Basically Ghanaian, globally competitive; An inclusion of the Ghana SME in the promotion of Ghana

Company News from Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Source: Seli Azanku

2019-02-12

Every year in Ghana, a new drink arouses enthusiasm or an old repositioned on the market to stay in the foreground. The past year has not been an exception. The time has come to give small business owners the boost they need to become multinationals.

A study conducted in 2017 by Asoko Insight, the largest online repository of Africa containing information on private companies, indicates that on average, Ghanaians spend about 42% of their income on food and food. drinks only. put revenue growth at the heart of the industry's success.

The Government of Ghana predicts that by 2021, the income segment of between US $ 1,000 and US $ 5,000 will comprise 50 percent of all households, compared to the current 30 percent. Rising incomes not only helped increase spending, but also allowed Ghanaians to develop a taste for foreign beverages such as branded beers and spirits instead of unmarked local beverages such as pito palm, akpeteshie and burukutu.

For about two decades or more, foreign carbonated and alcoholic processed beverages have been served at gatherings in Ghana. The importance of these drinks goes up to the acceptance of the marriage; in some families, some of these drinks are included in the price of the bride. These drinks are also presented as part of Christmas baskets among other gift items. In recent times, however, the trend is changing. It is more and more common to see more local drinks like Asana, Sobolo, Pito and palm wine served in clay pots and gourds at parties.

Some people strive to mark drinks like Sobolo, Apio, pineapple juice, etc., which is attracting some interest in the market.

The recovery of small and medium-sized enterprises in the production of beverages is a revelation of the increasing opportunities for local manufacturing and the entire value chain. It is commendable that Ghanaians are venturing into the beverage sector while taking progressive steps to embrace corporate principles including branding, advertising and marketing.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done if Ghana wants to remain relevant and be sought around the world. In addition, all members of this chain of activities will have repercussions; bottling, transportation, advertising, etc., when SMEs are able to thrive in the Ghanaian economy.

The internationalization of Ghanaian beverages will force local beverage producers to create a visual appeal for our drinks that already have the market for consumption and sale. Producers need to explore many creative ways to package and tag these local badets to generate revenue for the country. There should be more partnerships between Ghanaian beverage producers and various private and public events in Ghana to create visibility for our local products. The attempt to create brand identities, however, is not to cancel the beautiful things that natives do with clay pots or similar vases. This call is intended to encourage local producers to be able to address issues such as convenience, product portability, demand satisfaction and the availability of the international beverage production market to generate more revenue.

In line with the promotion of the local beverage industry, the Global Media Alliance has established the Ghana Beverage Awards (GBA) to honor the country's beverage producers. This initiative aims to complement the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Tourism Authority of Ghana in promoting products and services made in Ghana. In line with the "See Ghana, eat in Ghana, bring Ghana, feel in Ghana" campaign, an offer to ignite the "I am Ghana" spirit, Global Media Alliance launched Drink Ghana through the ACS.

Speaking about preparations for the third edition of awards to be released in March this year, Global Media Alliance President and CEO Ernest Boateng said, "We are pleased to Announce that the Ghana Beverage Awards are entering their third year. With the help of all our stakeholders, the GBA brand is becoming the standard we have envisioned; the way forward for all credible information on industry events. "

"We seek to promote local entrepreneurship in the beverage sector in order to develop Ghana's economy. That's why we launched the Drink Ghana campaign, approved by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority, "he added.
The Ghana Beverage Awards aims to help state authorities to streamline industry practices and strengthen mental health in the system by celebrating licensed and excellent beverage brands in Ghana. Launched on April 28, 2016, GBA creates a platform for industry players. network and share ideas, market their products and services and boost the sale of beverages in Ghana.

This year the organizers have included four other categories. International wine of the year, international beer of the year, international spirit of the year and new drink of the year. Other price categories include the product of the year, the manufacturer of the year, the beer of the year, the bitter of the year, the fruit juice of the year. year, the soft drink of the year, among others.

Last year, Guinness Ghana Brewery Limited won the ultimate trophy with the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout Award of the year 's product and beer of the year.
The Ghana Beverage Awards is badociated with the CSIR Food Research Institute (FRI), the Ghana Tourism Board and the Ghana Food and Beverage Association.