�Our Gov�ts Failed To Market Ghana� - Prof. Stephen Addai

Professor Stephen Addai, former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), has noted that the Government of Ghana, both present and past, has not helped to market the country globally to the expected levels hence the continuous stagnation of Ghana�s infrastructural development efforts. Prof Addai, who was delivering the welcome address at the on-going maiden Global Marketing Forum at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra Tuesday, said politicians and elderly statesmen who were supposed to blaze the trail in Ghana�s development agenda have often times diverted such cause with unproductive and provocative verbal attacks on their opponents, forgetting that such propaganda only reversed any progress made. He also blamed the media for not making due diligence on statements by politicians and discard them when necessary, but allow themselves to easily get carried away by these and promote unprofitable language at the expense of steady development. Darell Kofkin, Executive Director of Global Marketing Forum, in an address, urged professional marketers to use opportunities offered by the internet, social media and new technologies to market their products, services and Ghana to the outside world. He also noted that it was important for the Ghanaian media to generate and hype positive developments about Ghana so as to attract the outside world. Mr. Kofkin therefore advised the media to sieve any information churned out by politicians on a daily basis before bringing it to the public domain. He said the media should ensure that their reports are progressive, developmental and promotional. Additionally, the Executive Director said Ghanaian companies must not brand their products with a focus only on the local market but take into consideration the needs of the larger global market accessible on the internet.