Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America Inc. isn’t in a rush to replace its vice president of marketing after the competition hired away its last two.
The automaker, part of South Korea’s Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, lost marketing head Christopher Perry to General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet in August.
Perry’s loss came after GM plucked Hyundai’s marketing guru, Joel Ewanick, in March.
Hyundai launched a search for a new marketing head earlier this month but is taking its time.
“We have had a lot of candidates who would like to join the team raise their hands,” said John Krafcik, chief executive at Hyundai Motor America. “But this is a case where we are in no hurry at all.”
Former marketing VP Ewanick was credited with expanding Hyundai’s advertising. In late 2008, he started the automaker’s assurance program, which allows buyers to return an auto if they lose their jobs or face other hardships.
Krafcik argues it’s the strength of his marketing team that has helped the automaker increase sales and gain market share in the past two years, not an individual executive.
“We’ve got a very strong bench here,” he said. “Actually the departure of Chris and Joel has forced many in the team to raise their game further. I think it’s to demonstrate that it’s not just one person, it’s the team that makes us great.”
The automaker also is getting help from its dedicated ad shop, Huntington Beach-based Innocean Worldwide America, also part of South Korea’s Hyundai Group.
“We have our own advertising agency, which is completely dedicated to Hyundai business,” Krafcik said. “It’s really been that group that has been the consistency and inspiration behind everything you have seen in the last 18 months.”
Hyundai moved its advertising account from San Francisco-based Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in late 2008 to Innocean.
Hyundai has aggressively marketed through much of the downturn, when most automakers were forced to cut back.
The decision to ramp up marketing wasn’t hard for Krafcik, who claims it’s always been part of the automaker’s strategy.
Krafcik has been careful to keep his executive team small and nimble with only four vice presidents managing the business.
“Toyota up the street has over 40,” Krafcik said.
As for fears about the competition stealing his next marketing head, Krafcik joked he’s more worried his auto rivals might not stop at the heads of the department, but take the entire team.
“That’s probably the next step,” he said.
Game Marketing
Several local companies are turning to social network games to convert competitive nature into an uptick in sales.
According to a recent report from Port Washington, N.Y.-based market researcher NPD Group Inc., some 20% of Americans report having played a game on a social network in the past three months. About 35% of social network gamers are new to computer games.
Local automaker Brea-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. launched its own virtual racing game called the “Kizashi Ring of Fire” that mirrors the automaker’s transnational tour being promoted by auto enthusiast magazines.
American Suzuki, part of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp., teamed up with Florida’s Motor Trend magazine and other publications in August to take several Suzuki vehicles through Japan, Siberia, Alaska, Canada and into Los Angeles as part of its “L.A.: The Hard Way” road trip that began earlier this month.
The game is a futuristic urban street race in which players have to be among the top three to move to the next level, which represents a city or place being driven through on the Tokyo to Los Angeles road tour.
It’s the latest component to Suzuki’s AllPoints promotion where users can earn points toward prizes by promoting Suzuki on social media sites.
Big Bear-based Matrix Consultants, Suzuki’s digital ad shop, brought on Culver City-based Dvelop to design the game.
Irvine-based Mazda North America Operations launched “Driverville,” a Facebook-based game, in July.
Players drive virtual Mazda vehicles, including the subcompact Mazda2, to win “driver bucks” for virtual products and weekly sweepstakes prizes.
The Newport Beach office of Southfield, Mich.-based Doner Co. is handling what is the last Mazda advertising campaign for the shop.
Automakers aren’t the only companies turning to social media games for advertising.
Irvine-based startup wine seller OneHope Wine LLC plans to launch a wine-based social media game.
The wine company donates half of its profits from its six varietal wines to several partner charities.
PR Shop Lands Business
Irvine-based Morgan Marketing & Public Relations LLC tore up the dance floor to land its latest client.
The firm beat out six other public relations firms in Los Angeles and Orange County to land Battle of the Dance, a restaurant set to open in Anaheim early next year.
“It was a very tough review process,” said Melinda Morgan-Kartsonis, president of the shop.
The restaurant is the first international expansion of a Mallorca, Spain-based chain that pits dancers of Latin, flamenco, Celtic, funky and hip-hop dance styles against each other during the meal.
Battle of the Dance is set to be the dance-version of Medieval Times as patrons root for a particular dancer during the course of their meal.
