Out of the nine parameters used in the ranking, the Ashanti region registered its strongest performance in culture and heritage, local tourism and its local people.

The parameters included Local People; Culture and Heritage; Local Governance; Local Tourism Assets; Peace and Security; Investment Climate; Natural Environment; Built Environment /Infrastructure and Local Economic Climate.

This was made known when the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG) launched the RBI report in Accra last Thursday.
Regional brand is the sum total of all the perceptions of a region, in the minds and hearts of its publics. These perceptions include its people, places, culture, language, history, food, fashion and famous personalities.

Mr Isaac Gwumah, Lead, RBI Report, said the Ashanti region was followed by Greater Accra, Eastern and Central regions (in decreasing order) and the four regions made up the top quartile of the ranking.

“Although Greater Accra emerges second in the overall rankings, it obtains highest scores on culture and heritage, local tourism, investment climate and its local people.”

“The lowest ranked region brand is Ahafo, and it obtains the lowest scores across all parameters evaluated. The four regions in the lowest quartile of the ranking: Oti, North-East, Savannah and Ahafo (in decreasing order) are all newly created regions,” he stated.

National President CIMG, DrKasser Tee said the report was to unearth and highlight the economic and tourism potentials of each of the 16 regional brands in the country.

“The aim was, among other things, to complement and reinvigorate government’s original Brand Ghana agenda, and to contribute to giving meaning to Ghana’s “Year of Return” as well as “Beyond the Return,” he added.

He stressed that the CIMG had resolved to create mass awareness about the existence of the 16 regional brands and, later, the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly brands, all classified as sub-brands with distinct and unique potentials for attracting patronage to boost their local economies.  

“A good knowledge of how the 16 regions are ranked, against these parameters is a great marketing asset, as they serve as the needed catalysts for development at the regional or local level. These are, of course, good pointers to investors seeking opportunities in the various regions of Ghana,” he added.

He revealed that the RBI was inspired by Simon Anholt, who, in 2005, developed the concept of the Nation Brands Index, adding that he was recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities on the branding of countries, regions and cities.

Dr Tee said these regions needed to consciously and deliberately put forward what they had to offer by identifying their areas of strengths and made it attractive for people to patronise them.

“To gain a better reputation, a regional brand must overtly and covertly communicate to its audience, how good the region is. This is how to build strong and resilient regional brands,” he added.