Prof. Kobby Mensah’s appointment: A positive step toward political delivery marketing

By Dr. Joyce MANYO

Developments in recent elections in both developed and developing democracies confirm the view that the political market has become more critical and punitive.

The stakes are incredibly high, and the citizenry thoroughly analyses every political ‘move.’ This consumer behaviour underscores prominent political marketing studies’ long-held view that political brand health and success hinge on ‘political delivery marketing’.

Political marketing studies have mainly found that consumers are constantly monitoring to see the extent to which the government fulfils its brand promise. So with time, the political market is redefining the practice of politics. Their relationship with governments and political parties is primarily based on a commitment to address their latent and expressed needs through the rapid implementation of election promises and the delivery of high-profile policy initiatives.

These dynamics largely explain why the current corpus of literature in the political marketing field concludes that building durable connections with the political market requires a workable plan to ensure delivery for ‘quick wins.’

Prof. Kobby Mensah: A practice-oriented academic with expertise in varied fields, including political and corporate marketing, branding, communication and tourism marketing

Enhanced conscience of the political market has complicated the dynamic political landscape. Hence, organisational learning directed toward governing by a sense of purpose to lead differently and committed to ensuring that delivery happens as promised will significantly impact electoral fortunes. Given the stakes of these crucial periods, political elites can guarantee the NDC government’s political brand success by going beyond appointing only party loyalists to appoint other citizens with the expertise and hands-on experience that, when confronted with an avalanche of decisions to make, will do so creditably.

Therefore, the appointment of Prof. Kobby Mensah, a highly motivated, cross-disciplinary and renowned academic with a profound interest in tourism marketing, is a fantastic decision by President John Dramani Mahama. Effective political management requires the appointment of qualified personnel. A president’s appointment symbolises his/her government’s direction and attitude toward delivery.

Appointments overtly set the tone, establish priorities and build momentum. It clarifies the president’s commitment to delivery. So, I applaud H.E John Mahama for appointing Prof. Kobby Mensah as the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Tourism Development Company. As a political marketing scholar, I believe this appointment is a strategic ‘move’ to ensure delivery happens as promised.

Prof. Mensah is a renowned marketing and branding expert with expertise in tourism marketing and strategic communication. As a Tourism Marketing lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, he started the ‘destination Legon tourism programme’- where Tourism Marketing students deliver a capstone project as part of their course to build their skills and competencies in tourism marketing. This programme teaches students how to market tourism products and services effectively. Thus responding directly to bridging the gap between academia and industry.

Over the years, Prof. Mensah has helped UGBS train industry-ready students in varied fields, including tourism marketing, and produced high-quality studies whose recommendations have significantly impacted the tourism sector. So, Prof. Mensah’s contribution to the tourism industry in Ghana is invaluable.

With his expertise and experience in the tourism sector, Prof. Mensah has the right mindset to start and ensure change in an effective and timely manner. Drawing on first-hand knowledge and insights from his high-quality research, he will navigate complex situations, align competing priorities, and ensure the delivery of tangible results in a system that can vehemently resist change.

As a Political Marketer, I have seen how ‘deficit-in-value delivery’ [a situation where delivery fails to meet expectations] has negatively impacted the electoral fortunes of governments and political parties. So, appointing Prof. Mensah, someone with the aptitude and ‘persona’ to ensure that the decision-making calculus underpinning the tourism industry offers more excellent value for the citizenry and yields desired results for the government is valuable in the political marketing game.

To conclude, delivery authenticates political credibility, galvanises trust and induces positive brand associations. Any government that fails to live up to the expectations of the political market or doesn’t deliver on the pre-poll promises is bound to face punitive actions. Therefore, appointing a renowned expert with practical experience and the right instincts to implement necessary reforms that set the tone for performance consistent with the government’s agenda to reset Ghana is a positive step forward to ensure political delivery happens as promised.

>>>the writer holds a PhD in Political Marketing from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is a lecturer at the Dept. of Communication Studies, University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC). She can be reached via [email protected]

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