Graphic, CalBank confer on mutual interests

Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and the management of CalBank PLC, have committed themselves to work together for their mutual benefit.

The two institutions are to explore possible areas of partnership that would build their brands and contribute towards the economic development of the country.

The Chief Executive Officer of CalBank PLC, Philip Owiredu, and the Managing Director of the GCGL, Ato Afful, expressed their commitment when the latter paid a courtesy call on the management of the bank in Accra yesterday to deepen their relationship.

“We are a 73-year-old company that understands the business environment, as well as prick the national conscience and conversations.

“We are certain when we direct the conversations in the right perspectives, businesses benefit,” Mr Afful said.

He commended CalBank for its success story, saying the brand had grown over the years as an indigenous company.

Mr Afful said putting up its own head office was a testament to the strong brand equity of the bank which example he said was worth emulating.

The MD said the company was investing in the digital space by archiving all its newspapers from 1950 to date.

“Graphic is the only institution that has chronicled the history of the country, and that treasure trove of information is now being preserved in its digital archive that would also inure to the benefit of all segments of society, including corporate institutions,” he said.

Mr Afful added that the digitalisation of the newspaper publications would ensure “we do not lose records.

It is a national project for future generations”.

The Marketing Director at GCGL, Franklin Sowa, said the banking and media industries were both undergoing massive evolution.

GCGL, he said, was also investing in its online platform and other activities such as a weekly Twitter Business Dialogue where pertinent national and economic issues were discussed by experts.

Mr Sowa further said that the company had a subsidiary that provided courier services which could be used for delivery of all types of items, and a printing company known as G-PAK which did all forms of printing.

For his part, Mr Owiredu expressed appreciation for the visit and described the Daily Graphic newspaper as the biggest media platform in terms of circulation in the country that cannot be ignored by any business entity, adding that “any business that wants to build its brand needs the Daily Graphic to do so”.

He also described the strategic direction of GCGL, particularly the establishment of its digital archive as a laudable project and pledged the support of the bank towards the initiative.

Mr Owiredu described the performance of the bank last year as challenging, especially with regard to the effect of the domestic debt exchange on financial institutions.

He, however, said that so far business had started normalising and “it is expected that by next year it will be much better”. 

Mr Owiredu said that GCGL would remain a key partner of the bank in its growth, adding that “we will continue to work with you”.

The Head of Marketing of the bank, Kofi S. Siabi, said the two companies would collaborate on the Graphic digital platform and other activities for their mutual benefit.