The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) has officially transitioned its industry training programmes into a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training framework, marking a significant shift in how advertising professionals within member-agencies are trained, certified and prepared for long-term career growth.

Previously, AAG organized intensive three-day or six-day workshops for its members. According to the Executive Director of AAG, Isaac Cudjoe, the AAG Council after deep and prolonged deliberations, has streamlined it’s professional training into a structured three-month continuous learning programme designed to offer deeper engagement, sustained learning and recognised industry certification.

From Short Courses to Structured CPD

In an interview with the Chairman of the Education & Professional Development Committee, Bright Ladzekpo, he announced that the newly introduced CPD programme would be rolled out this year (2026) over a 13-week period, from April to June. Mr. Ladzekpo said the CPD programmes have a two-tier structure: one tailor-made for new entrants and junior-level practitioners; and another crafted for managers and unit directors.

The core advertising foundations training meant for entry-level and junior level practitioners will be in-person sessions on Saturdays, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, allowing working professionals to participate without disrupting their weekday schedules. There will be some specific refresher programmes for professional within the C-Suite bracket (CEOs, COOs, CFOs, Executive Directors, etc).

This shift reflects AAG’s commitment to aligning professional training with global best practices, where continuous learning, assessment and certification are central to career progression within the advertising industry.

What the CPD Programme Covers

The Core Foundation CPD programme is designed for entry-level and junior professionals, as well as job seekers looking to build a solid grounding in advertising. Facilitated by senior management and unit directors from AAG member agencies, the programme spans key areas of industry practice.

The first phase that will begin from April 4 to April 25, focuses on advertising fundamentals and digital mastery. Participants will be introduced to the advertising ecosystem, agency structures, creative processes, copywriting, art direction, and digital and social media advertising.

From May 2 to May 23, the programme moves into media strategy and client relations, covering media planning and buying, budgeting, negotiations, account management and client servicing.

The final phase, from May 30 to June 27, centres on innovation and professional standards. Topics include the practical application of AI tools in advertising, integrated agency workflows, ethics, compliance and professional conduct. The programme concludes with a capstone review and assessment, which forms part of the CPD validation process.

Industry Certification and Career Progression

Upon successful completion of the programme, participants receive CPD recognition, reinforcing their professional credentials within the advertising industry. This certification supports career progression and ensures practitioners remain current with evolving industry standards, tools and ethical requirements.

Beyond the Foundation Level

The CPD framework extends beyond the Core Foundation programme. AAG will also deliver Advanced and Executive-level learning through the AAG Masterclass series and the AAG C-Suite Executive & Leadership Development Series.

The AAG Masterclass sessions are scheduled for April 23, May 28 and June 25 2026. These masterclasses target managers and unit directors, with a focus on data-driven marketing and analytics, integrated campaign and brand management as well as generative AI and technology for advertising. Executive or C-suite-level sessions will follow later in the year, addressing issues topics on how to build solid agency leadership, attracting & retaining top agency talent as well as modules on winning pitches and strategic account leadership. These modules will be facilitated by global and regional industry leaders.

A New Era for Professional Development

The move from short-term training to a continuous, structured learning pathway signals a long-term investment in people, professionalism and the future of the industry.

More details on registration, certification requirements and programme schedules will be shared in subsequent communications.

In a move signaling a new era of strategic governance, the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) formally inaugurated the Gong Gong Awards Board on Thursday 11^th December at the Airport West Hotel. The historic swearing-in ceremony of the 10-member board marks a decisive step toward refining the nation’s premier creative awards and amplifying Ghana’s voice in the international advertising and creative ecosystem.

 

The event drew a gathering of industry stakeholders, media, and dignitaries who witnessed the board members take their oath of office. With its diverse composition spanning academia, media, agencies, and client-side leadership, the board was tasked to bring fresh perspective and rigorous standards into the awards framework.

 

In his inaugural address, Andrew Ackah, CEO of Dentsu Ghana and the President of Advertising Association of Ghana, framed the board’s mission in ambitious terms. “This is not merely an administrative body,” Mr. Ackah stated. “Our collective mandate is to elevate the Gong Gong Awards to international benchmarks, ensuring they become a true beacon of excellence that recognizes and rewards the phenomenal talent within Ghana’s creative sector.”

