Leading voices at the 2025 Women in PR Ghana Summit have called on PR professionals to lead with values, integrity, and intentionality.
The call aligns with the message of the 9th summit which centered on ethical storytelling and inclusive representation in the practice of public relations.
The two- day summit was held under the theme, ”Building Authentic Brands as Ethical Storytellers”.
Joyce Sackitey Ahiadorme, President of Women in PR Ghana emphasised that in a time when misinformation is louder than truth, the need for authentic branding and ethical storytelling has never been more critical.
She explained that the summit is purposed to enable participants to reflect on not trading truth for popularity and visibility.
“If the story doesn’t honor ethics, let it remain untold”, she said. She also applauded the executive committee and all supporters who worked tirelessly to bring the summit to life,” she added.
In her keynote address, renowned author and storyteller, Petra Aba Asamoah emphasized that ethics is not just a departmental function, but a strategic driver of long-term trust and reputation.
She noted that in today’s evolving communication landscape, stakeholders are demanding more than just polished messaging. They expect authenticity, transparency, and a strong sense of responsibility from organizations.
Mrs. Asamoah said “Ethical leadership must begin at the executive level, embedded into core strategy rather than treated as an afterthought. As reputation becomes an increasingly vital asset, effective management starts with proactive and intentional communication, ensuring that organizations build trust before crises arise.”
She noted that trust is a core asset in today’s business and must be jealously guarded and embedded in business philosophy, not buried in compliance.
Mrs. Asamoah identified consistent ethical behaviour and values-driven storytelling as powerful tools for rebuilding confidence in an age where misinformation and broken promises have eroded public trust stressing that modern PR must evolve to meet the expectations of today’s stakeholders, particularly the conscious consumer.
Doris Casares, Global Chief Communications Officer of Mango (GWPR), shared compelling insights on how brands can stay resilient and trusted in such unpredictable times.
Speaking on “Why Brands Must Build Trust in an Age of Distrust”, she emphasised that for any brand to thrive, it must remain grounded in its values, purpose, and history.
“It’s super important to keep your values, purpose, and history as brand communicators. That’s what will help you survive in these disruptive times.” For her, branding is not just about messaging , it’s about people. Brands are people and it is important to know who these people are and how to connect with them.”
She further encouraged practitioners to continuously research and monitor social media to understand customer feedback, stressing that such insights are key to crafting a brand narrative that feels authentic and trustworthy.
In building emotional connections, she reminded attendees that offering value to customers is essential not only in the form of products or services but also through meaningful experiences. Internally, she highlighted that resilient and adaptable people make the best communicators. “Recruit them to support your work, adding that employees are a brand’s strongest ambassadors when they are engaged and empowered.
Ms. Casares also called for a collaborative approach to communications planning, recommending that strategies be co-created with people in the business. This, she said, is not only more effective but also helps in securing buy-in and budgets for activities such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that build long-term trust.
Akosua Kwafo Ogyiri, Communications Manager for WaterAid Ghana urged PR practitioners to critically evaluate the stories they tell, how they tell them, and whose voices they amplify or silence. Speaking on the topic “Voices We Don’t Hear: Ethical and Inclusive Representation in PR Campaigns, she noted that “Representation is not cosmetic but a social justice issue.
She further noted that PR practitioners must be concious on empathy building and emotional expliotation. Using real-world examples, she challenged industry professionals to move away from white savior narratives, emotionally manipulative portrayals, and consent-less storytelling.
Ms. Ogyiri emphasized the need for a more ethical and inclusive approach to storytelling in public relations. Urging communicators to center agency, not sympathy, by allowing individuals and communities to speak for themselves rather than being portrayed as passive recipients.
“We must co-create stories, not extract them,” she stated, highlighting the importance of collaboration and mutual respect in narrative development. Akosua also called for the establishment of systems of consent and accountability, ensuring that those whose stories are told have a say in how they are represented and the ability to hold storytellers responsible.
