Rural banks advised to appreciate the discipline of branding

...as top ten honoured in brand excellence

The over one hundred and forty rural banks in Ghana have been advised to appreciate the discipline of branding since it has been identified as one of the most competitive strategies to make customers, maintain them and give them a service which would keep them.

Professor Pikay Richardson of the Manchester Business School gave the advice at this year’s Brand Excellence Awards held last week Friday in Accra as the guest speaker.

According to him, branding also improves profit levels and gives a competitive advantage in business; particularly in this era of keen competition in the business environment that requires personnel to be very results oriented to achieve set objectives.

He has inspired the banks to do more and achieve more regardless of competition, and took award recipients through how they could build their brands through proactive strategy execution and entreated them to a demonstration of how great brands made it.

His presentation was reinforced by the Chief Executive Officer of Premier Brands Ghana, Mr. Eric Affaidu who showed videos of how outstanding brands in the world approach their branding and encouraged Rural Banks to creatively emulate their examples.

The top ten rural banks that received various categories of awards have assured the country of their commitment and readiness to compete with other financial institutions in the country. They have shown beyond every reasonable doubt that their services are indispensable where they operate.

The assurance was communicated and demonstrated at this year’s Brand Excellence Awards, where ten top rural banks and a community bank were awarded for their great accomplishments and performances in over twenty categories they competed in.

In all, sixteen organisations were honoured which comprising ten rural banks, two savings and loans companies, two manufacturing companies and two media organisations.
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Amenfiman Rural Bank Wassa Akropong in the Western Region won the most awards in four major categories including; The Rural Bank Brand of The Year for 2016, The Best Brand in Ghana in Rural Banking, Most Profitable Rural Bank Brand and Best Rural Bank in Trade Financing.

Other award winners in the rural banking category are Kintampo Rural Bank - Best Rural Bank Brand in Brong Ahafo Region , Best in Micro & SME Support Services, Sefwiman Rural Bank - Best Rural Bank Brand in Customer Service Excellence in Western Region, Best Rural Bank Brand in Fund Management, Ahantaman Rural Bank - Best Rural Bank Brand in the Western Region, Most Efficient Rural Bank Brand , Dumpong Rural Bank - Best Performing Rural Bank Brand in Eastern Region, The Top Rural Bank in Customer Loyalty and Nwabiagya Rural Bank - Best Rural Bank Brand in Trade Investment, The Fastest Growing Rural Bank in Innovation & ICT.

The rest are Odotobri Rural Bank - The Fastest Growing Rural Bank Brand in Ghana, Top Emerging Rural Bank Brand in Ghana, Amanano Rural Bank - Best Rural Bank in Agric Financing, The Best Rural Bank in Customer Relations, Fiaseman Rural Bank - Best Rural Bank Brand in Corporate Social Responsibilities, Best & Most Efficient Rural Bank Brand in Credit Delivery and Management and La Community Bank, Best Performing Community Bank Brand in the Greater Accra region and Most Trusted Community Bank Brand in the Greater Accra region.

Premier Brands Ghana at the ceremony paid special tribute to Sefwiman Rural Bank and Dumpong Rural Bank for their recent accomplishments in community banking to win two outstanding brand performance awards each.

Twellium Industrial Company Limited, a non-alcoholic beverage producer in Ghana won the Non-Alcoholic Beverage Producer Brand of The Year for 2016 and topped it up with its flagship brand, Rush Energy Drink winning Energy Drink Brand of The Year, also for 2016.

Adom TV and Kokrokoo on Peace FM were both presented with the most preferred television station for 2016 and Ghana’s most preferred radio talk show brands awards for 2016 respectively. First Allied Savings and Loans Limited, and ABii National Savings and Loans also received The Brand of The Year and The Most Promising Brand of The Year respectively.