Ertuğrul Yıldız on running three brands at once

That was great. Greetings everyone. The picture seems good. Very good. I need one of those hats too. Let's figure that out . Berkay, hello everyone. And here we are together again in another podcast episode. We actually have a guest today. So, Berkay will be accompanying me, sharing his views and opinions. Ertuğrul is with us from the Silk Road Group. Welcome, Ertuğrul. How are you? How are you doing?

Hello. Thank you. Very good. Thank you so much for your kind invitation. Thank you. A great broadcast. It's you, Berkay. Is everything alright? And I'm doing just fine. I've been looking at my... thing for a while now. I'm looking at my angle. Now that the screen is split into three, I'm wondering where to move it . Greetings, Ertuğrul. By the way, it's not İpek Yol Grup, but Aydın Grup, which is actually a more well-known name .

And we've been working with him for about a year now . He is trying to create great projects. We have a relationship like that, but of course we'll have conversations outside of work. It's a completely free throw. I'll just pass the ball directly to Ertuğrul . Greetings. How are you? How are you doing, Ertuğrul? Thank you very much. I was thinking the same thing, why didn't we do something like this before?

Actually, we could get together if we were on a broadcast . Although, to some extent, he's also paving the way for it. So, while we could just sit down and have a normal conversation, his busy work schedule doesn't leave him much time for that, which becomes a bit of an excuse for us to have these conversations. But if you'd like, let's get to know each other briefly.

So what are you doing? Who is Ertuğrul? What does he do? So, what does he/she like and dislike? My most striking characteristic, or perhaps the first thing I'd like to say, is that I'm a father of daughters. I have a two-year-old daughter. It's a different feeling. Not a plural of a period that changed my whole life . I work in digital marketing. It's a job I enjoy doing.

It's actually difficult to pinpoint whether it's a single job or a combination of several different disciplines . I'm currently working at the Silk Road Group. Most people in Türkiye probably know this. I can say that I am responsible for brands like İpek Yol, Twist, and Maçka, and their digital marketing . This much. In short, I'm adapting . Welcome back. It's not something we normally plan to talk about, but I was curious.

You said the first girl's father was his son . You said it changed your life, etc. Has your perspective on digital marketing changed since you had a daughter? So, was there ever a point where you thought, "I used to look at it this way, but now I look at it this way"? I'm not sure how accurate it is to say this, but perhaps I should say I've become more humane.

Previously, I could easily get this data and numbers with a single click, but now I can see things more clearly when I'm looking at them. There's a person behind him. Because being responsible for someone, I guess... well, that's what gets you there. Being responsible for everything. I started to get a little closer. It adds something, but I think it also brings a different perspective to my work.

Huh. It's an experience. Living through death. I can honestly imagine how much it has changed, but that was a nice point. Let's take a more humane approach. I do n't have many children, but at some point you realize that not everything is data, and that really small nuances and touches can pull someone in a completely different direction—I think that makes marketing very different. It makes you wonder .

I don't know, Berkay, are you more of a data analyst or one of those who thinks there's a human element behind the scenes? I'm in a place where I look at things from more of a humanitarian perspective. I was thinking about it too, when I was first introducing myself, I wondered if I would have said it that way first, but I think it's become ingrained in me, and saying something like that in the first intro, with that feeling of it being more dominant, is very, very human, in my opinion .

So, it's like, for example, when someone came in, they even said, "Hello, I'm so-and-so, I'm a Fenerbahçe fan." Hi, I'm K... something or other, or something like, I'm from Malatya, something completely unrelated. I think he's doing a good thing by saying this during the recognition process; I think it's much nicer than that. I think it's far more valuable to mention your first job when introducing yourself .

So, I mean, your job doesn't define you. From the perspective that there's a life outside of this, I think it was a really nice opening. So I'll say I'm withdrawing the topic. Well said! We were talking about Ertuğrul in a very lighthearted way. Now we're talking about the Silk Road. You mentioned Maçka, Twist, and so on. How does it feel for you to do digital marketing in a multibrand structure that's really targeting roughly the same audience?

