Meet the Founder

Vanessa Barrington

Director & Founder | The Right Remark

Vanessa is a dynamic communications, marketing and PR leader with over 14 years’ experience working across a range of industries.

Founder of The Right Remark, a marketing agency dedicated to working with brands who make a difference in the lives of others, Vanessa enjoys elevating brands and creating meaningful connections in the communities she serves.

Vanessa has extensive experience in the areas of corporate communications, change management, corporate affairs, employee communications and has worked across a broad range of industries including energy, mining, healthcare, infrastructure, not for profit and government.

Vanessa successfully led the change management and communications for the largest commercial acquisition in Australia during 2016 (State Grid Corporation of China V Jemena), and has worked on a range of major business transformations spanning people, process, system and culture.

She has a rich history working in large corporate supporting industrial relations changes, restructures, responding to dynamic media issues, and is regularly sought out today to help organisations reshape their brand and improve employee engagement.

Having worked on the other side of the fence in radio and TV, Vanessa brings an honesty seldom found in many marketing and PR agencies. She loves helping shape a newsworthy pitch and getting great media results for many different types of organisations.

Vanessa has previously led and facilitated media campaigns for multi-million dollar events such as the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave, helped launch Brisbane’s first ever Brisbane Writer’s Fringe Festival, and continues to promote a range of lifestyle and community events and brands through The Right Remark.

How it all began…

I started writing and reading as early as I can remember and I’ve been crafting stories ever since. As a child, every chance I got, I had my head stuck in a book.

I was so passionate about stories that I used to balance the books I’d hired from the library on the front handlebars of my bike while riding my bike home so I could get stuck straight into them (yes, really!).

Fast forward to today and I still love all forms of communication. I truly believe communication is everything. It has the power to inspire change, to help us make sense of the world and connect with each other. Through communication, we can improve life, connect communities and create action around important causes. It provides us a platform to make a difference – for ourselves, and each other.

I first had the idea for this business at the ripe old age of 23. I’d spent a couple of years managing media for the Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland, and I wanted to spread my skills further. When I looked around I saw lots of AMAZING organizations out there doing AMAZING things, who weren’t so amazing at ‘selling’ themselves.

I ignored that idea however and instead set to work expanding my skills and climbing the corporate ladder.

Photo of Vanessa Barrington, Founder of The Right Remark leaning against a cafe wall holding a green smoothie

I woke up 12 years later on the cusp of burn out, juggling two young kids, a high pressure 70 hour per week job, and realised I’d lost sight of what I really wanted from life – to help others.

I quit my job, had a decent (very well deserved!) holiday – and after lots of reflection and deep soul searching, The Right Remark was born.

We help organizations who help others communicate with purpose.

If you’d like to cut through the noise, and get back to the heart of WHY your business exists and attract the customers you deserve – you’ve come to the right place.

We’re a little different to other agencies.

We don’t come with the exorbitant price tag, the empty promises or the cheap results. There’s no fancy city fringe office, crazy overheads or unrealistic expectations.

We offer end to end marketing, communications, and PR solutions, delivered with care, intention and purpose.

Now that’s something worth talking about.