Trailblazers and leaders: Shakira Akinjobi
Shakira Akinjobi | BCW Global | Director, Influencer Marketing Lead UK & EMEA
How did you get into marketing/comms?
Like many people in the industry, I stumbled into this industry. I completed my undergrad degree in Criminology but couldn’t land a job in my field, so decided to work for an online commerce marketplace, in the customer marketing department. From there I moved into digital marketing at an affiliate marketing firm, before transitioning into a wider digital marketing role. I then moved into content partnerships and sponsorship and became a specialist in influencer marketing.
What is something that you do every day without fail?
Pray every morning and drink water.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received? And who gave it to you?
When I was considering leaving the industry, my early mentors shared; ‘if you want to stay in this industry figure out what you enjoy, and from there decide what you want to do and just go for it.
What is a tool/hack that you would recommend to anyone starting out in PR/Comms/Marketing?
Network well and connect with people in the roles you desire. Become skilled in a particular area or field within the industry so you can become a valued person in the team.
What’s your greatest achievement to date?
I’ve been able to build a successful career, which I’m incredibly grateful for, and being able to evolve has been an achievement. However, some career achievements include being named Faces to Watch and producing a TV program with Vodafone for Channel 4.
Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had?
The Hugo Boss #BeYourOwnBOSS global campaign. It featured a mix of influencers and celebrities including Kendall Jenner, and rapper Future, TikTok star Khaby Lame, and boxer Anthony Joshua. Hugo Boss successfully kicked off its brand refresh with a diverse mix of talent that crossed genre, and demographics and delivered coverage with almost 2 billion impressions in 1 day.
What’s the key skill you think a successful PR/comms/marketing pro requires?
Learn to be a good communicator and build good relationships with your colleagues, bosses, clients, partners, and suppliers.
In three words, describe your approach to your role/work?
Being curious, creative, and collaborative.
What’s a question every PR/marketing pro should ask themselves?
On any project, ask yourself ‘Why should people care about this thing?’ It will help you make better decisions and not just follow the group, as well as challenge the output if it doesn’t answer the question.
