In the past weeks, I had the opportunity to attend the 2nd Communication Council organized by the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Directorate of Communications in Ankara. I participated in the “Branding, Türkiye Brand, and Reputation Management” working group, one of the 16 different working groups, where we engaged in in-depth discussions with experts in the field.
I believe that the strength of the Türkiye Brand can grow by feeding off and supporting Türkiye’s own brands. Unfortunately, more than half of Türkiye’s top 20 most valuable brands operate only within the country, and they are mostly in sectors such as banking, telecommunications, fuel, or retail—primarily service brands. Among our top 20 most valuable brands, only a few (7) export products or services.
As a result, the Türkiye Brand is more intensely represented in the international arena through public diplomacy, tourism destinations and segments, cultural exports (creative industries), the investment ecosystem, and sports activities. Analyzing the target audiences in these areas and understanding their points of interaction with the Türkiye Brand is crucial for positioning it effectively. In this regard, the insights I gained from different academics and public administrators were incredibly valuable.
Despite being established as recently as 2022 under the leadership of Ms. Nur Özkan Erbay, the Türkiye Brand Office has made a significant step by ensuring that the “Türkiye Brand” is addressed at the highest level of the State and represented on international platforms.
I firmly believe that this initiative will receive support from Türkiye’s private sector brands, which represent the country globally.
