In our global branding strategy, our priority is quality and assurance

Can you tell the story of your brand’s establishment and its position in the industry?

CMB Yachts was established in 2006 by Başaran Yatırım Holding in Antalya Free Zone, one of the fastest developing yacht production regions in the world. With our young and dynamic team of 250 people, we produce high-quality mega yachts up to 100 meters in our total production area of 10,000 m2. Since the day we were founded, we have taken our place in both the Turkish and global markets by specializing in mega yachts over 40 meters. CMB Yachts is among the leaders in the upper segment production group of the sector. Especially in composite mega yacht production, with our quality and know-how, we are recognized, followed, and highly regarded both in Turkey and globally.

Can we get information about your future projects and plans? What steps are you taking to become a global brand? What are your communication strategies for this?

We currently have three 47m motor yachts in production. Additionally, we have one 47m and one 74m project in the design phase, which will be included in the production process soon.
As CMB Yachts, our priority in our global branding strategy is quality and assurance. As a brand that follows and implements global trends, all the yachts we have produced so far have won awards on international platforms, which shows the high quality and beyond-expectations standards of our yachts. Another critical element in our strategy is trust, which we owe to the financial strength of Başaran Yatırım Holding behind our shipyard. We are one of the rare mega yacht shipyards in the world that do not rely on customer financing for boat production. With our quality and financial strength, we meet and exceed our customers’ assurances and expectations, delivering our projects to their owners with zero issues.
We create synergy by staying in touch with our domestic and international contacts and constantly observing the expectations of potential customers. This allows us to position our brand a step ahead in the global yacht market.

How is the customer portfolio in the industry? Which country citizens have more yachts and boats?

Over the last 10 years, the customer portfolio has varied significantly. Due to global crises and regional fluctuations, the customer portfolio and expectations have changed annually. Russian and Arab customers have been replaced by European and American customers from time to time. In the past two years, we have seen a significant increase in African customers. Although communication among customers in the sector has increased compared to previous years, there has been a decline in purchases. These uncertainties negatively affect shipyards, causing them to frequently update their short, medium, and long-term plans.

What are the problems in the yacht and boat sector? What steps do you think should be taken to solve these problems?

As in all sectors, the global issue in our sector is insecurity caused by market fluctuations. This insecurity puts pressure on customers, causing them to spread their decision-making over the long term. As CMB Yachts, we offer solutions and approaches that relieve our customers financially and eliminate the issues preventing them from achieving their dreams with ease. One of our approaches is to complete projects with our own financing and request the project budget upon delivery. This way, customers do not need to allocate a budget for their dreams during the two-year production phase, which provides them with comfort and trust in the shipyard. We produce solutions to the congestion in the sector with many similar approaches.

In addition to financial strength and assurance, another problem in the sector in Turkey is the inability to meet quality expectations. Shipyards that undertake low-quality projects in anticipation of high profits not only harm the sector in our country but also negatively impact the development of shipyards producing high-quality projects globally.
Although Turkey has reached a certain level in terms of quality in the sector, there are difficulties in adapting to the dynamics required by boat production. These include budget management, operational difficulties, and issues with business partners, among others.

These processes are very well managed globally, especially by European manufacturers. If the process is not managed correctly, it causes the price-quality balance to deteriorate, leading to unsatisfactory boats. A long-term plan based on a sense of trust without compromising quality is a reference point that shipyards in the sector must focus on. Instead of producing short-term solutions to save the day, they should make long-term and confident plans, taking global market balances into account when setting their goals.

So, what is needed for Turkey to be branded in the yacht and boat sector? What should be done in this context?

Always following global trends and creating a dynamic production R&D in this direction. A long-term strong production target and brand positioning. A sense of quality and confidence that you can stand behind. Knowing the competitors well and measuring the market accurately. And, of course, uninterrupted advertising and marketing activities.
Our marinas don’t get the attention they deserve

Is the number of marinas and shipyards in Turkey sufficient? How much do you think this number needs to increase to compete with other countries?

The number of shipyards in Turkey is sufficient today, considering the current congestion of the sector. However, the number of shipyards producing high-segment projects and having brand awareness is definitely not enough. The same is true for our marinas. In Turkey, we have marinas along almost all coastlines. Their numbers and service capabilities are even better than those in Europe. However, in terms of awareness, only Göcek and Bodrum are in the foreground. For sea lovers who are stuck in these two regions, the number of marinas is insufficient. Therefore, instead of increasing the number of marinas in certain regions, we should find solutions that increase the demand for our marinas in different regions. Increasing promotional activities globally and providing convenience by creating alternatives for transportation to the region are primary moves to increase the brand awareness of our marinas and the demand for our different regions.

The most obvious example of the moves to be made is Bodrum Palmarina. Our marinas, which provide far higher service than most marinas in Europe, do not receive the attention they deserve. The lack of our promotional activities plays a significant role in this. With successful corporate communication and promotion activities, Bodrum Palmarina has managed to gain a strong place in a very short time, especially in Europe. Although the region where it is located is very open to communication channels, its overseas channels are very well managed and have attracted much more interest in a very short time than it was in the past. There is no hindrance to creating similar examples in our other regions. A professional corporate approach is essential to becoming a global brand. Managing communication strategies with this understanding will ensure that our sector reaches the position it deserves in the long run.

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