Kia 2010 Annual Report Download - page 18

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Marketing
Kia Motors is a fun and creative
company, and our marketing
activities strive to reflect that.
We leverage online and offline
media in conjunction with sports
marketing to reach the type of
customers who share our belief
that every day should be lived to
the fullest.
Sports marketing is a mainstay of Kia’s global marketing strategy. In 2010
we sponsored the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, leveraging online and
offline channels to maximize exposure. As a social contribution activity,
we sponsored ‘Road to South Africa’, a multi-nation road trip that provided
significant media exposure to African host countries, helping them to
promote their travel and tourism industries while building excitement for
the World Cup.
We also signed a long-term official sponsorship agreement through 2022
with FIFA, the international football federation, which grants us sponsorship
rights for major FIFA-organized events including the 2014, 2018 and 2022
World Cups. In addition, Kia is a Union of European Football Associations
(UEFA) sponsor under an agreement that runs until 2016.
Our first foray into major world-class sports sponsorship was in 2002,
when we signed on with the Australian Open, one of tennis’ four Grand
Slams, as the major sponsor. We have formed an excellent relationship
with the Australian Open by supporting the Kia Amateur Australian
Open and other related events. In return, our brand and vehicles receive
excellent exposure via showrooms, product placement, and provision of
VIP transportation services for the events.
In the US, Kia’s recently spotlighted Super Bowl ad helped drive record-
high sales in that vital market last year. The ad featured the Sorento
(Sorento R) as part of a focused campaign to raise Kia’s brand recognition
and promote our sports marketing strategies in the US. In 2011, our plans
include further Super Bowl advertising in support of the launch of the
Optima (K5), in addition to online marketing and expanded use of social
media channels to reach targeted demographics.
Dynamic Kia in Sports
As an industry trendsetter that associates its brand with youth and
vitality, Kia Motors is moving quickly into the world of online social
network marketing. Kia operates a Korean-language twitter feed (fun_
kia) as a part of our on-line marketing through the ‘Funkia’ site, targeting
consumers in their 20s, in addition to our English-language Facebook
page (Kiamotorsworldwide). In 2007 we created Kia BUZZ, the company’s
official blog, to build stronger ties to our customers in the global market,
in particular, tech-savvy youth. We find that the ability to communicate
directly and intimately with our customers through social media is an
effective way to create a warm and friendly corporate image.
Our Optima (K5) ad in New York’s Times Square is sending a strong
message on our good design and outstanding product quality with more
than one million people viewing the ad per day, while the Soul Hamster
ads have stuck a chord with the young-at-heart consumer. By making such
bold marketing moves to promote our brand, Kia is expected to realize
stronger brand recognition and increased sales.
New Markets, New Media
36 COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH 37
KIA MOTORS ANNUAL REPORT 2010