Balıkesir Vocational School Marketing Program Participates in the “Digital Master” Launch
Balıkesir University Balıkesir Vocational School Marketing Program, we attended the launch of Trendyol’s “Digital Master Project” at the Balıkesir Chamber of Commerce Training Hall, together with our Department Chair Asist. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Can Tokmak, our Vice Director and Marketing Program Career Advisor Asist. Prof. Dr. Fulya Güngör, Lecturer Nevin Polat, and our 1st and 2nd-year students.
The project was implemented in five provinces, including Balıkesir, with the aim of increasing youth employability in the e-commerce sector and strengthening SMEs’ e-commerce and e-export activities.
The program began with an opening speech by Rahmi Kula, President of the Balıkesir Chamber of Commerce. Trendyol Business Development Manager Gökhan Kurtuluş emphasized that digital transformation is not limited to online sales; it is a process that creates new business models, career opportunities, and prepares SMEs for the future.
Following the opening, a panel moderated by Volkan Akı, columnist for Ekonomi Newspaper, featured Trendyol South Marmara Sales and Business Development Manager Cem Titiz, as well as successful Trendyol marketplace store owners Oğuz Can (Hume Craft) and Çağatay Şen (OESHOME), who shared their experiences.
The panel focused on the development of e-commerce, the importance of digital marketing, AI-supported business models, data utilization, branding, and creating added value. Cem Titiz highlighted Balıkesir’s strong potential with 1,200 active e-commerce sellers and emphasized the importance of increasing the visibility of local products such as textiles, bags, olives, and olive oil on digital platforms.
Entrepreneur Oğuz Can shared his growth story from a small workshop to an industrial zone, stressing the importance of local production and women’s employment. Çağatay Şen highlighted that unique designs, storytelling visuals, and emotionally engaging content lead to success in e-commerce.
The panel also addressed opportunities provided by micro-export, access of local producers to global markets, commission and incentive practices, and Balıkesir’s emergence as a “rising power in e-commerce.”
At the end of the event, participants had the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and converse with Trendyol representatives and panelists over refreshments.
As the Balıkesir Vocational School Marketing Program, we were pleased to be part of this digital transformation and to contribute to preparing our students for the future e-commerce world.