Day 2 panel discussion moderated by Thando Dhaza, Communications Specialist sparked an insightful and candid conversation on authenticity and manipulation in brand narratives. The panelists urged brands to move beyond fleeting trends and manipulative tactics, advocating instead for a shift toward long-term trust-building, ethical influence, and values-based storytelling.
The discussion which centered on “Brand Authenticity and Influencer Ethics in the Age of Social Media,” emphasized the importance of aligning brand narratives with core values, cultivating genuine relationships with audiences, and resisting the pressure to chase short-term visibility at the expense of integrity.
Derick Romeo Adogla, Communications Lead, Newmont’s Ahafo North Project challenged PR professionals and brand managers to resist the herd mentality in influencer marketing, insisting that influence must be about value creation, not popularity metrics.
According to him, if the core values are not part of the DNA of the organisation’s operstions, it’s not authenticity.” He underscored the importance of aligning brand storytelling with purpose, adding that professionals “do not need to follow the crowd because others are using influencers. Always start from scratch and tell your brand story intentionally.”
Shirley Tony Kum, Communications Manager, Vivo Energy warned against the use of manipulation in brand messaging stressing that “Manipulation is misleading people so your brand gains a certain level of equity,”
She further noted that “truth also trends” urging brands to consistently demonstrate their values through actions. “If you’re in a business where the organization requires you to tell half-truths, run.” Urging PR professionals to uphold integrity as a non-negotiable standard.
Naa Dzama Amu, Communications Manager, Olam Agri added that for brands to be considered authentic, they must “walk the talk stressing that authenticity is not a slogan but “a demonstration of honesty, transparency, and consistency over time.”
She added that authenticity is built through evidence and experience. “When choosing influencers, make sure they’ve actually experienced your product. It’s not about trends. It’s about alignment with your values.”
Discussions for the Day 1 panel focused on the topic “Can Social Media Media Shape Brand Narrative Ethically.” Moderated by Lorrencia Nkrumah, Communications Specialist, Nestle Ghana, panelists underscored the danger of placing virality over truth.
Ruddy Kwakye, Founder and CEO of Rave Group noted that “Ethics is the boundary for our communication urging PR professionals to avoid misleading headlines and clickbait tactics that trade people’s lives for entertainment.
Reminding participants to responsibily manage content in an algorithem-driven era, he stressed that, “If you feed it garbage, you’ll get garbage. If you feed it right, you’ll get the right answers.”
On his part, Makafui Ayimey, Founder Accra Goods Market highlighted the importance of internal culture and staff engagement as the bedrock of any strong brand. “Your biggest problem as an organization is when your staff don’t feel a sense of belonging,” he warned.
Rather than spending disproportionately on public image, he advocated for investing in employee satisfaction adding that happy staff are a more sustainable and authentic voice for the brand than any external influencer.
Echoing a concern rarely addressed within the profession, Maukeni Ribeiro, Brand & Communications Strategist noted that PR professionals often forget to manage their own visibility and credibility. “We do PR for everyone else but ourselves. It’s time to invest in our own trust capital.”
Touching on employees involvement in PR campaigns, she advocated for pre-launch staff engagement, urging that employees should never be blindsided by a campaign they’re expected to support. “Employees are your first audience and strongest ambassadors.”
Maukeni also warned against mismatches in influencer campaigns, calling for PR professionals to verify that organizational non-negotiables align with the influencer’s values and content.
For Mariam Buahin, Brand, Marketing and Fintech Professional the real influencers of any brand are not celebrities, but the people who work within the organization.
“Influencing starts from home. Before you look outside, invest in your staff,” she stated.
She called on brands to take advantage of shifting times to stay relevant but warned against chasing trends without purpose. Like other panelists, she highlighted the need for strategic responsiveness, reminding professionals to “know what to respond to, what to let die, and what to monitor.”
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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