“Innovation is in our DNA. Through our investments in R&D, we consistently deliver technological advancements, making our products more efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly. This positions us as a pioneer, especially in high-tech fields such as industrial machinery.”
Tuse Begüm Usta
Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager
Yemmak
As one of Turkey's and the world's leading feed technology manufacturers, Yemmak continues to make a difference in the industry with its focus on innovation, sustainability, and customer-centric approach. The company, which is preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year, stands out not only with its products but also with its steps that lead industry innovations.
Tuse Begüm Usta
Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager
YEMMAK
In this special interview, we discuss a range of topics with Yemmak's Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager, Tuse Begüm Usta, from marketing activities and export strategies to industry challenges and future goals. Usta defines their customer profiles as medium and large-scale facilities operating in the feed, food, biomass, and chemical sectors: “We serve a wide range, from feed producers to biomass processing plants.”
In response to our question about challenges in marketing, Usta shares their approach to turning this process into an opportunity: “Today, customer expectations are not limited to the product alone; after-sales services, sustainability, and efficiency are also of great importance.” She explains how collecting customer feedback and reshaping strategies with this data contributes to Yemmak’s growth. Through this, Yemmak has succeeded in both increasing customer satisfaction and enhancing its brand value.
The company effectively uses artificial intelligence technologies in marketing, quality control, and occupational health and safety processes, highlighting its innovative approach to prioritize quality and safety in production and differentiate itself in the industry.
Emphasizing that innovation and customer-centricity are key elements shaping Yemmak's success in the industry, Usta states, “Innovation is in our DNA.” Here are the answers to our questions from Yemmak's Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager, Tuse Begüm Usta:
Can we get to know you? Can you share your role in corporate communications and marketing at Yemmak and your career journey with us?
Hello, I’m Tuse Begüm Usta, and I have been serving as the Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager at Yemmak for about 8 years. My career journey started at Kadir Has University, where I studied Communication Design. After graduation, I shaped my career by working as a brand manager at various advertising agencies.
With nearly 15 years of experience, I specialize in branding, content strategies, event management, and digital marketing. In my role at Yemmak, I work to strengthen our corporate identity, solidify our leadership position in the industry, and establish more effective communication with our customers.
I take great pleasure in leading projects like strategic planning, media relations, and digital campaigns. My greatest motivation in this journey is bringing innovative solutions to the industry with an open mindset for learning and development.
What areas do you focus on the most in your company's current marketing strategies? Among product promotion, brand awareness, or customer loyalty, which areas are a priority for Yemmak and why?
At Yemmak, we focus on three main areas in our marketing strategies: brand awareness, customer loyalty, and product innovation.
Brand Awareness is first and foremost important to us. With the knowledge and innovation we have accumulated over the years in our industry, we aim to communicate this to our customers and potential business partners on a broader scale. In this context, we effectively use channels like digital media, trade fairs, and industry publications.
Customer Loyalty is our second area of focus. At Yemmak, we believe that building long-term relationships with our customers makes partnerships sustainable. Therefore, we strengthen our after-sales support services and maintain constant communication with our existing customers. By offering them special campaigns and innovative solutions, we work to reinforce trust in our brand.
Product Innovation is a significant priority for us. Through investments in R&D, we continue to introduce innovative technologies to the industry. We design products that are more efficient, environmentally friendly, and flexible enough to meet our customers' specific needs. This innovation-focused approach not only helps our existing customers optimize their business processes but also sets us apart in the industry, allowing us to reach new customers.
We manage the balance between these three strategic areas dynamically, based on market trends and customer feedback. At Yemmak, our goal is to remain a leader in the industry not only with our products but also with the value we provide to our customers.
How do you define your target audience? What scale of facilities does Yemmak's customer profile primarily consist of?
At Yemmak, we define our target audience as businesses seeking innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions for industrial production processes. Our customer portfolio consists primarily of medium and large-scale facilities.
The main customer groups we partner with are companies operating in the feed, food, biomass, and chemical industries. These facilities typically engage in high-capacity production, are open to investing in technological infrastructure, and aim to optimize their processes.
