“After working for a long time in leading corporate companies within their fields, Sinen Usun established her own brand and won users’ appreciation with concept-driven designs. We spoke with her about the Eqru brand and its founding story.Emphasizing the importance of product and market research in the brand creation process, Usun also highlighted the significance of personalization, stating: ‘While thinking about what advantage a boutique brand should have, we came up with the idea of “name-specific” production—something large companies either cannot do or prefer not to do due to workload. Today, personalization is becoming increasingly important. Personalized beverages with names, customized clothing, individual campaigns, and more… all of these are customer-focused approaches that make the product even more special.’”
Can we get to know Sinem Usun?
Thanks to my parents—who met through their shared passion for folklore, later married, and founded an association that helps pass our culture from generation to generation—I was actually born into a large family. I believe that being involved in performing arts from a young age and representing our country at international festivals played a significant role in shaping my character.I am someone who enjoys discovering new places, exploring, and working as part of a team. After graduating from the Business Administration Department of Yıldız Technical University, I worked briefly in the telecommunications sector. Afterwards, I spent seven years working in marketing at TAB Gıda, which was both a school and a major learning experience for me. I first managed the Burger King brand, and later took on managerial roles for Arby’s and Usta Dönerci.I can say that I experienced the entire process of creating, developing, and sustaining a brand from scratch during my professional career.
We are just as curious about the Eqru brand as our readers. What is the story behind Eqru?
While decorating my own home, I came across custom wooden products on international websites and realized that such items were not available in Turkey. By conducting market research and collaborating with carpenters, I saw that these products could be produced locally. We started creating prototypes.However, anyone could do this—we needed to create a difference. Competing with large and well-known brands would be very difficult, both in terms of product variety and logistics. It would not be easy for a new brand to establish itself in the market. While thinking about what advantage a boutique brand should have, we came up with the idea of “name-specific” production—something that large companies either cannot do or choose not to do due to workload.Today, personalization is becoming increasingly important. Personalized beverages, customized clothing, individual campaigns… all of these are customer-focused approaches that make products more special. With Eqru, we wanted the product you buy for yourself to be personalized, or the gift you give to be specially made with the recipient’s name.
Could you also tell us about the features of your products?
Eqru products are made from 100% natural wood and handcrafted designs. Created by our skilled artisans, Eqru products reflect a “country style” and stand outside conventional patterns. They are decorative items with a preserved raw and aged wood appearance.
What does the Eqru brand aim to achieve?
The brand’s goal is to ensure that those who use our products feel special and enjoy using them. For example, while sipping their coffee or hanging a piece on their wall, we want them to feel that their own personal touch is reflected in the product.We started selling through Instagram and our website, www.eqru.com . After a short time, I could no longer keep up with the growing demand on my own, so I teamed up with my closest friend—bringing together the power of women, you could say 😉 We carried out advertising efforts to grow the brand, shared blogger experiences, and expanded our product range without ever compromising on quality.We have built something like an Eqru family with our customers. We have always maintained a sincere communication style and placed great importance on feedback. Our initial goal is to reach many more customers with our products and expand our sales platform internationally. In the future, we aim to improve our logistics network and production capacity, and to offer larger and entirely new product lines.
CONCEPT COMPANY OWNER / Sinem Usun