Kezia Anim-Addo on the joys and challenges of a career in Public Relations

Kezia Anim-Addo is an accomplished Public Relations professional and has successfully led high profile campaigns across a range of sectors. 

A Senior Account Director, she has worked on FMCG, Consumer Technology and NGO accounts and has been involved in creative campaign development, strategic celebrity endorsement, as well as brand management and guardianship at an international, EMEA and local level.

Kezia’s sector experience includes consumer lifestyle, consumer technology, FMCG, sport and charity and she has worked on campaigns for major brands such as Xbox, Microsoft Hardware, Heineken, LG Mobile, Speedo, Volvic, O2, Yahoo!, Oxfam, Universal Pictures, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Apple, Logitech, Intel and TomTom.

ReConnect Africa spoke to Kezia about the highlights and challenges of her successful career.

ReConnect Africa (RCA): Can you tell us about yourself and your background?

Kezia Anim-Addo: I’m a British-born Ghanaian, having lived and schooled in the UK.

RCA: What did you study and what were your initial intentions for your career?

Kezia Anim-Addo: Strangely, from an early age I’ve always had an inkling as to the kind of career I wanted and I knew the key was work experience and making contacts.

It started with a Youth Sports Trust programme in 6th Form, where I volunteered to teach local children various sporting activities. This then led to me being invited to take part in a Nike sponsored ‘Day of Sports’ event which featured amazing sporting legends from around the world, including the likes of Magic Johnson. From there I got the bug and knew I wanted to get involved in media in some way.

I made contact with the PR agency that put the event together and went to see them to talk about a placement. That didn’t work out, but I didn’t give up there. Through contacts I managed to get a placement at fashion magazine, ID, which led to further work placements at other PR agencies. After experiencing the industry, I knew it was what I wanted, so I went off and did a Public Relations degree.  

RCA: What were the key influences in your choice of career?

Kezia Anim-Addo: Back in Ghana, my mum worked in PR. What she did and what I what wanted to do seemed like worlds apart, but nevertheless she carried on encouraging me. Also, personally, I wanted a career that was challenging and diverse. The same old 9am-5pm routine job wasn’t for me; I wanted a career that would enable me to see, if not all, then some of the world, and would be something that I ultimately enjoyed.

RCA: What would you say have been the highlights of your career to date?

Kezia Anim-Addo: Where to start? I’ve been very blessed! One of the highlights which will always be with me was being involved in the UN Climate Summit and working alongside supermodel Helena Christensen and Angelique Kidjo.

Also driving the launch for Kinect for Xbox 360 is definitely an unforgettable experience! It was hard work, crazy long hours and lots of pressure, but what we achieved by the end of it, through PR, still amazes me today – a Guinness World Record for the fastest selling console, and you literally couldn’t pick up a publication without the product being in there somewhere.

RCA: Where did you train and what technical skills do you need in order to do what you are doing?

Kezia Anim-Addo: No technical skills as such, you just have to be open to networking and making contacts and also be willing and able to muck in.

PR really isn’t all glamour as most people think…I’ve had well-known celebrities screaming at me because they’ve made mistakes, sat in the office at 11pm stuffing press packs, and worked every day of the week for a month in the lead to a launch! It still amazes me today when people come in for interviews saying they don’t do this and that.

PR is all about communication skills and being able to work effectively with people, whether colleagues or media; having an attitude or being precious about what you will or won’t do won’t get you very far.

RCA: What have been your biggest challenges so far in your career?

Kezia Anim-Addo: Challenges come in a number of different forms, from unhappy clients to unhappy journalists.  What sets you apart is how you deal with them.

RCA: How do you think your African heritage has impacted on what you do and how you are perceived?

Kezia Anim-Addo: I’m very proud of my African heritage and it’s shaped me to be the person that I am today. Working in a predominately Caucasian industry, I love teaching my colleagues about my history; whether by making Jollof rice and bringing it in to share, or telling them some interesting facts and stats.

RCA: What have been the biggest lessons for you along the way?

Kezia Anim-Addo: Every day is still a learning day! But, for me, the biggest thing that I learnt along the way is that everyone is different in how they work, and that everyone’s journey is very different. Being able to understand and appreciate that makes working with people so much easier.

RCA: What advice can you offer to others who would like to take the path you have chosen?

Kezia Anim-Addo: Work experience, and work experience! It’s key…PR is such a small industry and everyone knows everyone or knows someone who does.

Also the best advice I ever received is that your career is not a race. Don’t compare where you are to someone else…do what is right for you at the right time.