CIMG engages stakeholders over regulation

Following the passage of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana Act, 2020 (Act 1021) the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) has commenced engagement with stakeholders, over-regulation of the marketing profession in Ghana and the localisation of professional marketing examinations, among others.

The Act gives CIMG the mandate to, among other things, set marketing standards, regulate professional marketing practice, as well as provide training and conduct examinations.

National President of the Institute, Dr Daniel Kasser Tee, in a media release intimated that the Institute had set up a special committee to drive the localisation agenda, “to see what this means for Ghana,” and plan the official launch of the Chartered Marketer brand in Ghana.

“We have adopted the collaborative approach of holding discussions with key stakeholders to afford us the opportunity of learning from other institutions, with similar mandates, that had trod this path in the past. We have to work with all institutions that currently practice any forms of marketing to help standardise and bring their operations under regulation, in line with the Act,” Mr Tee said.

The Institute was also seeking collaborations with some existing regulatory bodies that were overseeing and providing regulation for marketing practice to ensure things were tighter and more professional.

The CIMG had accordingly, segmented its stakeholders into four homogeneous groups, according to the type of institution, their legal mandate and how their activities impinged on the practice of marketing and further promoted the interest of Ghana.

Elaborating on the different segments of stakeholders, the Chief Executive Officer of CIMG, Mr Kwabena Agyekum noted that the first group comprised local and international professional institutes and institutions like the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM UK) and British Council.

The CIMG, he said, had been engaging the bodies to explore hand-holding opportunities, aimed at acquiring the needed knowledge and expertise to help the Institute implement its localisation programmes seamlessly.

The second group involved Authorities (Vice Chancellors/Rectors, Deans and Heads of Marketing Departments) at the various traditional and technical Universities across Ghana with whom the CIMG intended to partner as tuition centres for the yet to be launched CIMG professional qualifications, including the possibility of awarding dual-qualifications, for the first time in Ghana.

Two main state regulatory bodies, the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), were in the third category.

The group also included the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) which, the CIMG saw as very relevant in helping craft the necessary Legislative Instrument (LI) for guiding the setting of marketing standards.

Mr Agyekum finally mentioned that the CIMG would be holding special discussions with the Public Services Commission and Ghana Employers Association.

“We will be discussing the role of marketing in the public sector of Ghana, particularly within the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ghana Tourism Authority will also be engaged on the need to engage the services of marketers for promoting Ghana,” Mr Agyekum added.

Coordinator of the CIMG Localisation and Chartered Marketer launch Committee, Mr Adam Sulley, said, “the Institute will continue to engage most of these organisations, the media and the general public to ensure that the Ghana market is ready to embrace the local Professional Marketing Qualifications, which will be launched in the first quarter of 2021.