By Remy Raitt
With a career history dispersed across the advertising, marketing and management industries, Rightford was already equipped with the background she needed when she started Adtherapy in 2007. “I wrote this formula in my head; better skills = better relationships = better results. I researched client and agency relationships and then sat down and wrote a website of all the services I could offer.”
Adtherapy develops the skills that build strong partnerships between agencies, marketers and clients. They diagnose why these partnerships aren’t creating great work and then provide the remedies. This unique form of therapy pinpoints the inputs of great advertising and tailors this to each client’s particular situation.
This bespoke approach requires hands-on involvement from Rightford’s side. “I go into the company and get a detailed brief upfront. Each one is slightly different because they all experience different things, so I structure the programme accordingly.” She says although she does experience unique issues in each situation, there are also consistent problems that pop up with most of her clients.
“The biggest problem is usually the lack of upfront thinking and how this then translates to the brief,” she says. “This sets up an inefficient process which leads to frustration and poor quality work.”
“The relationship between the agency and the client needs to be transparent, it must be a shared relationship, and the highs and lows must be shared too.” She says for the relationships to really thrive both the client and the agency need to be a hundred percent professional in everything that they do.
Evaluating creative content and each partnership’s own evaluation skills is what has made Rightford the go-to for sticky advertising and marketing situations. She’s shared these services with agencies like Y&R, King James, TBWA, Network BBDO, Native VML and clients that include Vodacom, Absa, Barclays, Nedbank, KFC and Heineken.
She says since she started the company things have changed and developed. “The business has evolved, it started with a focus on just relationships and now focuses on other things too, like creative fitness for marketers.” Other courses Adtherapy offers include strategic advertising skills development, presenting, creating happy clients, pitch guidance and mentoring programmes. The end goal of all of these is to find a way “to make better communication that engages consumers”, which is exactly what good advertising should do.
Rightford says she particularly likes mentoring and coaching women in the industry. “I work with MDs and people just below,” she says, “and, this isn’t the case with all women, but many women tend to take on too much and land up compromising themselves.” She says her job is to help these women develop leadership skills and reframe conflict. “It’s really rewarding and the women often express the relief the courses provide.”
Adtherapy’s next step, Rightford says, is a much broader in-house offering. “I want to help businesses build their own training programmes around communications and marketing.”
This attitude to constantly want to grow, develop and impact the work people do, have all contributed to Rightford’s achievements. That, and a whole lot of hard work. She says starting your own business and achieving success, especially in a niche market that might not have existed before, requires “stupidity … and a healthy sense of humour”, she jokes.
In all seriousness though, she believes conviction is the key. She says creativity, self-motivation, strong organisation skills and “being able to see the big picture and how everything hangs together” have all helped her get to where she is.
“Then you just have to keep going. Your network is very important, personal relationships really count.” She says her professional network has significantly contributed to her success. “And I’m eternally grateful for this, people are very good to me.” Her advice is to keep your contacts close; “I worked with many juniors years ago, and the thing is juniors grow up to be seniors,” she says through a grin.
Rightford believes once you’ve built your business up then it’s all about perseverance. “I just haven’t been able to give up because there are still so many bad ads out there.”
For more information, visit www.adtherapy.co.za. Alternatively connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.