So, what kind of experience was it? Would you like to tell me a little about it ? Well, I can definitely talk about it, but actually this is n't my first experience here. I had previous experience at different agencies. You also have a pod there and you have different brands. Usually, one of them always stands out. I think the first major drawback in a multi-party structure is that someone always ends up in the role of Admiral Games .

How else can I put it? My children, I'd say, are still forced to lag behind a little . No matter how hard you try, no matter how much effort you put in, someone else from the brands will take that role. That's the difficulty. Handicap. Of course, there are ways to overcome it. We are overcoming it, but the positive side is that, ultimately, even though the segments are different in the same sector, you get the chance to take three different data points and three different consumers and merge them into one .

You get the chance to feed others . I think this is very valuable. I think it's something every brand would want . If I were to say "one plus one minus," these would be the first things that come to mind. But it's enjoyable, tiring, and enjoyable, in my opinion. It needs to be constantly dynamic. You probably have something similar too. Even if it's not a multibrand, you have a product with different functions.

There is definitely one function that stands out . You can think like him. I wanted to mention this in case you haven't worked with multibrand companies before. Does this bring things like customer segmentation into play here? So, is there a specific underlying reason why this is a multi-unit system ? So perhaps one of them targets higher-end customers while the other might target more mid-range customers . So how do you achieve that balance in multibranding ?

So, for example, the main reason why the Silk Road was the main locomotive is partly due to this segmentation. So, is it about reaching different customer segments, or is there a more fundamental reason behind it? That's usually what always comes to my mind when I'm working. When looking at brands that are related to each other in this way, like, "Oh, Twist, Maçka, İpek Yol, they're all from the same company," the consumer might not immediately realize their rights.

How do you balance this? That's something I 'm curious about, for example. I asked because I was curious, the reason it's located at the front of the Silk Road is because a rope was laid there. In Twist, it actually starts as a line. You can think of it as a product category. Due to demand and a gap in the market, what started as a corner within a well-known Silk Road store became a branding story.

Maçka's story is very different. That's also based on demand, of course; think of it as filling a gap in the industry. Black is emerging as a brand focused on more specific, unique, and specialized products, with a tighter reach and shorter passes within a more niche market. It's kind of differentiated to meet the needs of the sector. The three brands certainly have things in common, but Maçka, for example, stands out a bit more in terms of prestige .

I was muted. I did n't know that Maçka remained the most luxurious area . I don't know, I mean, how much I should have known is a whole other story, but I really think I got some good information there. Twist coming out from underneath, etc. I also had the chance to experience such multibrand structures when I worked at an agency in the past . You really need to segment the user well there .

Because, in reality, when you look at a user, they might have shopped at the same place – Silk Road, Twist, or Maçka – all at the same time. As a digital marketer, it seems like sometimes you need to do a little bit more... well, you know. Should we push this user a bit more towards the Silk Road, or should we try to recapture the "matchmaker" again? It's necessary to talk and think from time to time.

Because I remember something too. So, back then, I was providing digital marketing support to a multibrand organization that sold a few similar shoes . The same issue was discussed there. So, the question is, should we sell Nike shoes on site X or site Y ? Which one makes more sense, and which one should go to which user ? It seems like you need to find a balance to both avoid losing users and to maintain their loyalty with the right brands .

I don't know, Berkay, you were actually on the Beko side too, I don't know if it could be called multi-brand, but I guess it could . It could also be a subbrand. I don't know the exact brand positioning there, but when I was at Archerik, their global name was Beko, but Archerik was more focused on the domestic market. I think there are some systematic differentiations there as well.

So, companies might be different, maybe they have other things in common, but in companies that exist in the market as sub-brands or multi-brands, as I said, those groupings... because there's also this: when you think about it with a data-driven, analytical mindset, for someone who has previously made purchases from the Silk Road, Maçkaan could be retargeted or something else could be done; cross-platform systems could be designed. Perhaps they have a significant advantage in these parts .

