We should make investments to make Turkey a global brand
Fatoş Karahasan narrates "the great pre-transformation period" in her new book ‘Açılın Gençler Geliyor’ and reveals the findings of a significant research on our youth population. She spoke with us about her book.
You are one of the prominent names in brand management and marketing in Turkey. I want to start with this. Can you share your story with our readers?
I worked as the General Manager of Fine Arts Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the greatest advertising agencies in Turkey for a long time. I gave lectures at Galatasaray University and Bilgi University. Currently, I am teaching Digital Marketing at Bilgi University. Many articles of mine have been published in newspapers such as Milliyet, Capital, Start Up, and Dünya.
Reklamda Vasattan Kurtulma Yolları (How to Get Rid of Mediocre in Advertising), Taşlar Yerinden Oynarken: Dijital Pazarlamanın Kuralları (While Things Are Changing: Rules of Digital Marketing), Akla ve Kalbe Giden İletişim Yolları (Ways of Communicating with the Mind and the Heart), and Açılın Gençler Geliyor (Make Way to the Young) are the books I have written. I give trainings on Blue Ocean Strategy, Brand Managing, Digital Marketing, and Skill Management. I have spoken in many conferences and I undertake the duty of “Master of Ceremony.” I speak English, Italian, French, and German. I am a member of Advertising Self-regulatory Board.
You have worked with many brands on brand management as strategic marketing and brand management expert. What do you think about branding efforts in Turkey?
In Turkey, there are companies functioning correctly and in a modern way as well as organisations that cannot keep up with the current developments. Brands like Beko and Vestel are competing in global markets, but we should be in a better place. Creating a brand is as difficult as maintaining it. It is not possible to reach large masses via mass communication tools. The world is going through an intense rivalry and Turkey must work harder towards creating new brands.
I give importance to programs like Turquality. We should invest in design. For instance, Paşabahçe/Şişe Cam does this and has buyers from all over the world. Enterprises in marina, hotels, clubs, and restaurants by Doğuş Holding are important examples for service sector. It is a valuable approach to introduce Turkish and Anatolian cuisine to the world via restaurant brands such as Nusret, Günaydın and Rüya. Brands exist in line with the country's perception. For example, countries like Germany and Japan remind us of technology, while Italy and France remind us of art and fashion. Therefore, their supremacy in these fields helps them market their products at higher prices. Keeping this in mind, we should invest in Turkey as a brand. The more colourful and attractive perception towards Turkey is, the more possible to brand our products and services.
We should take Belek as an outstanding example of a location becoming an attractive destination for golf lovers all year round. Turkey must protect its nature. Seas and rivers should be clean. However, nature is not considered to be a priority while constructing buildings, which lessens our value. Dusty roads, noisy streets, and complicated traffic system decrease the possibility of coming back the following year for people who wish to rest and have fun for a couple of weeks.
What do you think about tourism in Turkey as a brand? What should we enhance to create a brand country?
We should first have a special and favoured product. In this sense, history, sea, nature, cuisine, and diversity of Turkey are quite attractive products. Hotels in Turkey are new and luxurious. The staff is hard-working and welcoming; prices are low compared to western countries, which make Turkey an ideal destination for Europeans. The climate and being a Muslim country make Turkey a favourable destination for visitors from the Middle East.
These are things we know. In order to compete with Italy, France, and Spain, these are not enough. Budget and tangible opportunities are not the sole factors to affect holiday preferences. Perceptions and experiences play a great role in people's choices. Visitors, primarily Y and Z generations, want to experience things they can share on social media and they can tell their friends. The comfort of the hotels, richness of the buffets, and the size of the pool do not matter after a couple of days, so we must invest in art, cultural activities, and sports. We should take Belek as an outstanding example of a location becoming an attractive destination for golf lovers all year round.
Turkey must protect its nature. Seas and rivers should be clean. However, nature is not considered to be a priority while constructing buildings, which lessens our value. Dusty roads, noisy streets, and complicated traffic system decrease the possibility of coming back the following year for people who wish to rest and have fun for a couple of weeks. If Turkey invests in agriculture, nature, culture, and art, we can compete with Italy and Spain.
Young people of Turkey are our power. People in administrative positions should provide them with a world where they can live a quality life happily, and productively. Unless young people fulfil their responsibilities, Turkey might face social, political, and economic problems.
Digitalisation is one of the most important issues these days. Where do you think young people are in this transformation?
Sia Insight Research Company prepared Youth Research Turkey 2018 for my book Açılın Gençler Geliyor. (Make Way to the Young). It was conducted with 2000 young people aged between 15-24 representing Turkish urban population by region, city, age, gender, education, and work status. The results show that young people have habits similar to their foreign peers. Mobile phones are the centre of life for theme. They obtain information; do shopping; follow news; contact with friends and families; watch movies and play games on their mobile phones. 54% of them check their mobile phones right before bed; 55% check their mobile phones as soon as they wake up; 48% sleep with their mobile phones on the bedside table.
Although they are quite dependent on their mobile phones, their relationships with technology is not that strong. Only 36% of them have heard of significant concepts like artificial intelligence and virtual reality. 29% of the ones who have heard of these concepts know something about them. The fact that they do not have information about technological developments in the world is what distinguishes them from Europeans. One aim should be to make the go one step further than only social media interaction.
Finally, what pieces of advice do you have for young people? What should they do to prepare themselves for tomorrow in today's world?
They should follow the news. Only 10% know a foreign language. I can advise them to
1. learn a foreign language, which can be achieved through the internet.
2. find a job they love and read and study to reach this goal.
3. find out what makes you waste your time and get rid of it.
4. use technology to produce not to consume
5. accept success and failure. If you are afraid of thinking, you will be afraid of trying. Failure depends on your expectations and learning skills. You learn what you should do every time you fail, which teaches you to change your plans.
6. learn to write and transfer your ideas correctly. Unless you reflect your ideas, you cannot build strong relationships.
7. learn to learn. Find out what you do not know and what you should learn to perform better.
Açılın Gençler Geliyor (Make Way to the Young) is the title of your latest book. What do you think about the current situation of young people in Turkey?
According to Turkish Statistical Institute (2017), there are 11.876.000 young people aged between 15 and 24 in our country, which compromises 14.3% of our total population. We should think about this number. About 12 million young people is as big as the population of a European country. We know that the population countries such as Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Belarus, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ireland, Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo is 10 million or less.
Turkish Statistical Institute: Only 38% of the young population continue their education. 12% work and study. 23% only work. 27% neither works nor studies.
Young people of Turkey are our power. People in administrative positions should provide them with a world where they can live a quality life happily, and productively. Unless young people fulfil their responsibilities, Turkey might face social, political, and economic problems.