_Bill Sweetman, “a One Degree Contributor”:http://www.onedegree.ca/contributors/bill_sweetman “recently became”:http://www.onedegree.ca/2006/01/12/bill-sweetman-to-join-maclaren-mccann Vice President of Internet Strategy at “MacLaren McCann Direct & Interactive.”:http://www.maclaren.com/. Bill is one of the interactive marketing industry’s most respected authorities, and his innovative work over the last 15+ years has been recognized by numerous awards, including the prestigious Internet World Impact Award for Communications. Bill has overseen Internet marketing campaigns for companies such as Alliance Atlantis Communications, CBC, Dupont, Enbridge Gas Distribution, Harlequin Enterprises, Hewlett-Packard, Pfizer Canada, and RBC Royal Bank._
*One Degree: Congratulations on the new role at MacLaren McCann Direct & Interactive! What made you move to a large agency after so many years of working on your own or in very small shops?*
There were many contributing factors to my decision, however the biggest one was that by joining MMDI I would have the opportunity to do way more of what I’m best at and enjoy, which is acting as a coach, resource, and devil’s advocate to lots of colleagues and clients. Although the role wasn’t created specifically for me, it sure felt that way, and that is why I leapt at the opportunity.
Over the years I had also come to realize that I missed the daily interaction with a group of people I would consider peers, and I had also grown tired of not having the client budgets or internal resources to act on the recommendations I would make to clients. There’s an amazing team at MacLaren McCann that can do just about anything, and it’s so wonderful to have that kind of engine at your fingertips.
*One Degree: Big agencies talk a lot about integrating strategies across channels but often struggle when it’s time to execute. How does MacLaren McCann approach this challenge?*
Category: Ken Schafer
_Sebastian Arciszewski is one of the founders of “SplitReason.com”:http://www.splitreason.com/ a Vancouver-based online retailer selling apparel to geeks and gamers around the world. Along with his partner, Brian Penner, he is now embarking on a new project called “AdFights.com”:http://www.adfights.com/ – a website which pits advertisers spending power against each other in a forum where the advertisers are openly mocked._
*One Degree: Where did the original inspiration for Ad Fights come from?*
My partner, Brian and I have been brainstorming for a little while as to what crazy and unique ideas can potentially lead to a large windfall of money in a short period of time, with minimal effort since our daily tasks with SplitReason.com take up most of our time. Originally we had planned to mimic the Million Dollar Homepage _(see “One Degree’s coverage”:http://www.onedegree.ca/2005/09/09/the-million-dollar-home-page)_ but soon realized that it had already spawned literally hundreds of copycats. During an MSN conversation, Brian came up with the concept for AdFights.com – allow advertisers to compete for ad space in a concentrated arena of advertising, while mocking the ones not willing to pony up the money for premier placement.
*One Degree: The site has a real attitude. How has calling some of your advertisers “cheap bastards” gone over?*
StikiPad, Inc. is committed to providing solutions that enhance workflow both at home and at the office. Located out of Wichita, Kansas, the company is founded by two young entrepreneurs.
Matthew DeWaal, 23 and originally from Chatham, Ontario, Canada, has over 6 years of experience in managing both online and offline marketing campaigns and communications. He graduated last year with a degree in Business Administration from Brock University. Matthew serves as CoFounder and Director of Marketing and Community for “StikiPad”:http://www.stikipad.com/buzz/.
Jonathan George hails from Coffeyville, Kansas, a small town on the Kansas-Oklahoma border. Also 23 years old, and a web programmer for over 6 years, Jonathan leads “StikiPad”:http://www.stikipad.com/ as CoFounder and Chief Executive Officer.
*One Degree: Can you give us a quick primer on what a wiki is and why we should care?*
A wiki is basically a web-page that anyone can edit and contribute to without having to know HTML or any other programming language. From a personal perspective, wikis are a great organization tool as they allow you to keep information in one place, rather than scattered across mediums (i.e. e-mails, paper notes, etc.). And, from a business perspective, wikis are great collaboration tools as they focus on real-time communication and can help large or small teams communicate more effectively. Either way, wikis are a powerful tool that have multiple facets and can be used by just about anyone.
*One Degree: How is StikiPad different from other wikis?*