Because the source is the same, only the signs in the offline stores are different. Of course, there are other different areas as well, but when I look at it from the perspective of data, for example, this aspect stands out more. Well, I'm curious about something. Given this pace, with multiple brands and the intensity you mentioned, how do you keep up with current events ? Do you have any systems or methods that you've developed yourself, or is it simply a matter of reading the news I come across and following developments ?

If I were to set aside time to read all the news I come across, I probably wouldn't have enough time. There's a lot of it, and as you know, it causes pollution. Not every source is worth reading. I imagine tying a classic knot. There's this constant approach of wanting me to generate daily reports, but it's something I haven't had the chance to do yet due to my busy schedule.

It's not something I'm complaining about right now, but the agency side is still working a lot with agencies, or directly following Google's MetaS itself. I'm saying this because they are the major managers, so it's already partially bringing things down to earth. Lately, I've been hooked on a lot of things, like a notebook, an ELM, a DO, a prompt... Let's say I stole a framework from a training you attended.

I actually got it, or rather, I fed it with it, provided the source, and then, through deep research and discussions about AI, with dissenting opinions and all that, you end up grasping the core of the subject. The rest of them already think like that. Like following a thread. That remains a matter of your curiosity, but generally, in this system, in none of the AI models I've used here have I been able to create a conflict with AI.

I really can't argue with that. How is that possible? Because generally, she's the type of person who agrees with everything I say and says, "You're right, you're absolutely right ." Is it slightly different on Notebook, or do you clarify this while writing the prompt ? When writing prompts, there's something you always have to consider . The hand in front of me needs to expend some energy to respond to you .

A couple uses it there. It uses water, sunlight, and energy. Naturally, the aim is to use it effectively, to use it less. That's why he can give random answers. I know that behaving roughly makes it more efficient and consumes a higher amount of energy. I'm being a bit rude, and I'm also imposing this restriction on that prompt. Of course, I'd prefer you not to agree with me if possible, something like that.

And then there's the thing that happens when you're already knowledgeable about the subject. He's coming with information from 2024. He must have come here hallucinating. The more you oppose them, the more they become opposed to you; in other words, they can become opposed to you this time. It's still not very successful. huh. But we're trying. Berkay, are you the one who behaves rudely, or are you one of those who write politely?

I used to write in English. I was writing in a polite and courteous manner. I was doing it, please. I used to start my sentences with "Culture Pleas," but now I've started doing something else entirely. The Turkish is being used very actively, as if it already knew the previous context . Because I also noticed something else . People get angry, and when they get angry, they think, "Oh God, please, can you do this?"

Look, you're trying to annoy me even more, or something like that . They're trying to communicate normally, but I think it seems illogical to me. It's like, there's also the chat feature, where people are really talking as if they're in a real chat room. Maybe we use it a bit more technically, at a business level, to prompt things and wait for a response, but it's really normal; people are actually chatting, as if there's someone else there, and I think this shows a habit.

So, instead of politely and requesting things as if there were actually someone on the other end, it makes more sense to me to provide a full and detailed context beforehand and expect a response accordingly. That's why I use it on my phone but I don't chat with it. I still have that problem from time to time, honestly. Oh, please, those additions are just out of habit, but as you said, I clearly saw that thing too.

That rudeness, that directness, is yielding results. But to be honest, I still haven't had much time to try out my laptop. That feels like a challenge in itself. So you're going to use the notebook? So, is it possible to do this now that Cem is gone? When I said there's something like that on the cloud, I was sticking with one of them for a while, but lately I've heard a lot about notebooks as well.

I'll add it to my list. When you start something, you also have a story unfolding on the side. Since I can't transfer all of them to the other side, it's like changing phones . Well, for quite some time now, I've been on both Cem's side and the notebook and pen side. Of course . It might even be easier to carry your phone now . So when you change phones, you just transfer everything at once and that's it.

