Tawanda Musarurwa Business Reporter
LOCAL marketers have been urged to inculcate the principles of professionalism in their field.
The Minister of State in the office of Vice President Joice Mujuru, Mr Sylvester Nguni, made the call at a Marketers Association of Zimbabwe meeting in Harare yesterday.
He said professionalism was key to restoring marketing to its proper position after it took a knock during the hyperinflationary period.
“The marketing profession was not spared from the various challenges that beset the economy over the last 10 years. Consequently, many companies are now struggling to resuscitate their business and to return to their previous positions or to regain lost market share.
“In order to achieve this, there is need to go back to the basics of professionalism in running businesses, with much emphasis on marketing,” he said.
Observers believe that marketing is particularly important in the Zimbabwean business environment where most companies are still struggling to recover from the effects of hyperinflation, and of late, dollarisation.
Marketing generally covers areas such as advertising, promotions, public relations and sales.
“Professionalism in marketing is not just confined to advertising, or worse still to convincing a client to buy a product, but it means the adherence to a systematic process of marketing, which is used to determine what products or services maybe of interest to customers.
“It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and create value for their customers and themselves.”
The event also saw MAZ accrediting a number of marketing practitioners who underwent the organisation’s winter school in Nyanga recently.
The three-day winter school was an intensive advanced marketing course conducted by Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) Graduate School of Marketing director Ms Hellen McIntee and South African marketer Mr Ian Rheeder.
Companies whose marketers were accredited include Turnall, Irvine’s Zimbabwe, Cell Insurance, Kingdom Bank, Dairibord, CBZ, Econet, Standard Chartered Bank, Hwange Colliery and Tetrad among others.
Honorary accreditation went to OK Zimbabwe chief operating officer Mr Albert Katsande, Olgivy Group of Companies chief executive Mr Alistair Carlisle and FBC executive director retail and commerce Mr Agrippa Mugwagwa.
MAZ president Mr Godfrey Dube said the honorary awards were given to individuals who have excelled in their careers as marketers.
“The honorary marketing practitioner status is awarded to a few selected men and women in recognition of their achievements and contribution to the marketing profession. We want them to be role models to our young marketers,” he said.
Meanwhile, MAZ has indicated that its first annual general meeting will be held in September this year.