Could you tell us a bit about Antidote Communications and the story behind how it was founded?
I founded Antidote ten years ago with the belief that communications and PR can have a commercial impact for a business but too often it was seen as an add-on or extra. The industry needed an image change, ironically, from one where we all had long lunches and drank champagne to being a true change agent and delivering positive commercial impact.
Fast forward to today, we are the Antidote to misinformation which – according to the World Economic Forum – is regarded as the biggest threat to businesses today and in the next ten years. We exist to support businesses in protecting their reputation against any misinformation, as well as proactively communicating their values, mission and proposition as a way of mitigating against any threats that might appear. The rise of social media and AI has made this an ever-more-present threat and presents the opportunity for misinformation to be spread quicker than ever.
Imagine if something you said in the press was misinterpreted – the potential for it to be retweeted, shared and picked up and spread via AI can be damaging – and could have a financial and reputational impact on your business. We exist to support businesses to establishing their identity and protect their reputation in cases where misinformation appears.
As a founder, what inspired you to start your own agency, and what have been some of the key lessons you’ve learned along the way?
I’ve had quite a few influences, but my biggest role model has to be my dad. He was an entrepreneur, so having your own business always felt like the norm to me. It wasn’t some far-off dream, but something real and achievable. His work ethic and drive shaped a lot of my own ambition. I wanted to prove to myself that I could achieve the same. His journey showed me what’s possible, and that’s been a huge driving force for me.
What’s been a highlight or proud moment for the company in the past year?
There have been so many proud moments, but a few stand out. Moving from working alone at my kitchen table to opening an office was a huge milestone. I had come from a big London agency, where the structure and training shaped me, but going from that environment to building something of my own was a massive shift.
Winning incredible household names as clients has been another highlight – working on the Hour of Code campaign was unforgettable, as well as advising on tech skills and comms at Number 10. Our client retention has also been a huge point of pride, with our clients seeing hundreds of millions in revenue growth, and compared to industry standards, our tenure is exceptionally strong with an average of five years.
What do you think sets Antidote apart in the communication space?
We are a Comms Tech business. This means that technology is powering everything we do. From an operational point of view, we have created our own tech stack, which means we can run Antidote more efficiently which enables the team to better engage with clients and their businesses – and importantly deliver results.
As an extension of our Comms Tech core, we are building a team of Communication Technologists. These are people who can collaborate symbiotically with machines. They can understand the potential that data offers, utilise it and combine it with core communications elements such as creativity, strategic thinking and storytelling to produce commercial impact – thus giving our clients an advantage while still delivering commercial results.
Finally, the rise of AI has heralded a new way of communicating to our customers. Our newly launched AI Search solution works to build a business into the responses of large language models such as ChatGPT when a relevant question is posed. This to me is a big leveller. Imagine your business being cited in a ChatGPT response higher than that of your competitors? It’s possible, but businesses need to act now to embed this change and activate metrics to make it a success.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about starting their own business or agency?
I think it is breaking the misconceptions that not everyone can be entrepreneurial. I think you can be an entrepreneur and have an entrepreneurial attitude even if you don’t own the business. It is something we have as our core value at Antidote – everyone has the opportunity to change and have a voice. It’s something that’s really important to me.
Also, being a female founder, to me, means embracing honesty. Too often, I see women presenting a polished, ‘perfect’ version of success – claiming they wake at 3 a.m., hit the gym, run a business, parent flawlessly, and still have time for laundry. But behind the scenes, many are struggling. That kind of narrative isn’t helpful, it creates impossible standards and makes other women feel like they have to either sacrifice everything or opt out entirely.
I want to change that. Success isn’t about perfection – it’s about determination, learning, and making it work in a way that’s real. If we can be more honest about the highs and the struggles, we make space for more women to step forward and thrive.