 

The newly constituted board represents a cross-section of industry heavyweights:

 

Guiding the academic perspective is Dr. Mrs. Linda Narh, a Lecturer and Coordinator at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

 

The media realm is represented by Afeafa Nfojoh, General Manager of Adesa Productions Ltd.

 

The agency and creative industry cohort features a roster of leaders: Russel Eni (Insel Communications), Grace Adzo Andoh (Art Excel), Anand Badami (Publicis West Africa), Nicolette Amaeshi (Pulse GH), Justin Darkwa (Rezultz Advertising), and Russell Banful (Brandflow).

 

Representing the client-side is Lasisi Andre Tayo Jnr, Head of Brand, Marketing Communications & Events at Telecel.

 

The inauguration program blended ceremony with clarity of purpose, featuring opening remarks, the formal swearing-in, and focused discussions on the board’s forthcoming responsibilities. While the group has yet to hold its first working session, the event unequivocally established their role as the custodians of the awards’ integrity and future trajectory.

The establishment of the Gong Gong Awards Board is widely seen as a direct response to the rapid growth and increasing sophistication of Ghana’s creative economy. By installing a body dedicated to governance, excellence, and global relevance, the AAG aims not only to enhance the prestige of the awards but also to catalyze broader industry innovation and professional development.

With this new governing engine now in place, the Ghanaian creative sector watches with anticipation, expecting the Gong Gong Awards to transform into a more powerful platform that celebrates local genius while demanding world-class quality.

 

Global advertising spend is now on course to close out 2025 with growth of almost 9% to $1.19trn, an upgrade of 1.5 percentage points (pp) from WARC’s September forecast due to strong results from Big Tech platforms and a muted impact on global trade from trade tariffs.

The new projections are included as part of WARC Media’s latest Global Ad Trends: Media’s New Normal report, which finds that the advertising market in 2025 is fundamentally different from the ad ecosystem of the past.

The story in brief

The ad market used to help tell the story of the economy as a whole, but a structural shift has taken place since the pandemic. Advertising has broken away from the economic cycle, and behaves in a way that doesn’t feel reflective of the real economy, explains WARC Media head of content, Alex Brownsell.

New money has arrived from digital-native categories, while commerce has redrawn the measured media map, and Big Tech’s self-reinforcing flywheel is harvesting almost all incremental dollars.

Growth dynamics

Next year, total global advertising is forecast to reach $1.3 trillion at a year-on-year growth rate of 9.1%. Growth of 7.9% in 2027 would push the advertising market’s total value to 1.4 trillion: a doubling in size since the pandemic and equivalent to $150 spent for every person alive today.

Consolidation

• Alphabet, Amazon and Meta take a combined market share of 56.1% excluding China this year – equivalent to $556.6bn – rising to 58.0% in 2026.
• Big Tech’s scale gives it an unparalleled ability to invest in research and development, especially AI-driven optimisation, creative automation and first-party data infrastructure.
• The impact of these closed ecosystems is being seen on the open web, where advertising spend on display formats has declined in recent years.

In context

While ad spend races ahead, most other indicators of economic health look fragile. Real wages have stagnated in many developed markets, inflation has eroded purchasing power, and higher interest rates have made borrowing costlier for brands.

For many large advertisers, growth is coming more from price than volume, which has increased the strategic value of brand-building even as consumer demand stays weak.

Data from WARC’s Voice of the Marketer, a survey of 1,093 practitioners, shows that of those expecting their marketing budgets to grow next year, more than half (51%) intend to increase brand investment.

The urgent need for an Act on advertising in Ghana refuses to go away as both the Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA) highlight it as a key area of concern for the marketing communications industry.

At the 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of AAG, Andrew Ackah, President of AAG and his counterpart, Abdulai Awudu, President of GIBA raised concerns about the lack of any proper legal framework to regulate a huge industry like the advertising industry in Ghana. AAG has engaged previous governments with the positive expectations for the passage of the Advertising Council Bill, which has been touted as one of the most well-covered and well-drafted bills, yet the industry remains without any conclusive regulation.

