The Defense Industry Media Summit, organized by the Defense Industry Research Center (SASAM) under the auspices of our Presidency and with the support of the Presidency of Defense Industries, started in Technopark Ankara.
In his speech here, SASAM President Volkan Öztürk drew attention to the importance of the summit and said, “We brought the companies that are the parties of the defense industry sector and the press together to enable them to meet and share their experiences.” said.
Stating that they aim to contribute to the defense industry media reaching a more qualified level with the panels and interviews within the scope of the summit, Öztürk said:
“The impact of the defense industry, which is developing and expanding in all aspects in our country, makes itself felt in economic, social and strategic areas. This effect includes the potential to grow exponentially with the right analysis and planning. SASAM was established to serve all stakeholders in the sector with an academic understanding in order to evaluate this potential.”
“Media is also a locomotive for export”
Hasan Gültekin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of İvedik Organized Industrial Zone (OSB) and Technopark Ankara, said that the point of pride that the defense industry sector has reached today, which they have been working on for years, young minds have achieved with many difficulties, makes everyone proud.
Emphasizing that every process in the defense industry, from the equipment produced to the software developed, is of vital importance for science, technology and the nation, Gültekin stated that the vision of the "National Technology Move" constitutes the cornerstones of the country's breakthrough in national technology.
Pointing out that the sharing of every project developed and every product produced in the defense industry through the national media adds strength to their strength, Gültekin made the following assessment:
“In this way, we always feel the support of our nation behind us. Of course, the primary issue here is that our companies operating in the field of defense industry are in contact with the sector and national media. The faster the information flow, the higher the quality of news. Our media organs, which protect the reputation of the defense industry sector by publishing accurate news, have strategic importance in this period when information pollution is experienced so intensely. The defense industry sector is an area that contains sensitive information by nature, false news or incomplete information can have serious consequences. For this reason, the media should convey the right information in this area with appropriate content. This is very important for national security and the reputation of the industry. Media is also a locomotive for export. International media contributes directly to exports by publishing researches and innovations about the defense industry sector. This helps the defense industry sector stay innovative and competitive.”
“Anadolu Agency provides great benefits here”
Burak Akbaş, METEKSAN's International Sales, Marketing and Corporate Reputation Director, also spoke at the panel on "Defence Industry Marketing Communication" moderated by SASAD Secretary General Ruşen Kömürcü.
Akbaş said that corporate communication is of critical importance for companies to maintain their stability and existence in today's communication world. Emphasizing that corporate communication has come to the fore as a strategic communication tool in the last 15 years, Akbaş said that defense industry companies started to focus on corporate communication, especially with the spread of digital media, and they realized that this unit has a very important contribution to the brand value of the companies. Akbaş pointed out that the projects in the defense industry are long-term projects with very high costs, and said that the most important issue for the buyers is “trust” and that corporate communication is of critical importance in order to create this.
FNSS Corporate Communications Manager Cem Altınışık made a presentation on the scope of corporate communication in the defense industry and made a presentation on the main topics of brand communication, corporate identity, print publications, advertising management, digital media communication, media relations, internal communication, marketing communication and social responsibility projects. stated that.
Pointing to the importance of multilingual publications on the defense industry, Altınışık said, “There are channels that broadcast simultaneously in Arabic, English and Turkish. Anadolu Agency provides great benefits here. In the past, we did not have defense reporters specialized in the field of defense industry. Now our friends have specialized and they create a great deal of added value. We thank them for this. It needs to go abroad, we need to use digital for this.” said.
“I see corporate communicators as brand ambassadors”
Armelsan Business Development Manager Erdem Tümdağ stated that it is essential to establish a strong corporate communication structure for a strong defense industry and stated that one of the most important roles of corporate communication is to increase internal communication, and that this is important for creating a sense of belonging to the company. Explaining that corporate communication plays a leading role in the creation of an in-house innovation culture, Tümdağ said, “I see corporate communicators as brand ambassadors.” he said.
Canik Executive Board Member, Corporate Communications, Business Development and Media Management Manager Gençay Gençer also explained that Turkey's defense industry products need to be promoted abroad and that they also contribute to the marketing departments in this sense.
Expressing that they work with legal advisors in different countries of the world, Gençer noted that they are making every effort to protect the brand and products and to explain them correctly.
Directorate of Communications opened a booth
At the summit, many companies and organizations such as the Presidency of Communications, Anadolu Agency, SASAM, SASAD, ASELSAN, FNSS, HAVELSAN, Sarsılmaz, METEKSAN, BMC, Asisguard, Canik, Kale Defense and BİTES Defense contributed to the organization by opening stands.