“Imagine a brilliant Ghanaian entrepreneur, poised to build a world-class product with immense growth potential, yet stuck at the drawing board…”
Why? Because they lack a crucial partner: a marketer who can serve as a strategist from the very beginning, one who leverages deep community insight to shape the product’s design, not merely its launch plan.
This is the reality for nearly 60% of Ghanaian businesses (Bamfo, 2024). This persistent challenge, the gap between visionary ideas and market-ready execution, is often the very adversity that forges true transformation. It was precisely this gap that catalyzed the founding of RECOM, and it is this same struggle that now unites thousands of professionals committed to building the skills required to be, and remain, future-ready.
A Personal Journey of Frustration and Reinvention
My journey started in a modest classroom in Accra, surrounded by professionals hungry to elevate their craft through professional marketing education. What we encountered, however, was not a system built to empower, but one designed merely to evaluate. After completing the Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) programme, I enrolled in one of the well-known tutorial colleges in Accra to pursue professional marketing qualifications.
I expected my time at this College, renowned for being among the best in the country at the time, to be spiced with a myriad of 21st Century-worthy pedagogical approaches like structured mentorship hours, intellectual rigor, and deep learning through industry immersion sessions or even the flipped classroom that aims to increase student engagement, improve comprehension, and promote deeper learning compared to traditional lecture-based instruction.
At that moment, I realised our education was not merely irrelevant, but a parody of itself. That moment revealed a deeper truth: transformation is born not when systems work flawlessly, but when their flaws demand reinvention. Instead, I encountered a teaching and learning style that was solely designed for examination preparation, an approach I like to refer to as ‘Rote Instruction’. There was no room for critical thinking, no guidance on applying theory to the Ghanaian marketplace, and no recognition of the marketer’s ethical or strategic role in shaping business and society.
Picture this: a group of Ghanaian marketing students, fans whirring helplessly against 35°C heat, analysing case studies on ‘snowstorm shopping trends.
As I later taught CIMG and CIM courses across Ghana and Kenya, I met hundreds of professionals grappling with the same limitations: programs that did not challenge them intellectually, did not nurture their leadership capacity, and did not reflect the complex realities of African markets. These professionals did not want shortcuts. They wanted substance. RECOM was born from this collective aspiration for a more meaningful, localised, and value-driven approach to marketing education.
So, we asked: What would a marketing education built for Ghana’s future look like? The answer became RECOM’s DNA, the five principles that will redefine how professional marketing education is delivered.
RECOM’s Five Pillars
RECOM is not just a tutorial college. It is a professional learning institution with a clear and uncompromising mission: to cultivate purpose-led, ethically grounded, and digitally fluent marketing professionals who are equipped to lead in Ghana’s fast-evolving business environment and beyond. At the core of our institution lies a vision for professional education that is not only practical and relevant but deeply transformational. Five foundational pillars shape this vision:
Pillar 1 (Local Relevance Rooted in Global Standards)
Our programmatic focus is centred on the CIMG (Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana) qualification. Unlike institutions that rely heavily on foreign syllabi, RECOM adapts and delivers CIMG content with unmatched depth and contextual insight. We do not teach Ghanaian learners to market to London or New York; we teach them to understand, engage, and transform Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Nairobi, Entebbe, and beyond.
Thus, when a RECOM learner strategises for Kumasi’s kelewele vendor or Accra’s rising fintech, they are not just applying theory, they’re reshaping local economies. We integrate global standards while ensuring learners are immersed in real Ghanaian case studies, industry data, and business realities. We believe that choosing where you study for your professional qualification matters profoundly. The qualification might be the same across centres, but the delivery, the intentional mentorship for advancement, the learner experience, and ultimately, the outcomes can vary significantly. At RECOM, the difference lies in how we teach, not just what we teach.
Pillar 2 (Mentorship as a Core Learning Practice)
Many learners struggle not because of intellectual deficits, but because of isolation. At RECOM, we pair every learner with a mentor, an experienced marketer who provides not only academic support but also career coaching, ethical guidance, and leadership development. Our mentorship model is human-centred and structured, bridging the critical gap between academic instruction and professional evolution. We recognise that behind every great marketer is not just knowledge, but a support system that enables growth.
