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Foundation & Goals: Zeynep's Framework

Sociology  |  Brand Management  |  Sustainability

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DESIGN

From a quantitative math background in high-school to majoring in Sociology, I've always been attracted to applying powerful tools to big problems. I experienced the same during my professional experience in brand management, as I focused on strategy, data and creative thinking to pinpoint the needs of users and offer them powerful solutions.
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Throughout my life, sustainability has been a focal point where I've found a true purpose for working and creating. Thinking through the environmental crisis our world is going through, one of the areas that hold an opportunity for the better is  sustainable energy at scale.

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I believe design that targets the right needs is a very powerful tool that will enable a sustainable future. My goal is to leverage my learnings to date towards building a foundation in the field of design. I want to combine the skillset I'll be acquiring with data and business viability to make an impact in the sustainable energy field.

Sociology

  • Subjects:
     

    • Hegemony

    • Alternative economies and infrastructures

    • Demonstrations of resistance

    • Social memory

    • Materialization of memory and gender

 

  • Final project: Comparison of two significant urban market gardens in Istanbul.
     

    • ​Goal: Evaluate importance as source of sustainable agriculture, sustainable social structure, and fragments of social memory
       

    • Analysis on:

      • Historical significance

      • Social policies

      • Trade implications

      • Cultural significance
         

    • Interviews with

      • Locals

      • Researchers

      • Guides and migrant traders

      • Farmers

Brand Management

  • Developed more responsive products and efficient communication plans
     

    • ​Brand and product strategy for three-year roadmap of different brands in food and household care industries
       

    • ​Ideated on the development of the concepts and portfolios of new products
       

    • ​Integrated launch plans and communications around products
       

    • ​Managed the digital marketing campaigns of a leading household care brand

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  • User Research:
     

    • Focus groups

    • Concept tests

    • Surveys

    • Interviews

    • A/B testings

    • Market share and penetration data analysis

    • Google Analytics and BTL tests

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  • Attended the International Cannes Young Lions Challenge in 2017 - a competition of purposeful ideation, research and campaign building under limited time restrictions
     

    • Subject of the competition: "trophy-hunting"

    • Brand we chose: Rexona deo; with a new "Trophy" variant launch

    • Campaign: Start a social movement; "Trophy-hunting is not sports - join the league, get the real trophy!"

Sustainability

  • It all started with me as a 4-year-old sailor:
     

    • Clean up all the coastlines I would pass by
       

    • Dedicated to recycle
       

    • Working on our own sustainable agriculture on the Aegean cost - only with organic seeds, without disinfestation

 

  • Professional Life: A volunteering member of USLP Board (Unilever Sustainable Living Program)
     

    • ideated, tested and implemented self-driven sustainability projects in the workplace​

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  • ​Managed and improved the sustainability agenda of household care brand Cif:
     

    • Mission 1:

      • Decrease water and product consumption in household cleaning​

      • Communicate the sustainability purpose of the product to wider range of users
         

    • Mission 2: Break the gender roles in household care and encourage men to do housework via communication assets

Zeynep Olcer
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