Additionally, our customers include companies operating in both local and international markets. We serve a wide range of clients, from feed producers to biomass processing plants.
Through this approach, we aim to add value to both growing facilities and large-scale enterprises that hold a leading position in the industry. Our goal is to provide solutions that will enhance our customers' competitiveness and advance them further within the industry.
AI HAS BROUGHT TRANSFORMATION IN MANY AREAS
With artificial intelligence making a rapid entry into all areas of our lives, how is it affecting your marketing strategies? What steps have you taken in this regard?
At Yemmak, we leverage artificial intelligence technologies in our digital marketing processes. For example, AI tools used on social media and advertising platforms help us deliver the right message to the right people at the right time. Additionally, tools such as content recommendations, automated email campaigns, and chatbots help us enhance customer interaction.
Artificial intelligence has not only transformed our marketing strategies but also revolutionized our quality control and occupational health and safety (OHS) practices, enabling us to promote our products and services more effectively.
Quality Control: Firstly, we utilize AI-based systems in our quality control processes. Smart sensors and image processing technologies used during production allow us to monitor product compliance with standards in real time. These systems minimize errors in production, enhance customer satisfaction, and enable us to highlight quality in our marketing efforts.
Occupational Health and Safety: In the field of OHS, AI is an important tool to increase worker safety and better communicate our commitment to this area to our customers. For instance, AI-supported risk analysis systems used in our production facilities help us foresee potential accidents and take preventive measures. This not only creates a safer environment for our employees but also strengthens the perception of reliability for our brand.
AI also accelerates and enhances the detail of our quality control and OHS reporting through proactive data analysis. By incorporating this data into our marketing materials, we demonstrate to our customers that our products not only meet high standards but that our production processes are modern, safe, and sustainable.
Through these steps, Yemmak continues to be a brand that stands out in the industry. By combining AI technologies with our focus on quality and safety, we are committed to offering innovation and trust to our customers both in our products and our processes.
As a company exporting to four continents, what strategies do you have for different geographies? Particularly, how do you approach the Middle East and Africa markets?
At Yemmak, we take the responsibility of being a global brand with a presence in four continents seriously, developing strategies that are tailored to the specific needs of each region. In this context, the Middle East and Africa are two key markets for us.
In the Middle East, we have been responding to regional needs with ongoing projects for years, strengthening our leadership position with innovative solutions. Our products, which offer energy efficiency, durability, and high performance, are making a significant impact in the industry. The long-term partnerships we have established based on trust have made us a preferred brand in this region.
Africa, with its high growth potential, is also one of our strategic goals. As our presence in the region continues to grow, we offer products and services that meet local needs. By contributing to Africa’s developing industrial infrastructure, we help our customers increase their productivity.
While we continue to maintain our strong leadership in the Middle East, we are focusing on expanding and increasing our impact in the African market. At Yemmak, we aim to create sustainable value in every geography by combining our global experience with local solutions.
SUSTAINABILITY IS A CORNERSTONE FOR OUR BUSINESS MODEL
How does sustainability, one of the key concepts of recent years, play a role in your strategies?
For Yemmak, sustainability is not just a trend or a buzzword but an integral part of our business model. Driven by a strong sense of environmental and social responsibility, we prioritize sustainability across all our operations to contribute to a better future.
In terms of environmental sustainability, we optimize our production processes and design more energy-efficient and high-performance machines. Our R&D investments focus on developing eco-friendly technologies and minimizing environmental impacts. By exploring renewable energy sources such as biomass energy, we actively work to reduce our sector's carbon footprint.
On the social sustainability front, the health and safety of our employees are always a priority. We emphasize occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and sustainable workforce strategies. Strengthening collaborations with local communities, we contribute to regional development.
Sustainability also extends beyond production, encompassing our supply chain. By fostering robust partnerships with suppliers based on environmentally friendly and ethical practices, we aim to make the entire chain more sustainable.
Moreover, we integrate customer-focused sustainability strategies into product design, after-sales support, and recycling processes. By offering more efficient and sustainable solutions, we help our customers achieve their environmental goals.
