Two math and technology enthusiasts, Alex and Willie, propose a panel discussing their experience growing a global search marketing business while immersed in the culture of traditional advertising "Mad Men". As self-described "nerds" working in advertising, they will share interesting encounters and insights about how nerd culture has influenced mainstream business and corporate environments. The panel will also discuss how they met, their journey building their business i-Cherry from 30 to 70 people internationally, and tips for other non-traditional thinkers to survive in advertising.

1. Math
Men
among
Mad
Men
SXSW
2016
–
Panel
proposal

2. Descrip<on
You
feel
like
you
don't
fit
the
cool
world
of
adver<sing?
We
would
like
to
share
the
experience
of
2
nerds
that
are
living
among
Mad
Men
and
growing
a
global
business
in
adver<sing.
Interes<ng
encounters,
coincidences
and
also
some
insights
around
how
nerd
culture
is
influencing
business
and
the
corporate
environment.

3. About
us
Alex
lives
in
San
Diego,
started
his
career
as
a
copywriter
and
started
his
first
search
marke<ng
agency
when
Google
was
not
even
in
Brazil
yet.
He’s
Head
of
Behavioral
Media
at
Mirum
and
Global
CEO
at
i-­‐Cherry
and
his
aspira<on
is
to
create
a
global
[proper]
Search
Marke<ng
agency.
On
his
free
<me
his
s<ll
learning
how
to
iron
his
shirts
for
mee<ngs.

4. About
us
Willie
lives
in
London
and
is
a
search
marke<ng
specialist
working
with
it
for
more
than
10
years
now.
For
the
last
4
years
he’s
been
working
with
Alex
trying
to
figure
out
how
to
grow
a
search
marke<ng
business
globally
inside
a
big
adver<sing
group.
He
mastered
the
ability
to
blend
in
without
drinking
alcohol
(but
holding
a
glass
for
hours
in
corporate
events).

5. How
did
we
meet?
We
met
properly
when
one
of
our
partners
couldn’t
go
to
SXSW
2010
and
Willie
got
his
spot
and
shared
the
room
with
Alex.
Since
then
the
passion
for
music,
work,
crea<ng
things
and
a
lot
of
coincidences
brought
them
to
work
together
in
2012
at
i-­‐Cherry.
From
this
period
i-­‐Cherry
went
from
a
30
people
company
to
more
than
70
people
with
presence
in
Latam,
Europe
and
USA.

6. Where
did
the
idea
came
from?
We
think
that
nerd
culture
had
a
big
influence
on
mainstream
and
that
had
an
effect
on
the
corporate
environments
these
days
–
“ok,
we
all
know
that!”
–
you
might
think.
Our
inten<on
is
to
talk
a
bit
about
our
experience
and
the
challenges
we
faced
in
our
brief
path
crea<ng
a
global
business
around
search
marke<ng,
being
nerds
and
an<-­‐socials.
We
will
be
talking
about
how
we
got
where
we
are,
key
people
that
helped
us
on
this
way
and
<ps
to
survive
the
world
of
Mad
Men.