The advertising and marketing industry is grappling with a persistent problem: the obsession with short-term results. From quarterly targets to campaign spikes, many brands are sacrificing long-term effectiveness and brand resilience for quick wins.
Drawing on insights from the Effie Awards, her work in executive education and marketing strategy, Gillian explains how internal culture, leadership behaviour, and poor briefing processes all contribute to the erosion of long-term brand building.
In this episode of The Lead Creative, we speak to Gillian Rightford, MD of Adtherapy, founder of The School of Thought, and lead for the Effie Awards South Africa. Gillian shares why truly effective work is becoming harder to produce and how short-termism undermines creativity and business results.
Key Takeaways:
- Too many brands spread budgets thinly across multiple channels, weakening the impact of campaigns.
- Culture of effectiveness within organisations is essential; without it, marketers can’t champion brave or impactful work.
- Most briefs fail because they don’t ask: Why are we doing this? or What do we want to happen as a result?
- Brands that interrogate their “why” and invest properly tend to build resilience and stay relevant.
Listen to the full episode below:
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Our podcast audio editing and audio production are done by: Maishe Rakgoale.