Pillar 3 (Digitally Empowered, Flexibly Delivered)
Our custom-built learner management system (LMS) empowers learners to study on their terms, on demand, asynchronously, and with access to a wealth of curated content, tutor support, peer networks, and real-time feedback. All instruction is delivered via virtual weekend and evening sessions using dedicated video conferencing tools. These sessions are designed for busy professionals seeking flexible learning without compromising on rigour. Small class sizes, consistent tutoring engagement, and responsive academic support make the learning experience dynamic and highly personalised.
For example, our platform can allow a mother in Tamale to upskill after her kids go to bed, or an Accra consultant to prepare for examinations between client calls, because flexibility should not mean compromise.
Pillar 4 (A Curriculum That Connects Ethics, Strategy, and Impact)
RECOM’s pedagogy is rooted in the belief that marketing is not merely about selling products; rather, it is about shaping behaviour, influencing policy, and advancing sustainability. Every module, from Brand Management to Digital Optimisation, embeds ethical frameworks, sustainability principles, and digital fluency. Our learners are not just taught what marketing is; they are challenged to consider what marketing could and should be.
For example, when we teach Brand Management, students do not just study Nike; they debate Ghana’s plastic waste crisis and how marketers can drive sustainability. This is what separates a certificate-holder from a transformative practitioner. Beyond that, we currently host and facilitate three future-proof short courses, namely Emerging Technologies for Marketers, Digital Marketing, and Sustainable Marketing at the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana (CIMG), a key testament to our long-standing contribution to driving the sustainable practice of marketing.
Pillar 5 (Career Acceleration Beyond the Exam Room)
The end of your CIMG exam is not the end of your professional development. At RECOM, we connect high-performing learners to top employers, provide internship and consulting referrals, and offer ongoing coaching for specialisation and leadership transitions. We are acutely aware that the ROI of education is not in completion but in transformation, and we have built systems to ensure our learners thrive beyond graduation. RECOM learners have landed new roles, attained promotions at some of Ghana Club 100 firms, because we don’t just teach marketing; we open doors.
Here’s the hard truth: If Ghana’s marketers are taught with yesterday’s tools, how can they build tomorrow’s economy? With increasing digitalisation, shifting consumer expectations, and growing global attention on ethics and sustainability, the marketing profession must evolve. Yet some educational programs remain stuck in the past, delivering outdated material through uninspiring methods.
Research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), as well as insights from bodies like the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), confirm this gap. Their findings reiterate our belief that Ghanaian marketing professionals need more than certificates. They need clarity, courage, and capacity. RECOM is our response to this challenge, offering not a temporary fix, but a systemic shift that will revolutionise how professional marketing education is delivered and absorbed.
Who We Serve, and Why It Matters
RECOM supports a wide range of learners. They include:
- Mid-career professionals seeking to earn Chartered Marketer status via CIMG Pathways.
- HR and LD Managers looking to invest in ethical, strategic, and high-performing teams.
- Entrepreneurs and consultants who want to elevate their marketing practice.
- Young professionals and career pivoters ready to build purposeful marketing careers.
Our alumni are already driving change in institutions like MTN Ghana, Best Western Premier, GIZ Ghana, Ecobank, GCB Bank PLC, AGI-Energy, Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Ashesi University, Fidelity Bank Ghana, GhIPSS, Wilmar Ghana, Media General, Star Assurance, Ashesi University, among others. They left not just with CIMG accredited Certificates, but with a renewed professional identity that is evident in how they practice and what they have achieved to date.
A Closing Challenge to the Ecosystem
To employers, invest in RECOM’s corporate program, and within 6 months, your team will master the campaigns that win Ghana’s next generation of consumers. For professionals serious about becoming marketers who lead with insight, ethics, and innovation, RECOM is the next step.
Enrol before September to join our 2025 cohort and secure a 1:1 mentorship slot with a CIMG/CIM-certified leader. To policymakers and education leaders, the future of marketing in Ghana depends on how boldly we reform professional education.
Let us build institutions that match the ambition and potential of our people. RECOM may be a young institution, but our purpose is clear, our model is tested, and our mission is urgent. Join us. Invest in purpose-led marketing education. Let us reimagine what it means to be a marketer in Ghana and across Africa.
Email: president@recom.edu.gh
Amin Ayarnah
Amin is a lifelong learner who lives by the belief that "marketing is a force for good, rather than a force for promotion". He is the Founder & Chief Visionary of RECOM
