2007 MAAX HONOREES
 

Advertising Executive
of the Year
EUGENE MORRIS
Chairman and CEO
E. Morris
Communications
 

Media Executives
of the Year
CATHY HUGHES
Chairman & Founder
ALFRED LIGGINS III
CEO & President
Radio One

Marketing Executive
of the Year
GWEN KELLY
Senior Marketing
Manager African
American Initiatives
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Research Executive
of the Year
PEPPER MILLER. President
Hunter-Miller Group
 

Public Relations Executive of the Year
MICHELLE FLOWERS
President and CEO, Flowers Communications
Group
 

Lifetime Achievement
Award 
CAROL H. WILLIAMS
CEO and Chief Creative Officer,
Carol H. Williams Advertising

Honorees announced for 2007 Marketing to African Americans with Excellence (MAAX) Awards

(May 21, 2007) Target Market News has announced the recipients of the second annual Marketing to African Americans with Excellence (MAAX) Awards®. The awards program annually recognizes the contributions, innovations and exceptional performance of African American professionals in the fields of marketing, advertising, media and consumer research. The 2007 recipients are:

Advertising Executive of the Year: Eugene Morris, Chairman and CEO, E. Morris Communications

Media Executives of the Year: Catherine L. Hughes, Chairperson and Founder, Radio One; and
Alfred C. Liggins, III, Chief Executive Officer and President, Radio One

Marketing Executive of the Year: Gwen Kelly, Senior Marketing Manager, African American Initiatives, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Research Executive of the Year: Pepper Miller. President, Hunter-Miller Group

Public Relations Executive of the Year: Michelle Flowers, President and CEO, Flowers Communications Group

Lifetime Achievement Award:  Carol H. Williams, CEO and Chief Creative Officer, Carol H. Williams Advertising


The honorees were selected by the editors, writers and contributors of Target Market News, and are considered on the basis of the longevity of their careers, their advocacy of African American marketing, and the professional accomplishments that distinguish them within the industry.

”We are especially honored to give well-deserved recognition to these professionals for being champions for the African American consumer market” said Target Market News president and publisher, Ken Smikle.

“Through their persistent pursuit of excellence, they have been influential in setting benchmarks for all those doing business with African American consumers,” said Smikle “We encourage the entire industry to join us in celebrating our honorees for their unique accomplishments in elevating the field of African American marketing and media.”

Candidates were considered for recognition on the basis of being African American executives with distinctive careers, and who, throughout the course of their professional careers, have endeavored to promote greater understanding of, growth of, and sensitivity toward, the African American consumer market.

The honorees for the second annual MAAX Awards will be feted on Monday, July 2, 2007 at an awards dinner during the Eighth Annual Black Consumer Research and Advertising Summit. The event, hosted by Target Market News at the Chicago Wyndham Hotel, is the nation’s largest annual gathering of African American marketing, media and research professionals. The two-day conference features 14 panels and presentations on new research and trends from  the nation's leading companies.

Target Market News is the nation’s leading authority on African American marketing, media and consumer research. The company was founded in 1988 by Ken Smikle, who is considered to be one of the nation’s leading experts on African American marketing and media. Target Market News distributes news and information on the latest developments in marketing and media through its website, www.targetmarketnews.com. The company publishes “The Buying Power of Black America,” and also annually hosts the Black Consumer Research and Advertising Summit and the African American Magazine Summit.

For further information, visit www.targetmarketnews.com, or call Target Market News at 312-408-1881.