The Auto Writer

Advertising Age recognizes Hyundai.

How do you spell success? A-z-e-r-a is one way to do that.

If you were to take a look at the typical Hyundai ad campaign over the years, what you would discover is that the Korean automaker has a liking for presenting fairly bland, straight forward messages to consumers. Unlike some advertisers who use every gimmick in the book to get people to sit up and take notice, Hyundai usually touts their offers simply if not effectively.

Super Ad

This past winter Hyundai decided to mix things up a bit by boldly going where no car manufacturer had gone before: offering an honest to goodness return policy with very few strings attached. Specifically, beginning with an ad that ran during the Super Bowl, Hyundai announced:

“Now finance or lease any new Hyundai, and if you lose your income in the next year, you can return it with no impact on your credit.”

That announcement reverberated through the industry as Hyundai threw the gauntlet down, which was soon picked up by consumers who decided to give the automaker a serious look. People who knew very little about the brand quickly discovered that the company offered a wide range of vehicles–nice looking ones at that–selling them for less than what their competitors were charging.

Moreover, if a buyer were to lose his job, Hyundai would step in and take the car back without wrecking his credit. Brilliant!

Advertising Age

Known as the Hyundai Assurance program, that marketing effort coupled with the company’s aggressive marketing of the Hyundai Genesis landed the automaker an exclusive award: Advertising Age’s Marketer of the Year, garnering 40% of the vote and beating out such heavy weights as WalMart, McDonalds, Lego and Amazon.

Hyundai’s timing was perfect as the Hyundai Assurance initiative was launched as the worst of the economic crisis was setting in. People were still buying cars (at greatly depressed levels), but quite suddenly value and a return policy became significant for shoppers. Why buy a Mercedes E-Class when a Hyundai Genesis sedan would do? What does the Toyota Avalon offer that can’t be found in a Hyundai Azera?

All that wasn’t lost on Advertising Age and its readers, marketing folks who knew that Hyundai’s market share had surged to 4.3% in the first ten months of 2009 from 3.1% over the same time period in 2008. What’s more, Hyundai continued to see its sales increase in September when mostly everyone else was losing customers post cash for clunkers program.

Conquest Sales

Those moves by Hyundai have spelled success as advertisers recognized that the automaker’s message to consumers is getting out and they’re responding. Importantly, Hyundai is managing to snag sales from Japanese and European car owners, many of whom would never had considered the brand previously.

Don’t expect Hyundai to rest on their laurels as the automaker smells blood and they want more…much more. With the big Hyundai Equus set to roll out next year and with fresh new models and technology coming down the pike, the Korean automakers is a force that will reshape the industry.

With quality levels on the rise, Hyundai offers perhaps the best blend of value, quality and customer assurance in the industry, just what today’s consumer expects. Talk about smart timing!

Photo Credit: Hyundai Motor America