We sat with Anna Toure, the founder of the Anna Toure PR agency, to discuss how she’s shaping a new approach to how brands connect with audiences through brilliant strategy.

 

Each day, Anna Toure navigates a world shaped by creativity, strategy, and human connection. As the founder of Anna Toure PR agency, she works across client meetings, brand strategies, events, and collaborations across different markets. Driven by curiosity, discipline, and a passion for storytelling, she has built her agency around helping brands find their voice and connect with audiences in meaningful ways.

In this edition of #WorkLife, Anna Toure shares her experiences, values, and vision that have shaped her journey as a PR entrepreneur. She reflects on building an agency with a global outlook, the importance of staying inquisitive, thinking beyond traditional PR, and creating strategies that allow brands to become part of meaningful cultural moments.

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Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get your start in PR, and what inspired you to launch your agency?

I always knew I wanted to launch my own PR agency. That really came from an experience I had while interning at a Parisian PR agency during my master’s degree. The agency worked closely with a commercial B2B sales agency, and I realised that PR doesn’t go without sales.

That insight shaped the strategy for my own agency. Even though our focus is PR, it was important to have a sales division that could create opportunities for clients to sell through concept stores, online platforms, and different stockists. You can have the best PR imaginable, but if there’s nowhere for the audience to find and buy the pieces, it’s a wasted effort.

Early on, we also saw that many emerging designers and brands didn’t have the tools or connections to find the right stockists to represent them. My experience before launching my agency, along with everything I learned afterwards, became one of the key elements that defined our approach and long-term strategy.

Fast-forward to today — what does a typical day look like for you?

There really isn’t such a thing as a typical day; no two days are ever the same. I usually begin by checking my phone for any urgent messages from the team before going through my emails. Then I get ready, enjoy a cup of coffee, and spend some time with my daughter. No matter how demanding work becomes, taking care of her and dropping her off at school is a non-negotiable part of my day. 

Then it’s off to the office, or, if I’m travelling, straight to my computer. I check in with the team, and we work to prioritise the day’s tasks.

A day can include team meetings with clients in different countries, organising a photoshoot, or being on set to ensure everything runs smoothly once we’ve placed a client’s pieces. We also work on strategy for key moments throughout the year.

That’s the beauty of our job: every project is different. We work across press, influencer relations, and events, which are especially important in Africa because they allow audiences to experience a brand. PR strategies also vary from Europe and the U.S. to different countries across Africa, so no two days are ever the same.

Interesting! What do you think the biggest misconception people have about working in public relations?

The biggest misconception is that knowing a lot of people makes you good at PR. People also think it’s all fun and glamorous — that we’re just going from event to event — but that’s not the case.

PR requires a lot of work, discipline, and the ability to think outside the box. You have to multitask, build relationships, and have a broad understanding of different industries to create the best opportunities for clients.

Today, everything is global. While PR agencies often work locally, it’s important to understand different regions of the world to offer the best strategies and options for clients.

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How do you decide whether a potential client is the right fit for your agency?

The most important thing we look out for is passion. We want to work with brands, teams, and founders who truly believe in what they’re building. We also have to believe in the brand’s DNA, its mission, and, of course, the quality of the product. If it’s a beauty brand, for example, we test the product ourselves.

Additionally, organisation is also just as important. PR is a long-term investment; you can start working with a brand and see results a few months later, or even years later. That’s why clients need to be organised, including financially, so they have the resources to support that growth.

We also want to know that we can bring real value. Sometimes clients don’t immediately see certain opportunities, and part of our role is to open their eyes to different strategies and help them think more broadly about their brand’s potential.

Can you tell us about a campaign or project that changed the way you think about PR?

One campaign that has always stayed with me was the one we created for Vlisco featuring Fally Ipupa. He was performing at the Stade de France in Paris — a huge milestone and achievement — and he’s also a brand ambassador for Vlisco. Because Vlisco’s fabric is such an important part of Congolese culture, we wanted to celebrate that moment with him.

We invited friends of the brand and influencers to experience the concert wearing Vlisco, celebrating both the artist’s achievement and Congolese culture through fashion. Everyone genuinely enjoyed the moment, and photographers captured it and shared it widely on social media.

Watching it all unfold, what struck me the most was the impact. It showed me how a brand can become part of an important cultural moment without relying on a traditional campaign. Instead of simply running ads or hosting an in-store event, you can connect with new audiences through creativity and culture. That’s what I love about PR; it’s a constantly evolving industry, and there are always new ways to tell a brand’s story.

