactive and solution driven. Our goal is to be the best in the business of helping a select group of organizations grow and thrive.
Instincts and intuition
We are data driven, but we are also driven by instincts and intuition.
Meet the team
Brian
Partner | Managing Director
With over 25 years of leadership in university and collegiate enrollment management, marketing and institutional advancement as a director, dean, and vice president, Brian is a gifted strategist, writer, thinker, and leader in higher education. Brian holds master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and McCormick Theological Seminary, as well as a doctorate of education from Olivet Nazarene University. He attended the Harvard Institute for Higher Education as well.
George
Partner | Creative Director
For more than 25 years, George has given expert creative leadership to marketing, communications, and branding campaigns for colleges, universities, theater companies, arts organizations, and key non-profits around the United States and abroad. His keen ability to build unique and compelling brands, his broad artistic sensibilities, as well as his extraordinary eye for layout and design are significant advantages to all of our partner organizations.
Adam
Partner | Managing Director
Adam is our resident expert in transitional management and strategic sales & recruiting. With 20 years of experience in higher education in New York and Chicago, Adam has led enrollment and financial aid teams to grow colleges through internal transition phases such as campus relocation, mergers & acquisitions, and several changes in executive leadership. He holds degrees in Education and Organizational Leadership and specializes in integrating marketing and recruitment plans to maximize revenue.
Andrew
Director of Digital Marketing Strategies
With a varied education, brand experience across industries, and a commitment to travel, Andrew applies well-rounded analytical thinking to client needs. He has his hand in everything marketing, from web and layout design to strategic planning and product development. He works from his apartment and cafes on Chicago's north side, as well as on-site with clients.
Matthew
Graphic Designer
With a penchant for first-rate hair bands and throwback, vintage design, Matt helps design some of our most creative projects from his home in sunny Cape Coral, Florida with his wife and two sons. Though he only occasionally steps outside the world of Adobe InDesign, from viewbooks to billboards, postcards to catalogs, Matt has done it all.
Alissa
Executive Assistant | Project Manager
As a former marketing intern for 989Group, Alissa has officially joined our growing team. She holds a degree in Marketing Management and specializes in brand promotion, client relations, and marketing research. Among other projects, Alissa has conducted research identifying new methods for college recruitment processes among universities.
Seth
Web and SEO Specialist
Seth is everyone’s expert. Whether discussing SEO, Google Analytics, web performance or anything digital, he’s the guy you want on your team. Currently residing with his wife and kids in St. Louis, Seth enjoys writing, podcasting and keeping up with pop culture.
Laura
Writer
For more than 30 years, Laura’s career has led her into enhancing the work of law firms, Christian ministry organizations, Chambers of Commerce, retailers, music artists, authors, universities and schools, as well as telling the stories of many fascinating people. She recently rediscovered the piano and loves to play selections from The Great American Songbook.
James
Digital Content Specialist
James’ primary skillset is creating content at scale — taking one piece of content and turning it into 20. He’s worked in digital marketing for 10 years with B2B, B2C and personal brands. James is a cofounder of Dyce Media. He’s also related to the owner of Dip N Dots!