Minister of Information Mustapha Hamid has urged marketers to include in their communication, information that will advocate behavioural change in society so as to foster national development.
“As marketers, if you want to associate with causes, you should look for those that will contribute to the moral fibre of society. This will contribute to inculcating in our young people a certain sense of decency, a certain excellence, and a certain sense of aspiration; because all of us lament the moral decadence of our society.
“So, if as marketers you are not doing this, I would say that you are not doing yourself and your brand any good,” Mr. Hamid said, at the annual marketing conference organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) themed ‘Cause-related marketing: a panacea for national behavioural change’.
He further stated that government is ready to take the lead in championing the agenda, hence the coming onstream of a new campaign dubbed ‘Values Campaign’.
“In some few weeks, the ministry will be running a campaign dubbed ‘Values Campaign’. It is to promote certain values that we know can promote national development. For example, punctuality and keeping the environment clean.
“Cause-related marketing can be a panacea for national behavioural change – but only if marketers are committed to doing it, and doing it for the national cause,” he said.
Also commenting on the subject, General Manager of MTN Ghana Samuel Addo urged the private sector to take on corporate social responsibility actions that will champion behavioural change.
“For massive national behavioural change, there must be infrastructure and resource injections if we want the awareness campaign to succeed. Government alone cannot shoulder this social responsibility, and this is a clarion call for all companies to channel their CSR into addressing some of these issues.
“Government can also prescribe some incentives, in particular national priorities. Most importantly, we have to enforce the law,” he said.
Another discussant, Kojo Williams – one of the organisers of the CSR Excellence Awards, said companies should look at other forms of corporate social responsibility whereby they can put in place measures to reduce the quantity of industrial waste released into the system.
He also advised companies not to only engage in CSR when they make huge profits, but constantly seek ways of impacting society positively.
Commenting on the need for organising the programme, President of the CIMG Kojo Mattah said the association recognises the role of its members in driving behavioural change in the country, hence the choice of the theme.
thebftonline.com l Ghana
