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The Managing Director of the Labadi Beach Hotel, David Eduaful, has emerged the Marketing Man of the Year, to mark his exceptional leadership and strategic vision of his over three-decade career.
A video played at the awards ceremony described him as the man who has transformed the state-owned hotel to make it stand tall among the giants of the industry.
The Marketing Woman of the Year went to the Managing Director of Primetime Limited, Nana Akua Mensa-Bonsu, who has over the past 25 years demystified the fear of Mathematics and Science in second cycle institutions through the National Science and Maths Quiz, a competition that brings together the best brains in Science and
Mathematics in senior high schools to exhibit their command over the two subjects.
The two were given an award at the 35th Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) National Marketing and Performance Awards in Accra last Saturday, which also honoured 52 other individuals and corporate bodies.
It was on the theme: “Harnessing the power of AI as a transformative tool for marketers”.
The Marketing Practitioner of 2023 went to the General Manager of Eusbett Hotel, while Alexander Ansong Obeng, Head of Commercialisation at the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, one of the 13 institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Daniella Fuller Konadu Dapaah won the Marketing Students of the Year.
The event, which is recognised as the premier standard for celebrating marketing and business excellence in the country, brought together industry leaders, marketing professionals and innovators to honour outstanding achievements and discuss the future of marketing in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
Addressing the event, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mark Okraku Mantey, urged marketing professionals to proactively integrate Al into their strategies to transform the practice and deliver value to the public.
He recounted how practitioners, particularly in the music industry, adopted new technologies only when they were nearing obsolescence.
That practice, he said, could leave the country lagging behind in the rapid technological advancement that currently shaped the marketing profession.
“Al has come, and it will definitely affect marketing,” he said, adding that marketers must embrace change rather than react to it after the technology had become outdated.
The deputy minister highlighted the role of AI in enhancing Ghana's tourism, particularly in the context of the "Year of Return" initiative, which had drawn increased interest in the country.
AI, he said, could improve various aspects of tourism, including the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector.
Mr Mantey said communication technology companies had contributed towards sustaining the gains made by the country in the digital space, adding that “there is no AI without the internet”.
The National President of CIMG, Dr Daniel Kasser Tee, explained that the integration of AI into the marketing profession was not merely a trend, but a significant paradigm shift.
“AI empowers us to better understand our customers, personalise their experiences, and anticipate their needs with unprecedented speed and accuracy,” he said.
“A 2017 PwC report estimated that AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion by 2030, with marketing poised to significantly benefit,” Dr Kasser Tee said.
He said AI would enable marketers to revolutionise customer interactions through automation and personalised content.
He, however, reminded professionals of the ethical responsibilities that accompanied the power of AI, stressing the need for marketers to leverage AI not just for profit, but to create value that resonated with customers and society.
“With great power comes even greater responsibilities,” he said.
Dr Tee congratulated all nominees and awardees, acknowledging their dedication to marketing excellence.
“Your achievements inspire us to push boundaries and strive for greater heights in our own professional journeys,” he said.