But perhaps soon, things like that will come to these LLMs as well . So, maybe it can be solved by something like directly transferring all the memory from the GPT chat, etc. Well, you're already getting your information from NotebookLM anyway. You're also in the industry . So, AI is something everyone already expects and knows about, but do you think there are any trends that will become more prominent in 2026 ?

So, are there any specific topics where you think you'd like to see digital marketing evolve in 2016? So there are a few. AI is being talked about everywhere. As you may have guessed, even the executive levels are now asking for something related to EA . Naturally, it will become a trend. I wish it weren't like that, but I'm not going to say it. I'm still one of those who think there are a few steps left to take, steps that are currently untouched.

So, in order to use it, you need to have a solid and clean database behind it. You need to have some savings to buy whichever model you're going to use . He should do something about it . I think AI will be a trending topic, especially in content creation, but the area I see as lacking is, as I said, collecting and compiling that data. In my opinion, a machine learning scientist needs a data scientist alongside them in a project.

Huh. I think the point that was missed is a valuable one. That will be the first thing, but I think it would be great if they authorized content creation. We are waiting for him impatiently. And speaking of data there, I'd say it turned out to be a bit of a nice Hardal rust. I agree, data is very important. Because whatever you nurture, you ultimately receive that same in return from those same people.

So I have no choice but to participate . Berkay, what do you say? I agree 100%. So, we need reliable data. The data needs to be clean . I'm also curious about something else. So, are these projects in companies based on something that's generating hype? So, for example, friends, we also need to start an artificial intelligence project. It seems like we need to do a data project, right?

Or is it really impossible to imagine how beneficial this would be? We really need to do some estimation. Is the premise that we really need predictive analytics on our clients ? I'm also a little more curious about how these AI projects are handled, at least in corporate companies. Because sometimes things don't work out in the general context. So everyone is talking about it, but we also know there are projects being undertaken to ensure we all get on board and don't miss this train.

How do you approach this ? I wanted to ask him about it. I think both are possible. It varies from company to company. Some people are just saying "let's not be late" because of the hype. But on our side, even if there isn't a separate unit or department, it's not enough to just combine your work like a consortium and ask mid-level leaders, "What do you think this is, where does it take us, what should we do?"

And then say, "Let's do it." There is something that is driving us towards improvement. Well, it's not exactly pressure, nor is it exactly an expectation. But let's just say it's a form of guidance. It was a nice gesture that, despite our busy schedules, only two mid-level managers from my team, including myself, started participating in long- term trainings, projects, and workshops that would last 10-12 months, starting with topics like "what is machine learning?"

And "what is data science?", all through evening programs. The main goal of all these things is to manage the process more effectively. So it's like the digital transformation of 10 years ago. Well, perhaps an AI transformation is underway. We face an inevitable situation. Let's just say we're preparing ourselves. Even back then, there were things we didn't know. So, they participated in workshops and gained experience. We prepared ourselves.

That's the current perspective here. It is moving forward with more solid steps to support people . Whether it's fast or slow is a separate issue, perhaps even a session topic, but let's just say we're trying to build on a solid foundation. So, rather than just saying "let's do this and it's done," where will this lead us? We are constantly asking ourselves what we need to do it.

That's how we try to kill them. So, you are the one inside the data. Is your situation different? How do you view that incident? How do you handle it? We're not thinking of it as a train or that we've missed the train, but we're in a place where we don't know why we should be using it. So, since we're looking at it from the perspective of a B2B enterprise- level company selling software, we generally try to look at it from a supportive point of view.

How does AI minimize the effort we expend on a task at some point ? How can we make peer-to-peer data transfer more efficient? We are looking in that direction to some extent, but we don't really have a perspective like, "Oh my God, the train has left the station, we need to convert our company to , we need to sell EI ." Here, we are not denying the power or might of On the contrary, we think he'll go to a very good place .

