The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), has named the CEO of GB Foods, Mr. David Afflu, and the CEO of Vodafone Ghana, Mrs. Patricia Obo-Nai, respectively as the Marketing Man and Woman of the Year 2022. The awards were conferred at the 34th CIMG Annual National Marketing Performance Awards held at the Labadi Beach Hotel last Saturday.

The Marketing Man of the Year 2022, Mr. David Afflu, was recognised for leading GB Foods to a tremendous rise in the FMCG industry, with brands such as Gino and Pomo in the Tomato Mix category enjoying a total brand communication awareness increase from 97 percent to 99 percent, Top of Mind Awareness increasing from 28 percent to 33 percent and spontaneous awareness from 84 percent to 91 percent. Under his leadership, GB Foods has experienced a growth in market share from 34 percent in 2020, to 36 percent in 2021 and 40 percent in 2022.

The Marketing Woman of the Year 2022, CEO of Vodafone Ghana, Mrs. Patricia Obo-Nai, received a huge round of applause and a standing ovation as she made her way to the stage for decoration. She was recognised for among other things, successfully leading the introduction of some irresistible offers, notably 20-minute call to all networks and 1 GB data for only 1 Ghana cedi. During this period, she supervised the implementation of some exciting marketing programmes that led to a 5 percent growth on data revenue month on month and a 35 percent annual growth from the previous year.

Also featured on the list of personality awards were the Marketing Practitioner and Marketing Students of the year 2022. The Marketing Practitioner of the year award was presented to Mrs Nana Essilfuah Tamakloe, who serves as the Director of Marketing & Corporate Affairs at ABSA Bank. Meanwhile, the Marketing Students of the year were jointly awarded to Ms. Priscilla Mawuse Menka, Strategy & Business Development Executive at Deon-Noed International and Ms. Agnes Narkie Odonkor, Business Development Manager at Microfinance and Loans Centre (MASLOC), for being the overall best students in the professional Marketing examinations. Other awards categories are Hall of Fame, Media/Marketing Communications, Business Organisations, Products, and Not-for-Profit Organisations.

With the current economic situation, CIMG deemed it appropriate to encourage businesses to improve their operations and return to profitability, hence the theme: “Marketing: A Tool for Economic Recovery”.

Addressing both virtual and in-person participants, the National President of CIMG, Dr Daniel Kasser Tee, stated that “marketing should be the bridge between adversity and prosperity, where money and time should be invested as a catalyst for promoting economic resurgence with excellent leadership and the right management teams in place.”

Dr Kasser Tee further commented on the significance of marketing-driven leadership in public institutions, thus, his advocacy for the appointment of Marketers, or people who understand the essence of marketing to be at the helm of poorly performing organisations.

“History points us to the good work of the good old Professor Stephen Adei and how he turned GIMPA around. We have had the cause to talk about the good work being done at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, where two different Vice-Chancellors, Prof. Joshua Alabi and our guest of honour for this evening, Prof. Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, who have both won the prestigious Marketing Man of the Year at different times. This is uncommon for public institutions, and it is not through sheer luck but can easily be traced to the individual transformational agenda of these three men, backed by their marketing mindset,” said Dr. Kasser Tee.

He also acknowledged the Board and Management of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) for their efforts in turning around the state institution, appreciating them as “an incentive for other public sector organisations to emulate their good work. It is for such reasons that the CIMG has begun discussions with the Public Services Commission for the possibility of introducing marketing into all Public Sector Organisations at the top level to promote the interest of customers.”

In attendance, was the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, who applauded awardees for their “exceptional performance” and challenged them to “leverage their marketing skills to promote government initiatives, combating misinformation and showcasing the transformative potential of marketing for Ghana's economy and progress.”

The Guest of Honour for the awards ceremony, Prof. Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), emphasized the transformative potential of marketing when applied professionally, highlighting its role as a catalyst for the nation's economic recovery.

“Marketing is the catalyst for economic recovery on many fronts: customer-centric strategies, innovation, digital transformation, data-driven decisions, and rebuilding consumer confidence. It fuels job creation, promotes local businesses, supports supply chains, and builds brand resilience— the key drivers for a resilient economy,” said Prof. Okoe Amartey.

According to him, governments harness the dynamic force of marketing to lead the nation towards economic revival and prosperity. “Through strategic initiatives, they ignite a wave of transformation, promoting domestic tourism to invigorate local economies and creating opportunities for small businesses to thrive. By enticing foreign investment and showcasing their strengths, governments pave the way for multinational corporations to contribute to national growth.”

The UPSA Vice-Chancellor added that “governments direct their marketing prowess towards specific industries, breathing life into housing, manufacturing, and renewable energy sectors, fostering resilience and innovation. They champion small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing marketing support, empowering these enterprises to compete effectively in the global marketplace.”

This year, there were no winners in five categories as entries submitted by players in these industries did not meet the minimum standard criteria for Evaluation: Finance House, Telecommunications (Allied & Support Services), Airline of The Year (International), E-Commerce, and Internet Service Provider.

CIMG recognised 5-Star performers across Consumer and Business Banking from the second wave of the Ghana Customer Satisfaction Index (GH-CSI, 2022), which was organised for the banking industry of Ghana. The study was expanded a notch further to cover Business Banking, unlike the maiden edition that covered only Consumer Banking.

CIMG awarded the three top performing regions from the maiden Ghana Regional Brand Index (GH-RBI, 2022), which was conducted to unearth and highlight the economic and tourism potentials of each of the sixteen (16) regional brands in Ghana.