The conference, themed “Pioneering the Future: Embracing Digital Transformation for Marketing Excellence,” focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence, data and digital tools in business growth and customer engagement.

Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Ghana, Angela Mensah-Poku, described the theme as a challenge for organisations to rethink how they compete and create value in a rapidly changing world.

According to her, many organisations already understood the importance of digital transformation but were still slow to embrace meaningful change.

“We have the data, we have the tools, but change still happens slowly,” she said, adding that businesses needed to move away from being “almost digital” to becoming more deliberate about transformation and innovation.

In an interview, she explained that the conference brought together more than 500 professionals from the marketing and advertising sectors to make discussions around AI and digital transformation more practical and relevant to businesses in Ghana.

She added that MTN wanted SMEs and local businesses to understand that digital growth did not always require expensive tools.

Chief Digital Officer at MTN Ghana, Ibrahim Misto, said customer expectations and technology were evolving rapidly, requiring businesses to adapt quickly.

He noted that MTN had evolved from being only a telecommunications company into a technology and platform business helping enterprises embrace digital tools and innovation.

According to him, the conference was designed to provide participants with practical ideas and solutions they could implement immediately.

Chief Executive Officer of Dentsu Ghana, Andrew Ackah, said businesses needed to pursue “digital excellence” rather than simply maintain an online presence.

Using the example of a Ghanaian entrepreneur running her business largely through mobile technology, he explained how smartphones, mobile money and social media had transformed consumer behaviour and commerce.

National Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, Ama Amoah, stressed that trust remained essential in the digital age despite advances in AI and automation.

She cautioned brands against losing human connection in their pursuit of technology, saying consumers valued empathy, transparency and authenticity.

Strategic Partnership Lead at Meta, Prateek Bali, highlighted the growing role of business messaging, noting that more than 600 million people globally interacted with businesses daily across Meta platforms.

He also said that some campaigns on Meta platforms had recorded five to six times higher read rates through business messaging tools.

A panel discussion later examined how businesses could strategically use AI and digital transformation while maintaining customer trust and creativity.

Senior Manager in charge of Commercial Marketing at MTN Ghana, Nana Asantewaa Amegashie, said that Ghana already had strong digital foundations with mobile and internet penetration exceeding 70 per cent, but businesses needed to make better use of customer data.

Managing Director of the World Trade Centre Accra, Yvonne Y. Botchey, noted that digital transformation was creating opportunities for African businesses to compete globally.

However, she warned that businesses that ignored AI and digital tools risked falling behind, citing projections that AI could create 170 million jobs globally by 2030 while displacing 92 million jobs.

Executive Director for Consumer Banking at Ecobank Ghana and Anglophone West Africa Tara Squire said that customers were more willing to embrace digital services when businesses combined trust with value and security.

Chief Marketing Communications and Customer Experience Officer at GCB Bank, Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, added that although digital platforms had leveled the playing field for businesses, creativity and authenticity still remained key to standing out.

Chief Executive Officer of Dentsu Ghana, Andrew Ackah

National Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, Ama Amoah

Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Ghana, Angela Mensah-Poku