Trailblazers and leaders: Georgina Afuape

Georgina Afuape | Communications Manager, UK&IRE | DECIEM

How did you get into marketing/comms?

To keep it short and sweet, I’ve really journeyed through my career! My first marketing role was back in 2018 at Red Bull as a Social Innovation Intern, giving wings to social entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their cities.

I’d just finished university studying Psychology and always knew I wanted to work with people, but I wasn’t quite sure in what capacity. That internship really resonated with me because it helped me discover how much I loved connecting people, culture and brands. I later went on to do a Master’s in Brands, Communication and Culture.

PR, however, I kind of just fell into. I joined John Doe in 2021 with no prior professional PR experience, but I was met by people who were willing to take a chance on my cultural expertise, curiosity and love for people.

Since then, I’ve worked across PR, influencer marketing, partnerships and now brand communications. Each step has given me a broader understanding of how all those disciplines connect, and I think I’ve ultimately found a really natural home in communications.

What is something that you do every day without fail?

I speak to my mum. Whether it’s first thing in the morning, a midday catch-up during my working day, or just before bed, I can’t go a day without having at least one conversation with her.

Sometimes it’s simply wishing each other a good day, and other times it’s sharing whatever is on our hearts. There’s just something about our conversations that keeps me going and keeps me grounded. It’s such a simple part of my everyday life, but definitely one I couldn’t go without.

What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received? And who gave it to you?

The best piece of advice I’ve received hasn’t come from a single person, but from many throughout my life, both professionally and personally: “Georgina, never lose the essence of who you are.” “Stay true to yourself.” “Never change, and keep speaking up about the things that matter.”

Those words have stayed with me because, as a Black person, and particularly as a Black woman, navigating your career can sometimes be difficult. There have been moments of imposter syndrome, moments where I’ve been knocked back, and environments where it can feel easier to make yourself smaller or question whether the way you naturally show up is the ‘right’ way.

But hearing that message repeatedly from people who have worked with me, supported me and know me personally has reminded me that the qualities I sometimes question are often the very things that have carried me through my career.

So I try to keep showing up as myself, keep speaking up about the things that matter to me and, most importantly, remind myself that I’m supposed to be where I am at every stage of my journey. I don’t need to become someone else to deserve the space I’m in.

What is a tool/hack that you would recommend to anyone starting out in PR/Comms/Marketing?

My biggest hack would actually be to use the things you genuinely enjoy to build yourself up professionally. Your interests are unique to you, and especially when you’re starting out, they can become your superpower.

You don’t necessarily have to be the person who is always outside at every event. Maybe you love reading, spend hours scrolling TikTok, are obsessed with music, beauty, sport or something completely niche — pay attention to those things, learn from them and then bring that knowledge into the work you do. Over time, people start to associate you with certain spaces, conversations or communities and think, “Oh, I need to go to them for this.”

Your network is also one of your most valuable assets, so nurture it. Get to know people, stay curious about what they do and make genuine connections rather than only reaching out when you need something.

And something that maybe isn’t said enough: make friends at work! Not everyone you work with needs to become your best friend, but having even one person you genuinely connect with can make such a difference to your day-to-day experience. You’ll find your person.

What’s your greatest achievement to date?

I think one of my greatest achievements is the breadth of the career I’ve built so far, which I actually forget to acknowledge sometimes. I’ve had the opportunity to work across charity, culture, sport, alcohol, social, influencer marketing, partnerships and now beauty, and every move has added another layer to the person and professional I am becoming. I’ve always said I wanted to be an all-rounder in this industry, and I’m proud that I’ve been able to intentionally shape a career that continues to reflect that.

But if I had to choose one piece of work, it would probably be my time working with ACLT – the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust. I became a connector between the charity and Black UK culture – building relationships with event organisers, community amplifiers, and sickle cell warriors to help the organisation reach communities that really needed to hear its message.

I cared deeply about that work. There were even moments where I had to take a step back and reset because of how personally invested I became, but that’s also what made it some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. The outcome wasn’t simply coverage, engagement or another campaign metric; the work saved lives, encouraged people to become donors and helped more people understand why Black communities are disproportionately impacted. 

It also gave me the opportunity to lead, build expertise and become a trusted voice in an area I genuinely cared about. I think it showed me quite early on that while I love creativity, culture, and brands, I’m at my best when I can use them in service of something with a wider purpose.

So I’m proud of the career I’ve been building.

Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had? 

The recent Vaseline Love Hurts campaign really stood out to me. It’s centred around such a simple, familiar experience: a parent or grandparent rubbing Vaseline onto a child’s face, whether they want it or not! But what I love is how they’ve taken that everyday ritual and uncovered the much bigger story behind it — care, memory, family and traditions that are passed down through generations.

The line “Some traditions aren’t passed down, they’re rubbed in” is so simple but says so much.

Those are the campaigns I’m naturally drawn to: ones rooted in a genuine cultural or human insight where people can immediately see themselves or their families in the story. Vaseline is obviously the product, but the campaign isn’t really about petroleum jelly — it’s about what that product has represented in people’s homes for generations.

I also love that something so culturally specific can still feel universally understood. That ability to find a small human truth and turn it into a much bigger brand story is the kind of work I would have loved to be part of.

In three words, describe your approach to your role/work?

Intentional. Curious. Connected.

I try to be intentional about the things I’m doing and, more importantly, why I’m doing them. I’m naturally curious, so I’m always asking questions, learning and trying to understand why something resonates. And connected because my best work comes from staying connected to people, culture and the things I genuinely enjoy outside of work. Those three things really shape how I approach communications.

What’s a question every PR/marketing pro should ask themselves?

“Why would anyone care?”

We can get so close to the brands we work on that everything naturally feels important to us. But the audience doesn’t have to care just because we’ve launched a new product, written a press release or created a campaign.

I think asking “why would anyone care?” forces you to step outside of the brand and find the actual human insight, relevance or story that earns someone’s attention. I also like to ask myself, if this came up on my feed, landed in my inbox or I saw it out in the world, would I actually stop and engage with it?

If the answer is no, then there’s probably still more work to do.