Currently, however, the AAG has begun working together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness to re-introduce the bill to Parliament.

Apart from the matters on the Advertising Council Bill, the following areas were also covered:

• Digital Transformation: AAG celebrated the digitalization of its awards Gong Gong Awards entry system, enhancing transparency and efficiency for the awards.
• Gong Gong Festival of Creativity: The festival was brought back, this year (2025), after a two-year break. The come-back showcased the best of Ghanaian creativity. A proposed Gong Gong Awards Board was announced, although its official inauguration took place at a separate event on the 11^th of December at the Airport West Hotel in Accra.
• Professional Development & Academic Engagement: The President reported that AAG launched collaborations with global institutions and tertiary schools to upskill practitioners and to nurture the next generation of advertising professionals.
• Government Relations & Advocacy: The Association continues constructive engagement with ministries, municipal assemblies, and agencies to address industry challenges such as double taxation, billboard regulation, and ethical advertising standards.
• Increased presence on the global advertising stage: Apart from Ghana’s enviable record with the International Advertising Association (IAA), the President also reported that AAG’s influence had led to some experienced individuals from member-agencies serving on Cannes Lions and the WARC jury panels now.

Inauguration of Committee Chairpersons: Eight Council Members were inaugurated to head the functional committees of AAG to bring a lot more efficiency in the association’s work. The following are the committees to which the eight council members were appointed head: Branding & PR, Education & Professional Development, Out-of-Home (Outdoor), Finance, Membership Drive, Regulatory & Government Relations, Events, and Legal Affairs.

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced LIONS Sport, a new global forum dedicated to the cultural and commercial power of creativity in sport. Taking place 24–25 June 2026 during Cannes Lions, the two-day programme will unite leaders from across brands, agencies, rights holders and media to explore how innovation and creativity in marketing is redefining the US$417bn sports landscape.

 

Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “Sport is the world’s most universal language. It creates shared, borderless moments that no other medium can match. While we understand its scale, the real opportunity now lies in how creativity can transform that scale into meaning, value and growth. It’s clear that the new playing field has shifted from reach to relevance, from audiences to communities and from media buys to cultural moments.

 

“In a landscape where rights are fragmented, fanbases are global and athletes have become their own publishers, LIONS Sport will bring together the people shaping that new reality – because when sport converges with culture and commerce, creativity becomes the ultimate competitive advantage.”

 

Building on more than 70 years of creative benchmarking and industry convening, LIONS Sport will provide the global platform for the world’s most influential sports leaders and marketers to debate, define and recognise creative excellence in sport. The forum will take place in a custom-built venue at the iconic Carlton Hotel, featuring keynote conversations, exclusive case studies, business leader networking forums and experiential showcases from brands and athletes driving the next wave of innovation and growth in sport.

 

Commenting on the launch of LIONS Sport, Nicole Graham, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer, NIKE, Inc. said:  “In a world that’s constantly shifting, sport remains a powerful force for connection, inspiration, and cultural influence. At NIKE, we see every day how sport doesn’t just reflect culture—it drives it, shaping the way we tell stories and inspire people around the world. We’re thrilled to see Cannes Lions expand into LIONS Sport, recognizing how profoundly sport is influencing the future of marketing and creative expression.” Since 2001, NIKE has won the most Grands Prix of any brand at Cannes Lions, and has taken home a number of Lions from across a breadth of categories and creative disciplines.

 

LIONS Sport extends Cannes Lions’ established sports ecosystem – with delegates having the opportunity to attend the Entertainment Lions for Sport Awards in the Palais des Festivals. The launch will be delivered in partnership with Headline Partner Stagwell, which returns with its acclaimed SPORT BEACH activation – a dedicated space for networking and collaboration between marketers, athletes and brands. All LIONS Sport passes will include exclusive access to SPORT BEACH and curated VIP sessions across the festival week.

 

Access to LIONS Sport will be application-only, ensuring a high-impact environment designed for decision-makers and future innovators at the forefront of sport, creativity and commerce. Passes can be bought standalone or as an add-on to Cannes Lions Classic passes. Further information on LIONS Sport is available here, and details on pass options and availability can be found at www.canneslions.com.