Kia Motors America Unveils U.S. Motor Sports Program
- Forte Koup will enter GRAND-AM KONI Sports Car Challenge Series Street Tuner (ST) Class
- Kia Motors and Kinetic Group team up to build and campaign race
cars for the automaker's first-ever auto racing efforts on U.S. soil
- Decorated drivers Nic Jonsson and Andy Lally to pilot #10 Infinity
Kia Forte Koup race carThe motto of the all-new 2010 Kia Forte Koup
(known as 'Cerato' in some countries) - "One Hot Ride" - took on a new
meaning today as Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled its U.S. motor
sports program at the 2009 SEMA Show. KMA has teamed with the Kinetic
Group to build and campaign two Forte Koups in the 2010 GRAND-AM KONI
Sports Car Challenge Series in the Street Tuner (ST) class."The Forte
Koup is the latest chapter in the dramatic Kia brand transformation
story, and the decision to enter into the motor sports arena was an
easy one to make," said Michael Sprague, Vice President of Marketing,
KMA. "The Forte Koup's performance-inspired styling and outstanding
driving dynamics make it a natural fit for road racing, and competing
in GRAND-AM's KONI Challenge Series enables us to reach an entirely new
and passionate base of automotive enthusiasts."
The GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Street Tuner (ST) class utilizes
production-based race cars and has a wide variety of vehicles from the
U.S., Europe and Asia, using weight and intake restrictions to maintain
a level playing field for all entrants.
"We researched every form of auto racing in the U.S. to find a fan
base that was aligned with our target demographics, and found GRAND-AM
to be the perfect fit," said Sprague. "In addition to working with the
Kinetic Group, we are also proud that Infinity Audio, whose high-end
audio systems are offered in several Kia vehicles, will join us as the
Official Sponsor of the #10 Infinity Kia Forte Koup Race Car during our
inaugural motor sports season."
As part of its motor sports team development, KMA identified and
partnered with the Kinetic Group to develop, build and campaign two
Forte Koup KONI Challenge spec cars. Based outside of Atlanta, Kinetic
provides a comprehensive array of in-house services, including
fabrication, composites, paint and body, engine and electronics
departments. Kinetic's staff of engineers, mechanics and crew have
extensive race experience in many series, including NASCAR, Indy Racing
League, the American Le Mans Series and the GRAND-AM KONI Challenge
Series.
Completing the team, decorated drivers Nic Jonsson and Andy Lally
have been secured to drive the #10 Infinity Kia Forte Koup entry in the
GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Series in 2010. Joining Jonsson and Lally are
Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood, past KONI ST champions to pilot the
second team race car.
"We expect the Forte Koup to be a strong competitor in the GRAND-AM
KONI Challenge Series starting with the first race in Daytona, and the
fact that drivers of Nic and Andy's caliber along with Adam and Trevor
have joined the team reinforces that expectation," said Sprague.
"Building on our involvement in the GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Series and
in an effort to introduce the Kia brand to even more racing fans,
apparel maker GoGoGear.com has created a highly modified version of the
popular Soul urban passenger vehicle which will serve as the official
pace car at several races throughout the 2010 US Touring Car
Championship (USTCC) season."
About the Drivers
Nic Jonsson made his first professional start in 1989 and was the
Scandinavian Formula 3 champion in 1990 and 1991. In 1992 he won the
Scandinavian Touring Car title and finished second in the European
Formula 3 cup. Jonsson has raced touring cars, sports cars and Indy
cars all over the world and has competed in the American Le Mans series
as well as the SPEED World Challenge Touring car series. Jonsson, who
is a highly sought-after test and development driver, scored his first
GRAND-AM victory in 2005 at the Six Hours at The Glen. Outside of
sports car racing, Jonsson has trained the Swedish royal family and
secret-service agents in high-performance and self-defense driving. A
native of Sweden, Jonsson is the co-founder and owner of Kinetic Speed
Shop.
