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Kia and the Cool Factor

Written by on March 15, 2012 in Cars.

Kia and the Cool Factor

I’ve owned Dodges and Fords and Toyotas and Hondas and Infinity and BMWs, and there was always one constant - the car was cool. That’s right, even my ’84 Toyota Tercel SR5 wagon was cool for it’s unconventional styling. Quality workmanship and reliability were tops on my list as well. Never would I stoop so low as to consider riding around in a Yugo or Suzuki or Hyundai or - gasp! - Kia. But today’s Kia is an entirely different animal. They’re hamsters and bears and sock monkeys and robots.

Kia Motors is Korea’s oldest automobile manufacturer, growing young. Looking to project a youthful, energetic image, Kia has worked hard to shed their dowdy, bargainbasement status and capture the imagination of active, young men and women. The new corporate slogan, “The Power to Surprise,” is meant to grab attention, and exemplifies a core shift in the company philosophy. What’s not surprising about peoplesized hamsters riding around in a Kia Soul, or familiar toys road tripping in a Sorrento? How about this years Super Bowl ad for the 2012 Optima? The “Dream Car for Real Life” ad features former UFC champ Chuck Liddel as the Sandman, Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima waving a checkered flag, and music from Motley Crue. You’ve got my attention.

There are two reasons for Kia’s Benjamin Button-like transformation. Beginning in 2005, Kia identified design as the company’s “core future growth engine,” and a year later, they hired, as their chief designer, Peter Schreyer, best known for his design contributions to the Audi TT. Schreyer noted that Kia projected a “neutral image.” Neutral? Mr. Schreyer is being kind to his new employer. The second reason is less obvious to the regular car buying public, it’s about innovative marketing. Kia’s marketing strategy using mobile space ads and social media is meant to target young people with active lifestyles. Active, young adults aren’t tied to their televisions or desktops, they’re out living their lives. Analytics proved to Kia marketers that mobile space ads out perform traditional, desktop web advertisements, so the company created their own, branded, Pandora station, called the “Kia Soul Station,” which runs banner ads for the Kia Soul at the bottom of the page. Since the hiring of Schreyer, Kia has sought to project a younger, hipper image, and in 2007 the company created an interactive blog, called “Kia Buzz.” In 2010 they launched a Facebook page and YouTube channel. Dubbed the “Like Lab,” Kia employees continually monitor these sites to determine what consumers like about Kia, and what they would like to see next.

But if you’re like me, none of these marketing strategies matter. I want to know if the car is cool. Young sports stars like Rafael Nadal, Michelle Wei, and Blake Griffin must think so. So must the caretakers of the Australian Open, and LPGA tournaments. Would Kia be the Official Automotive Partners of the NBA, and FIFA World Cup if they weren’t cool? It’s a safe bet that the answer to my question is, “Yes.” And one more thing - I drive a 2011 Kia Optima and I can say with certainty, it’s cool.

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