Who we are and how we work

The company was started by Gillian Rightford in 2007 and collaborates with top specialists in various areas of the business.

 

Gillian’s CV is a mix of marketing, advertising, and leadership. She obtained a Business Science (Honours) degree in Marketing from UCT, worked for Perry & Associates (Marketing Strategy consulting), then headed into the creative world, doing account management and strategy for below and above-the-line agencies, before becoming Managing Director of Hercules/DMB&B/D’Arcy, and then Group Managing Director of Lowe Bull, responsible for nine Group companies, and the African region. She started Adtherapy in 2007, a company that aims to help marketers and agency partners optimise their advertising through enhanced skills, structures, ways of working, strategy, and relationships, amongst other things.

 

Some of the projects involve research and strategy, some involve structure and remuneration issues, some are centred on whether we can improve a dysfunctional agency-client relationship – and may lead to further Executive Skills Development or Coaching/Mentoring.

 

The Business Marketing Academy was set up in 2006 to provide marketers and agencies access to workshop modules that build capability across the different spheres of marketing and communication and The School of Thought was created to be an online community for the growth of knowledge and talent.

 

Gillian also lectures at the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch Design Academy, and various ad schools and sits on the UCT Advisory Board for Marketing.

 

She is a public speaker on creativity, effectiveness, client-agency relationships, and reputation.

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Every brief is different and Adtherapy is fortunate to have a wide and strong network of experts across all and every field. Some of the ones we work with often are listed below.