The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), has launched the 33rd CIMG Annual National Marketing Performance Awards, which was held at the Coconut Grove Hotel in Accra. The event took a hybrid form with virtual and in-person attendees.
In his welcome address, the Registrar of the CIMG, Mr. Kwabena Agyekum said, “The success of these awards has gone beyond the event itself. Many businesses have now redeveloped their corporate strategies and significantly changed their business operating models, enabling them to be marketing-oriented by meeting the key requirements of market focus, integrated marketing, long term profitability, and customer and competitor orientation.”
In his opening remarks, the National Vice-President of CIMG and Chairman of the Awards Planning and Selection Committee, Mr. Theodore Osae, lauded the CIMG for its historic accomplishments in previous awards ceremonies.
“There is no denying that the scheme has incredibly evolved into what could be considered Ghana’s benchmark awards scheme. As we take delight in the successes achieved by our awards, I wish to boldly say that the CIMG takes pride in the several landmark accomplishments, which have greatly contributed towards improvements in organisational and professional performances, and especially, for practicing Marketers,” Mr. Osae said.
Being mindful of these achievements, the Institute has resolved to keep the stakes as high and as relevant as possible so that the standards, by which CIMG assesses individual and corporate performances, are not compromised.
The institute, for the past few years, has adopted the online system of completing the awards questionnaire by nominees as well as online assessment for the judges, who are chosen from various sectors of the corporate world. This set up has made it easy for CIMG to continue to drive a rigorous process whilst maintaining its stringent standards.
The Awards cover six major competitive areas, namely: Hall of Fame, Personality, Media and Marketing Communications organisations, Business organisations, Products, and Not-for-Profit organisations.
There is a non-competitive award category known as the CIMG President’s Special awards which are given to noticeable female and male achievers in any endeavour, or a business entity or product or service that has positively contributed to national progress.
Mr Osae indicated that “the judges and assessors for the year’s event will devote time and attention to ensure the success of the 33rd CIMG Awards, as it represents Ghana’s benchmark awards ceremony.”
The criteria for selecting the winners and benchmarking their performance will include:
- Marketing Metrics including awareness, numeric distribution (where appropriate) and others
- Marketing Innovation
III. Technological Innovation
- Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning (STP)
- Social Impact
- Contribution to National Development
VII. Public Image
VIII. Success in the Market Place
- Market Share
- Customer Service Orientation
- Ecological and Ethical Issues
XII. Competitor Orientation
Launching the awards ceremony, the National President of CIMG, Dr. Kasser Tee, urged organisations “to refrain from cutting marketing budgets in hard times, as effective deployment of marketing communications is necessary for stimulating demand for their products.”
Dr. Kasser Tee added that organisations must re-examine their marketing mix elements and ensure an optimal blend for organisational success. He explains that “in the same way that you cannot do without products, or pricing, or distribution, so must you not cut promotion or marketing communications budget. You must however spend in critical areas, using the most critical, influential and most cost-effective media vehicles. You must differentiate your corporate and product brands to enable them stand out in the midst of intense competition and low consumption.”
He further encouraged all corporate organisations “to pay attention to some of the very key pillars of marketing that guarantee effective performance, by way of growing market shares, revenues and profits in these difficult times.”
For 32 years, CIMG has consistently held the Annual National Marketing Performance Awards with the upcoming one being the 33rd edition. Nominations for the awards categories are still open till Friday, August 12, 2022.