With the recent deal that merges Genesis Media with Shepansky Media in Vancouver, West coast medialite Roxanne Shepansky is becoming a growing force locally and across Canada.

At the helm of the new Genesis Shepansky Media, Shepansky will continue to hone her expertise and command of the West Coast media buying and planning community, while gaining access to the network of resources that allows her to become competitive on a national basis.

‘As an independent media company, we really couldn’t afford the research tools you need to deal with all the media fragmentation,’ she says. And while Shepansky’s client base had been expanding to include a growing number of national accounts, like A&W and Clover Leaf, it could only benefit from a foothold in Toronto. Meantime, ‘Genesis wanted a stronger presence in Vancouver, so it really made sense for both of us.’

For the year ahead, Shepansky predicts there will be at least $70 million in billings out of the new office, with a combined stable of about 30 accounts.

Prior to the merger in early November, the two independently run media companies were in direct competition on such accounts as Yves Veggie Cuisine, which was awarded to Shepansky, and the B.C. government, Genesis’ client.

Now running the whole show out of Genesis’ Marine Building office in Vancouver, Edmonton-born Shepansky (whose husband is Rethink cofounder Tom Shepansky) is busier than ever. But she still found 30 seconds between meetings to expose herself to Strategy MEDIA.

What are the benefits of being an independent media/buying company?

Our accountants work for our clients and us as opposed to the other way around.

What differentiates the Vancouver media buying/planning scene from Toronto?

We have about 800 fewer media people, for one thing. Our small numbers mean media people in Vancouver are expected to be planners and buyers – we don’t work in silos.

What are the benefits of working out of Vancouver?

There is a myth that people on the West Coast don’t work as hard as people in the east. Maybe that was true at one time, but I’ve never worked harder since I moved to Vancouver. However, the lifestyle benefits are vast – this helps balance life. Did I mention I’m going skiing this weekend?

Describe the best media plan you’ve ever seen?

One of my favourites was the launch of XP Tablet. The media campaign focused and enhanced the product USP – a pen that can draw right on the tablet screen. The media campaign featured on-air personalities actually using the pen on the XP Tablet when describing plays during the sports portion of news broadcasts. Crossing the boundary into editorial is a slippery slope and needs to be done carefully. I thought this campaign was one of the best examples I’ve seen of how it can be done very well.

What’s the best commercial you’ve ever seen?

In the past year I would say the Mercedes Benz – Ice Cream spot is a favourite. It drills down to the core of those of us who take delayed gratification to an extreme. It stopped me in my tracks.

What book(s) are you currently reading?

‘Mom, Jason’s Breathing On Me!’ – The Solution to Sibling Bickering

What are the most pivotal changes you’ve seen in the industry over the past 10 years?

There have been many – growing fragmentation, new media forms, available research. This is the new reality. I think one of the most pivotal changes is that media has risen dramatically up the value chain in demonstrating the accountability of the advertising investment. There is much more work needed in the area of accountability.