The Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana has launched the maiden edition of the Regional Brand Index Report.
A regional brand is the sum total of all the perceptions of a region in the minds and hearts of its publics. These perceptions include its people, places, culture, language, history, food, fashion, famous personalities, etc.
The branding index will provide information on how national branding activities and associated expenditures should be spread across the regions.
It will, among other things, serves as the basis for investors and business owners to make business expansion or partnership decisions, provide information for local government to market the regions and guides local hospitality businesses and educational institutions on marketing destinations.
Addressing the gathering at the launch, the National President of CIMG, Dr. Kasser Tee indicated that the aim of the report was to complement and reinvigorate government’s original Brand Ghana agenda, and to contribute to giving meaning to Ghana’s “Year of Return” as well as “Beyond The Return” programmes.
Thus, a homecoming package that aims at attracting Africans in the diaspora to keep patronising Ghana as a home and the ultimate tourism and investment destination.
In doing this, Dr. Tee added that the CIMG aims at creating mass awareness about the existence of the 16 regional brands and, later, the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly brands, all classified as sub-brands with distinct and unique potentials for attracting patronage to boost their local economies.
“The key pillars for the study which formed the criteria for the assessment were carefully selected, after rigorous research and consultations with our identified stakeholders.
“These are measures that are of value to local and international visitors, be they Tourists or Business travellers,” he said.
From the findings of the report, Dr. Kasser Tee said almost every region has its brand strengths and weaknesses, so you may see a different ‘winner’ for each of the parameters before the overall winner emerges.
“This project, The Ghana Regional Brand Index, took much inspiration from the original work of a gentleman, Simon Anholt, who, in 2005 developed the concept of the Nation Brands Index. He is, indeed, recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities on the branding of countries, regions and cities.” Dr. Tee revealed.
Dr Winfred Nelson, the Acting Director for Development Coordination at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) said the provision of data and information through the release of such a report was crucial to the work of the NDPC because it helped in decision-making and development planning and research activities.
Professor Kwaku Appiah-Adu, the Director for Monitoring and Evaluation for Public Enterprises, at the Office of the Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, launched the report.
