Eduardo Bottger, president of Tustin-based al Punto Advertising, said he’s seen a change in the auto industry’s attitude about Hispanic buyers.
“It just used to be a car that could hold five people would be good for Hispanics,” Bottger said.
Now Bottger said automakers no longer just gear their cheapest cars to the Hispanic market, or avoid marketing sports cars or other expensive models to them.
“Now the market is so big we have to think about segmentation,” Bottger said. “There’s a Hispanic buyer for every car.”
That kind of thinking helped al Punto land the Hispanic account for Irvine-based Kia Motors America Inc., part of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co.
“We’re very excited,” Bottger said. “It’s an important account for us. It’s from OC and it will stay in OC.”
The shop was handed the $15 million business in January after an intense review.
Incumbant WPP Group PLC’s Mendoza, Dillon & Asociado of Irvine quit the account last summer after it moved into offices next to sibling Young & Rubicam Inc., which handles Jaguar Cars and Land Rover North America.
The work for Kia was seen as a possible conflict. In a bitter twist for Mendoza, Y & R; now has been eliminated from a review for the Jaguar account (see story, page 1).
Al Punto had been hoping to nab an automotive account for some time, according to Bottger. The shop hired people with auto experience in a bid to win an account.
Last fall, al Punto was invited in on two automotive reviews: one for Kia and one for Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc.’s Hispanic marketing account.
Al Punto made the final round for both, but decided to bow out of Mitsubishi’s review.
“It’s almost impossible to be a finalist for two car accounts simultaneously” because of confidentiality challenges and the workload, Bottger said.
It was a tough choice, Bottger said. But the shop stuck with Kia because it “has incredible potential in the market.”
“They’re doing well and they could do a lot better with Hispanics,” Bottger said.
Perhaps it was a lucky choice. Mitsubishi, which has been struggling to revive sales, still is having trouble. Its account remains in review.
Al Punto has been working on Kia’s first campaign, which is set to start in the next month or so.
Bottger said the shop hopes to help Kia be “more relevant” to Hispanics by giving buyers “a reason to connect emotionally to the brand.”
“Buying a car is not just a practical decision,” Bottger said. “It’s really emotional. It’s really an extension of our own identity.”
Plus, the Hispanic market has grown and become more affluent, he said.
“It’s a huge market, and everyone has a different need,” Bottger said. “In that sense it’s also an opportunity for Kia” to sell Hispanics on all the cars in its line.
Speaking of Kia, the automaker also has new general market advertising, which it spends about $255 million on a year.
The automaker is targeting generation Xers with its $30 million campaign pushing the redesigned Kia Sportage mini sport utility vehicle.
Kia launched a spot in movie theaters this month that plays up the Sportage’s “modern, sporty” look, which executives hope will “appeal to young consumers with active lifestyles,” said Yong-Hwan Kim, chief operating officer of South Korea parent Kia Motors Corp. in a statement.
The 60-second plug shows people driving the car a short distance, then handing it off to another driver.
The voiceover says: “The SUV with everything is now for everyone.”
Television spots and print ads are set to follow in March. The automaker also held a media test drive in San Francisco last month to promote the vehicle’s U.S. debut.
This was Kia’s first ad campaign created by Santa Monica-based davidandgoliath, which won the account in December.
Kia said it took a page from another car in its lineup, the Sorento SUV, in redesigning the Sportage. The car has a longer wheelbase, wider stance and a bigger interior.
Flush With New Work
Expect to see some toilet humor coming from Irvine-based RiechesBaird.
San Juan Capistrano-based Fluidmaster Inc. has tapped the marketing shop for advertising, public relations, media and online projects.
The goal: raise awareness of Fluidmaster’s toilet repair and plumbing products.
Fluidmaster, which employs about 500 workers locally, sells 300 toilet repair products in nearly 90 countries. It has an 180,000-square-foot plant in San Juan Capistrano and owns Moldingmaster, a precision mold facility in Santa Fe Springs.
Billings for the account were not disclosed.
Camera Ready
Gladstone International in Laguna Beach wants to help executives talk to the press.
The public relations firm now offers a workshop with on-camera practice and coaching.
“We discovered that our training tests the mettle of the company executives and helps them respond to reporters in a forthright manner without divulging proprietary information,” said Joan Gladstone, the firm’s president.
The shop has seen a “growing interest in the program and has begun marketing it more widely.”
