I started my career at Arc Worldwide in 2002, at a time when social media didn’t exist and digital marketing was still finding its place in the advertising industry. My early years were spent working across print, film, and web projects in agency environments. That experience shaped how I approach marketing today, combining creative thinking, technical knowledge, and an understanding of how different channels work together.
More than 20 years later, it’s still difficult to put everything I do into a single job title.
Over the years, I’ve worked in marketing strategy, campaign and project management, content creation, lead generation, website development, SEO, social media, email marketing, and digital licensing. My work has involved everything from developing brand strategies and managing creative teams to building websites, analyzing performance, and handling the technical details behind digital campaigns.
Working With Brands and Agencies
Much of my career has been spent working within agencies, including Arc Worldwide, Promoqube, Antilop, Acente Brandworks, and Referrizer, taking on different roles and responsibilities along the way.
Through these experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to work with internationally recognized brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Diageo, Gillette, Schwarzkopf, Pierre Cardin, Kinder Chocolate, Adidas, Converse, Nike, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Nissan, Philip Morris, JAT, Posca, Garanti BBVA, and Turkcell.
I’ve also worked independently with international companies, including the French jewelry brand Les Néréides on its localization in Turkey and Mayovera on its global market expansion strategy.
One of my earlier projects, TEMSA’s busoperators.org, received the Leading Business Community Website Design Award in 2008. My involvement covered UI design, digital strategy, and content development.
Building Things Beyond Agency Work
Alongside my agency career, I’ve always maintained independent projects.
I’ve created more than 30 websites for brands, businesses, designers, and artists. Some of these websites still use the original designs and database structures I developed years ago. Among them are the websites for Istanbul-based fashion designer Ümit Ünal and the Turkish alternative music band Büyük Ev Ablukada.
Music has been another significant part of my professional life. I’ve developed digital marketing and music licensing operations for artists and bands including The Ringo Jets, Büyük Ev Ablukada, Ayyuka, Yasemin Mori, Pentagram, Orhan Gencebay, Bubituzak, and Gaye Su Akyol.
These projects involved working directly with artists and their teams, managing their digital presence, developing marketing strategies, and navigating the changing relationship between music, technology, and audiences.
Co-Founding Milk Gallery
One of the most important projects I’ve been involved in was co-founding Milk, Turkey’s first street art gallery, in Istanbul.
Milk was created to give young designers and independent artists a place to exhibit their work, particularly in illustration, graffiti, street art, and designer vinyl toys. It became a space where emerging creative talent could reach a wider audience and collaborate with established brands.
During my time at Milk, we curated 25 exhibitions featuring 140 artists. I developed the gallery’s digital marketing, social media presence, event promotion, and audience engagement strategies.
We built a following of more than 24,000 people from scratch and increased gallery attendance by 200% through coordinated social media campaigns, email marketing, public relations, and a consistent calendar of exhibitions and events.
Milk also opened the door to creative collaborations and consultancy projects with brands and organizations including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Converse, Lucky Strike, Akmerkez, Babylon Istanbul, Posca, and Moleskine.
In November 2011, our work on the Coca-Cola 125th Year Exhibition received three Stevie Awards:
- Gold Stevie Award – Best Corporate Image Event
- Silver Stevie Award – Best Consumer Event
- Silver Stevie Award – Best PR Programme
Running a gallery while working with artists, agencies, and international brands gave me a practical understanding of how creative communities grow, how audiences engage with content, and how marketing can support something beyond commercial objectives.
A Growing Focus on SEO, Content, and Healthcare
Since 2020, my professional focus has shifted increasingly toward SEO, content strategy, research, and writing.
Years of working across different marketing disciplines have given me a broader perspective on how people discover information, how search engines interpret content, and what makes a website genuinely useful to its audience.
I’ve spent much of this period developing organic search strategies, improving website structures, researching complex subjects, and creating content that answers real questions. My technical background and experience in design, analytics, and marketing continue to influence how I approach this work.
More importantly, I’ve become increasingly interested in applying my experience to industries where accurate information can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
This has led me to work closely with medical experts and behavioral health professionals, expanding my knowledge of substance use disorders, addiction treatment, recovery, and mental health. Working in these fields has changed how I think about content, particularly the responsibility that comes with publishing information people may rely on when making important decisions.
Today, I continue to work across SEO, digital strategy, content development, and website management, bringing together the different skills I’ve developed since 2002.
My interests have changed over the years, and so has the technology. I still enjoy researching unfamiliar subjects, solving technical problems, building websites, and finding better ways to communicate complicated ideas.
After more than two decades in the industry, that’s probably the most accurate description of what I do.
Can Basyigit