When Mohamed Bakkar started Besma in 2016, he was among the few producers of Syrian-style cheese in Istanbul. About five years later, while Bakkar had a customer base of ten Syrian-owned stores in the Turkish metropolis, the Syrian-style cheese market had become crowded with competitors and he did not have a strategic plan for growth. Thus, he decided to consider selling directly to individual customers and create an e-commerce website to expand his reach. The purpose of this case is to build understanding of the role of e-commerce and social media marketing in expanding a business’s customer base and reaching a new target market.
This case is part of a four-case collection, each about a real entrepreneur with a business operating in the Turkish food and agriculture sector. Other cases in the collection include:
- A Social Entrepreneur Explores Alternative Business Models During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of Rawan Hudaifa (WDI # 2-918-962)
- Following the Scent to Success to Grow her Rose Water Business: The Case of Zeina Wazzan (WDI # 2-945-000)
- An Artisanal Bread Baker Diversifies her Product Line: The Case of Devrim Mumcuogullari (WDI # 1-121-143)