At Yemmak, sustainability is not just a business strategy but a commitment to society and the environment. By developing our processes and products with a focus on sustainability, we are doing our part to create a greener and more livable future.
TODAY'S CUSTOMERS ARE MORE SOPHISTICATED AND DISCERNING
What have been the biggest challenges you faced in marketing, and how have your solutions impacted the company's growth?
One of the biggest challenges we faced in marketing has been keeping up with rapidly changing market demands and customer expectations and adapting to these changes instantly. Today’s customers are far more aware and selective, utilizing both digital and traditional channels. Operating in industrial markets, customer demands extend beyond the product itself to encompass after-sales services, sustainability, and efficiency. This dynamic has necessitated a continual review and adaptation of our marketing strategies.
To address this challenge, we adopted a customer-focused marketing approach, making our interactions with customers more personalized and targeted. We regularly collected customer feedback and used it to enhance our products and services. Additionally, by leveraging data analytics and market research, we accurately predicted customer behaviors, enabling us to craft more effective marketing strategies.
Another major challenge was the increasing competition and the need to differentiate ourselves in the market. In industrial machinery, which requires high technological expertise, customers often make decisions based solely on price. To counter this, we focused not only on the quality of our products but also on emphasizing our brand value and innovation. Investments in technology helped improve the efficiency and ease of use of our products. Furthermore, by highlighting our commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly solutions, we positioned our brand as more appealing to environmentally conscious customers.
The rise of digital marketing posed additional challenges, particularly in managing digital channels effectively and optimizing content to meet the growing demand. By strategically utilizing digital tools such as social media and content marketing, we increased our brand’s visibility and directly engaged with our target audience. Sharing regular industry-related content on social media allowed us to establish an informative and educational presence in industrial markets.
Ultimately, these challenges pushed us to develop a more creative and flexible marketing approach. The strategic changes we implemented enhanced brand recognition and strengthened customer loyalty.
OUR EDGE IS INNOVATION CULTURE AND CUSTOMER FOCUS
What sets you apart from other companies in the industry? Why do your customers choose you, and how did you achieve your current position in the sector?
At Yemmak, we differentiate ourselves through our strong culture of innovation and customer-centric approach. By always prioritizing the needs and expectations of our customers, we offer not just products but sustainable and efficient solutions. This is one of the key factors that sets us apart from other companies in the industry.
Innovation is in our DNA. Through our investments in R&D, we consistently deliver technological advancements, making our products more efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly. This positions us as a pioneer, especially in high-tech fields such as industrial machinery.
We have achieved our strong position in the industry by consistently focusing on customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and building a robust brand identity over the years. Furthermore, our commitment to sustainability and efficiency has made us the preferred choice for environmentally conscious customers.
In conclusion, Yemmak has built its differentiation in the industry through continuous innovation and customer-focused solutions, securing a strong position in the global market. Our customers see us not only as a supplier but also as a strategic partner with whom they establish long-term relationships.
AIMING TO ALWAYS BE AT THE TOP
As Yemmak, one of the leading producers in Türkiye and Europe, you will celebrate your 60th anniversary this year. What are Yemmak's marketing goals in the medium and long term?
In our 60th year, we aim to expand our presence in the global market and gain a larger market share. In the medium term, we plan to enhance brand awareness with strategies focused on digital marketing and sustainability. In the long term, we intend to become the innovation leader in the market with cutting-edge products and strengthen customer loyalty by fostering stronger relationships. With these strategies, we will make Yemmak a more robust brand on a global scale.
Yemmak provides numerous products and services to the industry. How do your new product or service launches aim to bring innovation to the sector?
At Yemmak, our new products and services aim to introduce significant advancements in efficiency, sustainability, and innovation. Our new products are designed to enhance energy efficiency, helping businesses reduce costs and minimize environmental impact. Additionally, with smart technology solutions, we are making production processes more efficient and flexible. These innovations will not only elevate competition in the industry but also help our customers optimize their business processes.