Marketing key to national development agenda – CIMG

 Marketing must take centre stage in Ghana’s national development agenda if the country is to thrive globally, President of the Chartered Institute of Market­ing, Ghana (CIMG), Mr Michael Abbiw, has said.

He emphasised that market­ing goes far beyond promoting products and services, insisting it is a nation-building tool that must be urgently mainstreamed to drive Ghana’s economic transfor­mation.

Mr Abbiw made these remarks in Accra on Monday during the official media launch of the 36th CIMG Annual National Marketing Performance Awards.

He described the occasion as a defining moment in Ghana’s journey to elevate marketing as a key pillar for national progress.

As part of this vision, Mr Ab­biw announced that the Institute, in collaboration with government, would develop a long-term, sus­tainable strategy to brand Ghana. A key component of this effort, he said, is the formation of a multi-stakeholder Brand Ghana Council, which will include repre­sentatives from CIMG, govern­ment, and industry.

“This council will provide leadership, coordination, and oversight for all branding efforts. It must sit with CIMG to ensure continuity despite changing administrations. Ghana’s brand must not rise and fall with changing governments. It must endure,” he stressed.

The CIMG President reaf­firmed the Institute’s commit­ment to ethical marketing and high professional standards, citing the rigorous assessment process that underpins the awards scheme. “Awards must be earned, not gifted. They must be da­ta-driven,” he said, noting that all nominees are required to submit audited reports as part of their evaluation.

For over three decades, the CIMG Awards have served as Ghana’s gold standard in rec­ognising marketing excellence. Mr Abbiw paid tribute to past awardees, assessors, sponsors, and the Ghanaian public, describing them as the “pillars” of the award scheme’s longevity and credibility.

He further expressed con­cern about the rising number of unregulated awards schemes in the country, some of which, he said, compromise transparency and standards. CIMG, he assured, would remain a beacon of integ­rity in marketing recognition.

Looking ahead, Mr Abbiw said the Institute would form strategic alliances with other pro­fessional bodies to boost national development efforts. He also en­couraged young professionals and business executives to pursue full marketing qualifications through CIMG’s programmes.

Presenting the overview of the awards, Chairperson of the Awards, Conferences and Events Committee of the CIMG, Mr Kwasi Kyere, outlined six main competitive categories for the 2025 Annual National Market­ing Performance Awards. These include Hall of Fame, Personality, Media and Marketing Communi­cations, Business, Products, and Not-for-Profit Organisations.

He noted that a non-compet­itive category the CIMG Pres­ident’s Special Awards will also recognise outstanding male and female achievers or entities con­tributing to national progress.

He explained that companies entering the Hall of Fame must maintain performance standards, with elite status granted after 10 consecutive years of excellence.

He added that the personality category features honours such as Marketing Man and Woman of the Year, while the business cate­gory includes 29 specific awards spanning insurance, banking, tele­communications, manufacturing, and e-commerce.

The awards, he stressed, aim to celebrate marketing excellence and encourage innovation and national development through strategic brand positioning.

 BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG

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