Especially in ELM processes, and particularly in e-commerce analytics. But our focus is more on how we can better feed Ea, specifically, and as we've observed with our customers, it's progressing along the same lines. I think this is a very good thing. Well, just like you did, I think in-house training becomes a bit more critical at this point. Well, back 5 or 10 years ago, there were usually SEO training courses.

These would be basic digital marketing trainings. I think this is part of it. But what comes next? Honestly, I'm in a place I didn't quite imagine. So, how can we collaborate on a project using VR glasses ? Now, in a scenario where everyone is buying VR headsets like they're buying cell phones, company training sessions are saying, "Look, your customers are wearing VR headsets!" There could be a separate training topic for everything from how to communicate with customers wearing VR glasses, but I really...

I can't imagine what that would entail . So, I do n't know how value-added processes can be managed in the future. I feel like we're at the final point, but we'll see. There are definitely more technological things out there, but I think there's also the issue of AI creating things, but someone needs to examine it, for example, competitor analysis. Someone needs to analyze that competitor analysis, understand it, and make a judgment at the end of the day.

So, I think that's why where you position the 'E' becomes important. So, even if you run an agent model, this agent will perform an action. Someone needs to guide him again and help him make his own decisions . Here too, I'm in a place where I'm not a supporter of many things . Let's be faster. It's not about rushing things, but as Ertuğrul said earlier, I'm at a point where we need to lay the foundation correctly, and we can build upon that foundation.

Because that desire to be fast and... that action doesn't just bring us more results . So there's no guarantee. For example, just because you're faster and can do a week's worth of competitor analysis in 10 seconds doesn't necessarily mean you've done a better competitor analysis. That's why I think it's very important to make those distinctions very clear there as well . I think the more you think about what you're getting and how to use the 'E' , where you need it, the more added value you can create from that reaches a much higher level .

Finally, I'd like to ask one more thing. You've been in the industry for years . You were on different sides. What are some things you dislike about digital marketing or the industry, things you wish would change? Or is there anything? Maybe it doesn't exist I wish things would change again, something bad is going to happen. Marin's digital marketing team has a very dynamic structure . We've changed constantly, haven't we?

What was true three months ago may not be true now, and this applies every three months . So, along with that, you're constantly trying to update yourself , trying to find what's right . It's like, he even writes "Petfinder" on his own profile. To solve a problem, new solutions are constantly emerging, and new problems arise as well. We are trying to overcome it. While we, as digital marketers, are doing these things, instead of saying that someone on the sidelines hasn't put in that much effort, or that they lack knowledge, they make a very absurd comment like, "Why aren't we ranking first on Google?"

It's like explaining that Google isn't entirely in our hands; I don't like the fact that things I could find answers to by typing them into Google keep appearing as questions, I guess that's what happens during digital shutdown. Another thing I dislike most is separating marketing from digital marketing; I think that's ridiculous. So I'm happy with the perspective of being a digital marketer just by looking at the meta panel, without knowing the 4 Ps of marketing .

I don't really warm up to people like that either. Well, I think they're the same photo . I even have another point, you know, let's not even dedicate time to marketing, let alone digital marketing. They sometimes divide digital marketing into so many sub-units that the teams are completely unaware of each other's work. So, on one side, someone is running meta ads, on the other, someone is running Google ads, and someone else is writing content.

For example, three people do n't know each other. There are organizational teams that have even broken down the rules of what work is being done and where they are going . Therefore, I 100% agree. Ultimately, it's important to remember that there's a person behind this work, and that we're trying to reach that same person . Berkay, do you have any information about the industry? They didn't like it .

Well, to be honest, I don't really like LinkedIn, but we use it in a very clever way. So, as for me, well, in my normal life—if you know what a word "normal life" is— I, Berkay, don't really spend much time on social media. And then there are these digital marketing gurus and all that, like, "I'm so-and-so, I have this many followers on LinkedIn." Marketing? So, there's this LinkedIn crowd that posts with a certain background and storytelling, coming from 1980, and as Ertuğrul said, just seeing a meta panel isn't digital marketing.

