UGBS Marcomms Trains GTDC Staff on Building a Successful Marketing and Communications Unit.
The Marketing and Communications (Marcomms) Unit of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) has on Friday, 28th February 2025, delivered a comprehensive training session for staff of the Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited (GTDC) on the theme “Building a Successful Marketing and Communications Unit”
The training was organised by Prof. Kobby Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of GTDC and the coordinator for the UGBS Marcomms Unit. It aimed to equip GTDC’s Communications Team with practical strategies and insights used by the UGBS Marcomms Unit to enhance communication and marketing efforts within the tourism sector.
In attendance was the newly appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr. Abeiku Santana. He commended the training initiative and praised the potential of GTDC under the leadership and consultancy of Prof. Kobby Mensah. Mr Santana expressed optimism that, with collective support and commitment to shared goals and vision, GTDC would soon enter its most successful era. “If everyone rallies and supports him (Prof. Kobby), committed to the shared goals and vision, I believe GTDC will reach its glorious stage, and people will see the fabulous things it does. Those asking what GTDC is will realise you are beyond a tourism company. You can become a destination management organisation by harnessing some of your unique assets and equities. We need to be innovative and creative,” he remarked.
Mr. Boniface Kwateng Amaning, Social Media and Digital Marketer at Marcomms, took participants through Workload and Time Management. He explained strategies such as prioritising tasks, setting clear goals, and using time-blocking techniques to manage daily schedules effectively. He noted that effective time management is a skill that requires practice and adaptability. He encouraged participants to adopt tools that enhance productivity and effectively navigate social media to increase the GTDC brand’s visibility.
Mr. Bismark Amamoo, Graphic Designer, handled sessions on Graphic Design and Branding. He shared insights on the importance of cohesive branding, advising the team to maintain consistency in colours, typography, and overall design across their platforms. “A strong visual identity helps build recognition and trust,” he said. Additionally, he taught practical skills in Photography and Videography, where participants were introduced to techniques for capturing high-quality visual content for promotional purposes. This included guidance on planning shoots, managing lighting and composition, and the post-production process.
As part of the session, Mr.Paapa Agyabeng Anochie, a PhD student at UGBS, delivered an insightful presentation on enhancing the Ghana Tourism Development Company’s (GTDC) online brand through brand journalism. He explained that brand journalism involves producing and sharing authentic news stories that highlight an organisation’s work and impact while strategically supporting its mission. According to him, adopting brand journalism is essential to building trust and credibility for GTDC, as it enables the company to position itself as a key player in Ghana’s tourism growth narrative.
He encouraged the use of high-quality visuals, engaging narratives, and real-time interactions to humanise the brand and foster stronger connections with audiences. He also spoke about the need for strategic content planning, community engagement, and data-driven decision-making to sustain and measure the success of GTDC’s digital storytelling.
Prof. Kobby Mensah encouraged GTDC staff to continuously build individual capacities, irrespective of their current levels of expertise. He urged them to cultivate a culture of shared learning to enhance personal value and improve the GTDC brand's visibility. “Let's focus on storytelling that is vivid, culturally rich, and digital-friendly, ensuring that our content not only attracts but also informs and inspires travellers to visit Ghana,” he advised.