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In the last seven years, driver Andy Lally has three professional
championships - 2006, 2004 and 2001 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series -
and recently won the 2009 Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GT class. In
addition to three Championships and two Rolex 24 wins, Lally currently
holds the record for most top 3 and top 5 finishes in GRAND-AM Rolex
Series history as well as the record for most podium finishes in a
single season. He is third on the all time win list and the only
three-time Rolex Series Champion. Lally also has stock car racing
experience, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Craftsman Trucks,
ARCA and Goodies Dash.
A past KONI ST champion, Adam Burrows had years of Spec Racer
competition under his belt before deciding to move up to the highly
competitive Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge, winning the ST Class
Championship in his rookie season.
Trevor Hopwood had racing in his blood after earning his stripes as
a winner in Spec Racers. Hopwood moved up to run in GT-1 before taking
on the endurance format of KONI Challenge. The New Hampshire resident
won the championship in his rookie year, and backed that up with two
wins and another strong result in the championship the next season, his
first year of racing a front-wheel drive machine.
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Source: [Kia Motors]
Frankfurt Preview: 2010 Kia Venga MPV [Auto Spies (CA) (Online), 9/15/2009] These are the first official pictures of the Kia Venga, a mini MPV Kia claims has the space of a Focus. Its clever packaging is believed to maximize interior space. The Venga has the footprint of a Fiesta and is based on the Soul platform. To be built in Europe, the car is 4068mm long and 1600mm tall, with a 2615mm wheelbase, and inside there is a sliding rear bench that can also fold flat. The Venga will be powered by 1.4 and 1.6 petrol and diesel engines, producing between 74bhp and 113bhp. Start-stop technology will feature on all the versions. It is speculated that a hybrid will join the range. The exterior styling stays true to the No.3 concept from the Geneva show.
Kia Motors launches online multimedia centre [The Auto Channel (CA) (Online), 9/14/2009] Kia Motors Corporation, today, announced the launch of its online multimedia centre that responds to the changing needs of the global media environment. The site, powered by The NewsMarket's distribution platform, allows journalists, consumers, bloggers and social media-philes to watch, share or download videos, photos and documents on Kia's latest developments around the world, 24-hours a day. "We believe the new Multimedia Library will become a vital part of our overall communications strategy with media outlets, news sites, bloggers and consumers," said Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing Group. "It will also allow our Kia teams around the world to openly communicate with their local news agencies looking for new material in an interactive way."
Registered users can search, preview, download, share and embed all video content for free, in broadcast- and streaming-quality, and register for industry-specific email alerts about new Kia-related content at www.thenewsmarket.com/KiaMotors or through the 'Multimedia Library' link at www.kiamotors.com.
"We are delighted to be working with Kia Motors in helping shape their visual communications in the same way we have done for some of the world's leading brands," said Jim Lonergan, CEO of The NewsMarket. "We believe that by arming them with the best-in-class technology to serve today's digital media environment, Kia will now have a turnkey means to ensure that their messages clearly and effectively reach all of their audiences."
Since early 2009, Kia Motors has been providing broadcast and online journalists with downloadable materials through The NewsMarket. Visitors to the Kia Motors Multimedia Library can easily obtain material for editorial use, including highlights from press conferences and unveilings at auto shows, footage of new models, video on R&D and design, and corporate B-roll and HQ shots.
Driving Hamsters: Icing On Kia Cake? [Media Post Publications (NY) (Online), 9/14/2009] By Linda Thomas BrooksChocolate is good, especially if the chocolate is wrapped around a caramel. Even by themselves, caramels are delightful. And ice cream can be phenomenal. Not for a steady diet, mind you. As I repeatedly tell my kids, treats are additive to a good, healthy eating plan, not a replacement for the vegetables.
That is why I like the recent Escape from Hamsterdam game from Kia. This campaign has all the hallmarks of a real treat: a Facebook app, a game requiring a webcam, and an augmented reality experience. For the young, educated target audience, the elements are right on path and the technology required for interaction shouldn't be a burden.
