Protecting Ghana’s brand before and after election - Ballots not bullets
Ghanaians are ready to go to the polls in December to elect a president and 275 Members of Parliament (MPs) to be in charge of the Executive and Legislative administration of the country.
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However, it is crucial for Ghanaians to go into the election peacefully to guard the country's brand equity; any violence or disability that will arise from the election has the potential to blemish Ghana's brand equity.
It is Ghana's brand equity which has been achieved from the conduct of six peaceful and successful elections that has attracted many investors and investments to the country.
There have been two transfers of power from the incumbent government to the opposition party since the return to democratic rule in 1992. The first transfer was in January 2001 when the outgoing President, Jerry John Rawlings of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), handed over the baton to Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, the Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), who won the 2000 election. And again in January 2009, out-going President Kufuor handed over power to Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the Presidential Candidate of the then opposition NDC, who won the 2008 election.
These feats chalked up by Ghana has earned the country a lot of plaudits in the eyes of the international community. The international community sees Ghana as a beacon of peace and democracy that has to be emulated by the other African countries, especially in the West African sub-region.
"For us at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ghana is not just a country, it is a point of reference for the sub-region and the continent at large when it comes to democracy. Ghana is viewed as having exhibited relative good performance in the area of democratic governance, arising from strong multi-party political system, established governance institutions, respect for the rule of law and human rights, growing media pluralism and civil society activism", the Country Director of UNDP, Mr Dominic Sam, said in a speech read on his behalf at a training course for field managers in Accra on October 10, 2016.
Brand equity
Indeed, marketing practitioners value brand equity more than anything else. The reason is that so much money, time and effort go into building an equity for a brand.
According to the Business Dictionary, brand equity is power derived from the goodwill and name recognition that it has earned over time, which translates into higher sales volume and higher profit margins against competing brands.
To explain further, the brand equity is the value that people have for brands be it a sportsman, an artist, a country, a product or a service. That value determines the willingness of potential customers or investors to spend/invest in or associate with the brand.
For instance, in terms of countries, investors shy away from politically unstable and unpredictable countries. Some governments even go to the extent of warning their citizens not to invest in some countries because of the violence and disorder in those countries.
Protecting investment
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) contributes significantly to increased financial outlay in the country; investors bring substantial amounts of money and their investments create jobs.
Foreign Direct Investments into Ghana in 2015 was $ 2.3 billion dollars, according to figures released by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). The total number of projects recorded in the same period was 170. According to the figures, while total employment to non-Ghanaians declined from 1,452 to 1,414 for the period, total employment for Ghanaians, however, increased from 11,664 to 13,534 between 2014 and 2015.
Therefore, any violent actions, statements or disorder can create a blemish on the country's brand equity and consequently drive away many existing investors and discourage potential investors from investing in the country.
Risk of losing investment is one of the major considerations of every investor. Chaos on the political scene is the fastest way that investors can lose their investment; the political establishments can seize their capital, their capital may be locked up in the banks, their products can go waste and their heavy machines left to wear out.
Another worrying aspect is that even when the chaotic political situation normalises, it leaves some traces of uncertainty. In fact, investors see the uncertainty as a downside risk to their investments since they cannot be fully assured that the chaos will not be reignited.
As a lower middle-income economy, Ghana stands to lose greatly should investors opt out as a result of political instability. That will slow the country's socio-economic development and consequently delay the progression to a full middle-income economy status.
Guided by the understanding of the significance of brand equity and brand image, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) focused its 27th National Marketing Performance Awards 2015 held in Accra early this month on the need for peace. The event was held on the theme: "Democracy and National Cohesion : Marketing a New Political Paradigm."
The President of CIMG, Mr Kojo Mattah, stressed the need for tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the run-up to the December 7 elections, saying "It is a fact that none of us here can successfully carry out our profession or business in an atmosphere of chaos except if one was a gun-runner."
He asked political parties to employ the services of marketing practitioners to market their policies and ideologies in a peaceful manner.
"The old divisive principles of partisan politics must eventually give way to a new body politic with sound marketing practices in place of propaganda," Mr Mattah suggested.
National call to duty
The Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to conduct the elections in a fair, free, transparent and credible manner. The security agencies are also required to do their best in a professional manner, without fear or favour, to prevent the perpetration of electoral violence, but they need the support and cooperation of political leaders.
Political leaders, who are major stakeholders in the election, wield a wealth of respect in the eyes of their supporters. Therefore, it is important for political leaders to urge their supporters to avoid conflict and let the law take its course in resolving any electoral dispute.
It is worth reminding political leaders that that they will be held accountable for any act of omission or commission on their part which can cause conflict in the run-up to the elections. Examples are replete in Africa where political leaders have been tried, convicted and jailed for their past deeds. Charles Taylor, the former President of Liberia, was a key example of that.
Besides, if conflict sets in, political leaders will have a tough time administering the affairs of state. Even parliamentarians will not have the peace of mind to pass policies and approve loan agreements needed to drive the growth of the economy.
The role of the media in preserving Ghana's brand equity is very important in the forthcoming election. They have to set the agenda for politicians to debate issues, not personalities.
Tolerance is the key to ensuring peace. Through tolerance, people can turn a potential conflict situation into a friendly engagement. That is the way to go in the December 7 election. It should be an expression of choice, not an imposition of will or subjugation of the feelings of people. Let the ballots speak, not machetes, sticks, stones or bullets.
