Founder-led · New York
Createinnovative conceptsthat leave lastingimpressions
A small, founder-led firm working in strategy, brand, influence, media, and events. Every engagement is led personally by Vern Harris, from the first conversation through execution.
You work with the principal, not through layers.
- Strategy
- Brand
- Influence
- Media
- Experiences
Track record
Experience across culture, entertainment, sport, media, and consumer brands.
- Pepsi
- MTV
- HOT 97
- Def Jam Recordings
- SiriusXM
- Sony BMG
- The Fader
- New York Yankees
Names are presented as historical experience documented in ILMG's corporate profile and do not imply current affiliation or endorsement. See the full record
A note from Vern
“I built ILMG around a simple belief: the strongest work begins with listening closely, understanding what makes a client different, and staying personally involved from the first conversation through execution. There is no one-size-fits-all program here. Every engagement is shaped around the objective, the audience, the timing, and the impression we intend to leave.”
What we do
Three things, done closely.
01
Brand & Strategy
Work out what the brand stands for, then say it in one idea people recognise.
- Consulting for small business through corporate
- Positioning, narrative, and messaging
- Creative platforms and identity direction
02
Influence, Talent & Partnerships
Borrow credibility carefully — from people and properties an audience already trusts.
- Talent management and casting
- Sponsorship and spokesperson opportunities
- Cooperative and co-marketing partnerships
03
Media, Campaigns & Events
One idea, carried through press, channels, and the room — without losing its edge.
- Public relations, press releases, media placements
- Social media management and email campaigns
- Special events, activations, and production
How we decide
Five decisions, in order.
Each one narrows the next, so the creative work is the consequence of a choice rather than a preference.
- 01
Listen
What is actually going on here?
Long conversations before any recommendation. What the business needs, what the audience believes, what has already been tried.
- 02
Find the tension
Where does this brand disagree with its category?
The useful friction — the thing everyone else keeps repeating, and the thing only this client can honestly say.
- 03
Take a position
What will you be known for?
A point of view sized to the real goals, budget, and timing rather than to an award deadline.
- 04
Land the idea
What will people remember?
One organising idea with enough form to be recognised on sight and enough discipline to survive every place it goes.
- 05
Protect it
Does it still hold up in the room?
Media, influence, partnerships, and events planned together, with the same person on it from brief to execution.
Selected work
Selected ways we work.
By design
A limited number of engagements at a time.
ILMG takes on a deliberately small number of engagements so Vern can stay close to the work — in the room for the thinking and present through execution.
You work with the principal, not through layers.
- Direct access to the principal, start to finish
- Scopes tailored to the assignment, never packaged
- Discretion around client detail as a default
- Quick, direct answers instead of routed requests
- Relationships measured in years, not campaigns
Next
Tell us what you're building.
The objective, what needs to change, and why now. Vern reads every brief himself.
You work with the principal, not through layers.