So, how many times in your life have you tried to do something like that face-to-face with a customer in a store? There may not be a sale. You tried to understand his problem. How many times have you established a warm relationship or taken the client out to dinner? So, what kind of communication style do you exhibit? It's all about marketing, how you plan the marketing behind it, and so on.

While these things are important, the fact that these gurus only exist and emerge in the digital realm saddens me. One of my goals, or rather one of my wishes, for 2026 is for people to leave LinkedIn, because they're not using it anymore, and they're asking for really cringeworthy things, right? Social media is like, for example, Twitter where there's more hardcore communication, you know, like, " Guys, please don't do that."

This is my valuable LinkedIn connections. There was a time, there was a long time ago. This is LinkedIn, we don't share posts like that here, and you can't deviate from that rule, you have to conform . Exactly, exactly. There were comments like, "This isn't Instagram," etc. Beautiful. Let me say this as well. As a former performance marketer myself, I'm not a big fan of how sometimes marketing is so performance-oriented .

So, in the end, it's all about ROY and ROASA getting that money back . I'm one of those who argues that we need to go beyond just looking at how much I spent and how much I earned . But e-commerce, in particular, works in the exact opposite way, so it's a bit different in larger structures, and I don't like that at all. So, the fact that the value-added aspect of a job, creativity, building customer relationships , loyalty, and so many other topics are overlooked, especially in some organizations, really makes me unhappy .

Well, actually, we had a nice conversation today as well. Thanks for joining us, Ertuğrul, and for taking the time. What you shared with us is very valuable . Let's say we can take your final words and wrap things up a bit, both of you. Well said! Is there anything you'd like to add? I don't have one . Do you have Ertuğrul? I'd like to ask my friends on LinkedIn to get together.

Collect the information from LinkedIn. Close the link. I sincerely hope that 2026 will be a year like that . Take very good care of yourselves. It creates FOMO, man, it makes people think, "Should I try to keep up with this one or that one ?" It's already a very complex sector. So, for the sake of followers, or really, it's a place where you're giving information, but when you give wrong information, you're driving the other side into FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

So there are many people who have read it, who have seen it. That's why I agree with you about social media. Oh yes, please, please . I went in. There seems to be some lag. I'm doing... You go ahead, then I'll... I just wanted to say, يعني, gather them together. Social media is entirely based on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). So, unfortunately, there's a bit of that "I'm doing this, but you're not" feeling everywhere .

I was going to say... Be my guest. But FOMO, if managed correctly, can be very beneficial, can't it ? So, are the biggest leaps in mobility the ones that come about out of a need, a feeling of missing out? That's a really great point. I think using this as a push is a very good idea. So look, people are doing it, so I can do it too.

It's not just me who's seen it, and sometimes even experienced it myself, but that FOMO can become so overwhelming that it's almost paralyzing you . Because there are so many, for example, the speed issue in AI, did you miss it? It's the same there. So much is happening, you're exposed to so many things at once, that you just can't figure it out . Where do I even begin?

What am I going to do? It comes down to a point where you're wondering whether to do this or that. I think it's important to draw the line properly there . So, it's about being inspired, excited, and motivated by what other people do, thinking "I should do that too," but at the same time, it seems to me that sometimes you need to be able to distinguish between that noise and the real sound.

Let's say half of the apps that create FOMO are shut down, and the other half are allowed to continue. Exactly. Thank you so much for inviting me. Well, a part of it, just a part of it, a part of it, a third of it. By the way, I wonder if I turned off the camera and microphone . The coffee grounds got stuck in my throat . I was just...

You know, spraying it out so you'd cough all over again. And now we're actually live on air. We're also doing a live broadcast on YouTube. I wish you couldn't shut it down. It would be great if something like that happened to us. Reals produced material for something like this. Let's just say it's a perfect time. Exactly. Well said! Thank you again to everyone who listened. Let's say we'll meet again in the future.

See you later. Thanks a lot. See you later. Bye bye . See you later. Yeah.