You mentioned that there are always new ways to tell a brand’s story. Building on that, how does social media influence the way you approach a campaign from start to finish?

Social media plays a central role in our communications strategy. It’s one of our most effective platforms for amplifying our clients’ stories, showcasing their achievements, and keeping audiences engaged with their work.

Our approach depends on the client. For some, we’ll focus more on TikTok; for others, Instagram. In Senegal, Snapchat is very important for certain audiences, while in other countries it isn’t. It all depends on the product, the audience they’re trying to reach, and their overall strategy.

We always encourage clients to be in the moment and authentic rather than copy what everyone else is doing. Our PR advice is tailored and never one-size-fits-all; it’s tailored to what makes the most sense for their brand. We also use social media extensively for research, whether we’re identifying people of influence or following what’s happening in the industry.

What core philosophies guide the way you work every day?

In this industry, I think you have to be a workaholic, but also stay curious. I read widely, follow the news, and look at trends beyond my own field to find inspiration and bring new ideas and strategies to my clients.

You can’t just stay satisfied with what you already know or what you’ve experienced. What has always worked for me is curiosity, constantly searching, and continuing to learn.

If you love what you do, it never feels like a burden. Even when you work a lot, you can still find excitement in it. But it’s also important to make time for yourself and your family because when you come back to work, you’re more efficient, fresher, and full of ideas.

I also believe in maintaining genuine relationships with your network. People sometimes think networking is only about needing something from others, but being honest and building real connections is important. It’s a small world, and genuine relationships make a difference.

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Running an agency is incredibly demanding. How do you balance this with motherhood?

For me, it all comes down to organisation. I’ve always known that I wanted a career I was passionate about, but I also love children, and becoming a mother was a dream come true. I never wanted to neglect my time as a mother for work; it was about finding the right balance.

I’ve always been lucky to have the flexibility to organise my schedule around my daughter, and now that she is three and in school, it’s much easier. I also have an amazing team, so we can share responsibilities and support each other.

My experience working in New York also shaped the way I approach organisation. It’s such a fast-paced environment that you learn how to manage your time and stay efficient. Of course, there are challenges; you have to plan and adapt, but I think it’s a beautiful balance.

As a leader, I want to offer that same flexibility to women on my team. Whether they have children now or in the future, I believe women should be able to grow in their careers while also being the mothers they want to be. As long as the work is done and the goals are achieved, I think flexibility is important.

Working internationally has also taught me the importance of adaptation. When I moved back to Africa, I had to adjust to different ways of working while maintaining global standards, because we work with partners across Africa, Europe, and the U.S. Understanding different cultures and work environments is part of building a global agency.

What’s one piece of career advice you wish you’d received when you were starting in PR? 

If I look at my own experience, the best thing I did was to gain experience and learn from different companies. Working in PR allowed me to learn from others while also developing my own perspective based on my interests and beliefs.

I think it’s important to learn from your peers, stay open-minded, and take inspiration from different fields. In PR, you cannot always focus on what has traditionally been done; that’s often what helps you stand out.

For example, we started working with clients based in Africa, believing there was an opportunity for them in other parts of the world. Even as a boutique agency based in Senegal, we didn’t limit ourselves to one market. I think what makes a difference is not being stopped by stereotypes or by a certain model of how things should be done.

You also have to trust yourself. Sometimes it’s just the small sentences you tell yourself in the morning or before an important meeting: “You got this.” That trust can change your mood and your mindset. Even if you are wrong sometimes, that’s okay; everyone is. It’s about the posture you give yourself. When you trust your ideas and your vision, people trust you too.

English is not even my mother tongue, and I developed my company in the United States. I didn’t go to school there; I was hired by a German company to work there before launching my agency. Those experiences taught me that when you trust yourself and your project, it truly makes a difference.

Discipline, thinking outside the box, and maintaining strong relationships with people you meet in the industry are also essential.

On a final note, what are you most excited to bring to life with your agency?

What excites me the most is bringing strategies to life and seeing the impact they can have on a brand. Whether we work with new companies or established brands, it’s rewarding to see their perception evolve through teamwork.

We work closely with our clients to develop strategies aligned with their goals and preferences. Seeing their satisfaction when they trust our vision, whether it’s through events, collaborations, or connecting them with the right people, is what makes the work meaningful.

When you see a brand shift and be perceived differently because of the strategy and effort behind it, that’s always exciting. When you love what you do and are passionate about it, those moments are the most rewarding.

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The post Meet Anna Touré, the founder of Anna Touré PR, championing a new vision for African PR and global cultural storytelling appeared first on Marie Claire Nigeria.