He said the prevalence of the COVID-19 had had a considerable impact on Ghanaian businesses, thereby forcing some firms to cut cost, while many business market shares had been eroded.

The minister said it was for that reason that advertisers needed to explore more innovative ways to grow their businesses by capitalising on AI technology to create value for their clients.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah was speaking at the 15th Gong Gong Awards of the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) in Accra last Saturday on the theme: “5 Ways AI enhances the customer journey from conversation to conversion”.

“We now live in an era when disutilisation gives us the opportunity to examine the brand journey of a client and use that as an opportunity to further develop products and services for the benefit of the client,” he said.

He expressed condolences to the association for the loss of its President, Mr Torgbor Mensah, describing him as a tower in the advertising industry and a great pillar of the AAG.

The minister said it was the wish of the late president of the AAG to see to the passage of the Adverting Council Bill and, therefore, urged the association to complete work on the bill to ensure its early passage.

“The government is ever ready and willing to receive and fast-track its passage, so that it can serve the industry and also honour Mr Mensah,” he added.

Awards

The occasion was used to honour Mr Mensah, who passed on recently.

Eco House Ghana was the big winner on the night, as it received two Platinum, four Gold and two Silver awards, out of the 35 awards presented to deserving agencies and individuals on the night.

Primetime Limited, organiser of the National Science and Maths Quiz, went home with six Gold awards.

Exp Ghana and Apex Advertising and Post Production agencies received Platinum awards.

Other agencies that won awards included Now Available Africa, CARAT, MediaReach OMD International and BTL Africa.

AfCFTA

The Vice-President of the AAG, Ms Mensah Amoa-Awuah, said as advertising continued to evolve over the years, the association would recognise members’ works to ensure excellence in the industry.

Despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic had had on businesses, she said, the industry was still thriving and commended members for their hard work and resilience.

With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) coming into existence, Ms Amoa-Awuah urged members to take advantage of the initiative to grow their businesses.