The Chartered Institute of Marketing- Ghana (CIMG) annual Strategic Marketing Conference has ended in Accra with a focus on the role of marketing in supporting government’s “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda.

The two-day event being held under the theme: “Marketing: A Catalyst for Driving Ghana beyond Aid,” brought together some eminent personalities to deliver papers on selected topics of interest to corporate Ghana.

The 12th edition of the conference offered an opportunity for the Institute to impact its professional development programme on the working class f Ghana.

Mr Kojo Mattah, the National President of CIMG, said the “two day programme was to elevate the discussion onto a new pedestal; and get all of us thinking about what we can all contribute to making the President intentions a reality.”

“That is why we have assembled very experienced thought leaders to help us dissect this critical and thought-provoking call by the President,” he said.

The participants at a discussion held on the last day of the programme took stakeholders through ways the country can get the ‘Ghana beyond Aid’ agenda right using marketing tools as a driving force.

Mr Bright Ladzekpo, Chief Executive Officer of PHD Media- Ghana, who spoke on the topic: Technology/Digital Marketing; A vital ingredient for driving Ghana Beyond Aid, said technology is a crucial tool to sustaining government’s agenda.

He said “Ghana beyond Aid” must mean business and every business must not be local alone but must go global. And it is only technology that can bridge the gap between a local and global space.”

He said the richest businesses in the world are technological businesses and so the richest country in the world should be a technological country.

He said if technology is advanced in the country there would be minimal unemployment rate.

Mrs Magaret Tachie-Micah, Managing Consultant at Nest of Ideas Consulting, spoke on the topic: Ghana beyond Aid; Getting it right with customer management.

She said the government’s agenda would be possible if the orientation of the people was changed.

She said ‘Ghana beyond Aid’ requires a focus on the customer and managing customer relations well was important to ensure successful business.

Mr Kwame Wiafe, General Manager of Wilmar- Ghana, who also spoke on the topic: Logistics and channel management; A vehicle for driving Ghana Beyond Aid, said as a business, it was important to know the channels for marketing as well as your customers behaviour.

He said proper planning was needed to promote and ensure that products got the customer at the time of need.