What makes this campaign remarkable, however, is that Initiative Media, (disclosure: a sister IPG agency to my company, Ingenuity Media) has demonstrated that its strategists know how to avoid the common mistake of trying to turn media treats into the basis for a campaign. What makes the Kia effort especially great is that these tactics are used as special indulgences, rounding out a very strategic and thoughtful media approach. The best recent demonstration is the Hyundai campaign, in which Kia has spent the last year or so recalibrating its target audience and going on a healthy media diet, packed with the nutrients needed to launch a vehicle, establish marketplace credibility and create a buzz for some industry-leading offers like the Assurance program.
What were the hard-working nutrients in the plans? Media properties branded as leaders, such as the Beijing Olympics and the Super Bowl. Add some big event primetime. Kia developed branded content and integration elements that created great top of mind awareness using highly targeted media vehicles, driving down its usage of "filler" opportunities that historically had worked primarily to round out the CPMs for the company's plans. If you look at its detailed plans, Kia customized and squeezed out enhancements on virtually every property, adding a methodical search engine marketing element to their presence.
In a relatively short time frame, the strategy that called "Big Voices in Big Places" increased awareness, purchase consideration, brand favorability and brand buzz. So does the company deserve some dessert now? Absolutely.
The campaign for the launch of the Soul gets to live under the corporate halo generated by the messages and branding that was scrupulously placed over the past year. It's a message designed for the younger target of this nameplate, but it benefits from the disciplined plans of its brethren over the past year.
Even if you are not are among the folks who find rockin-out Hamsters driving cars inherently interesting, a campaign that has been so well nourished over the past year should allow for some junk food-infused attention while maintaining the growth. Give those Hamsters some chocolate.
Universal Pictures, Kia and Burger King ring up mobile interactions [DM News (NY) (Online), 9/14/2009]
By Dianna DilworthAfter securing $2 million in funding from GE and NBC Universal's Peacock Equity Fund this month, mobile ad network Greystripe is bringing on the company's various entities, including Universal Pictures, as clients. The organizations are already working on campaigns together.
For the launch of the Rogue Pictures film A Perfect Getaway, distributor Universal Pictures ran an in-app interstitial ad and saw an 8% response rate of users who clicked through to see the spot. The ad ran across the Greystripe mobile network, which includes 900 video game titles from 200 different publishers. The full-page ads ran within the game apps, in between sessions or while a part of the game is loading.
"The thinking is that applications are the best medium to deliver rich media, and clearly applications can support a deeper user experience than a mobile Web site, which tends to only include small banners," said Michael Chang, CEO of Greystripe.
The Perfect Getaway ad, which focuses on the film's honeymoon-goes-horror theme, takes advantage of the iPhone's accelerometer technology. Users can shake their phones to make the ad go from honeymoon creative to horror creative. At any time during the 10-second interstitial ad, a viewer can link back to the film's mobile WAP site to watch the full video and look up showtimes.
NBC plans more campaigns with Greystripe, working with it as both an investor and a client.
"From a utility and gaming perspective, the mobile phone is obviously an exploding platform," said Paul Lee, managing partner at Peacock Equity Fund. "We have taken note of that, and want to be there."
NBC, however, is not the only client working with Greystripe on mobile pushes. Others advertisers include Kia, Burger King, Unilever, Jeep, US Navy, Paramount Pictures and JCPenney.
In a recent Burger King campaign, the goal was to increase awareness of the fast-food chain in general and promote its new "Flame" perfume. The "Tailgate" ad was an interactive game, in which an animated Burger King character sat in a bath tub and users interacted by popping heart-shaped bubbles coming out of the tub. The ad used location- and gender-based targeting and included creative designed by Crispin, Porter + Bogusky. Of the users who were served the interstitial ad within the Greystripe gaming network, 13.9% interacted with it. In addition, users interacted with the ad for an average of 16 seconds.
In a recent effort for Kia, Greystripe incorporated its ongoing campaign for the Kia Sol, which launched earlier this year, into a branded mobile video game.
In this effort, the Kia sheep, which have starred in other TV and digital efforts, are boxers who face users who step into the ring. The automobile ad ran within the Electronic Arts Lemonade Stand video game after each play.
"The bar is set pretty high online, and mobile marketers have to step up to that bar because that is what users expect," said Chang. "By incorporating a fun game into a game, you are providing a relevant experience to the user."
