AAG Council visit Graphic

THE Graphic Communication Group Limited (GCGL) and the Advertisers Association of Ghana (AAG) have set up a four member working committee to fashion out appropriate ways of strengthening and promoting professionalism in the advertising industry in Ghana.
The committee is made up of Mr Kwasi Asare, GM Marketing and Public Affairs, and Mr Frank Ofosu Oduro, Advert and Business Development Manager, both of the GCGL and Emmanuel Addo, a past president, and Francis Dadzie Jnr, Executive Director, both of the AAG.
This was the outcome of the 2009 edition of the annual interaction between council members of the AAG and the management of the GCGL held at Graphic last week Thursday.
The committee will, among other things,examine the best practices world wide to bring about innovation, look at AAG-Graphic relationship and suggest areas of improvements, critically assess existing mode of payment and come out with mutually accepted measures to improve payment for advert services as well as efficient and effective placement of adverts.
The two groups had earlier agreed to deepen and strengthen the existing cordial relationship and continue to uphold their shared values and responsibilities for the betterment of their operations.
They emphasised that it was not all doom and gloom as they foresaw marginal growth and increased profitability given the much needed innovation through effective collaboration.
The President of the AAG and Managing Director of MMRS Ogilvy, Mr R.D. Laryea who led the AAG delegation noted with gratitude the efforts of the GCGL to help the AAG even in the midst of the numerous challenges facing it.
Mr Laryea said the association recognised GCGL as a real partner in promoting the advertising business, and called for the use of the needed technology to enhance relations.
“Even though business has not been as brisk as we thought at the beginning of the year, we still think that there are better days ahead of us as we await government's interventions in the economy” he added.
The Managing Director of GCGL, Mr Ibrahim Awal, noted with satisfaction that about 50 per cent of revenue generate by GCGL comes from the AAG. “In this regard we on our part will do everything possible to strengthen the relations between us”.
Mr Awal briefed members of the AAG on projects being undertaken by the company to improve production and thereby serve advertisers better with high quality production.
He reassured the executive of the association of the quest of GCGL to develop mutually beneficial relations with the AAG by granting them very good discounts on all transactions with the company.
Mr Awal spoke about the increasing demand for the latest addition to the GCGL’s stable, Graphic Business, and noted that the Newspaper was fast dominating the market as the most patronised and authoritative financial newspaper in the country.
He, therefore, asked members of the association to prevail on their clients to advertise more in the Graphic Business for better results for their businesses.
To a question by the Chief Executive of Origin8 SAATCHI & SAATCHI, Mr Joel E Nettey, as to how the recession had affected the operations of the company , Mr Awal said measures had been put in place to overcome the challenges associated with the world financial crisis.
Mr Nettey advocated for regular information flow between the agencies and GCGL to make both parties serve their customers better.
For his part, a past President of the association, Mr Emmanuel Addo, underscored the importance of teaming up with GCGL to serve their clients better and added his voice to the request by his colleagues for better incentives to the advertising agencies.
The Managing Director of Lowe Lintas, Mrs Norkor Duah, stressed the need for effective partnership with GCGL to help bring sanity into the advertising industry in Ghana.
Other members of the AAG Council delegation were the Executive Director, Mr Francis Dadzie Jnr, the vice president, Mr Sil Kuwornu, Mr Martin Kwabena Osei, Mr Tim Acqua-Hayford and Orlando Baeta.