Kia Canada The Power to Surprise

Kia Canada enlisted Strategic Objectives, Canada's top PR Agency, to produce a dynamic, integrated PR campaign positioning Kia as a young, vibrant automotive brand with top-tier, national lifestyle media. Kia enjoys outstanding relationships with Canadian automotive media, but had yet to break into the lifestyle media space and engage with everyday consumers via online news, social media and blogs. Our campaign was rooted in the belief that building memorable experiences results in positive, branded media coverage, and by extension, consumer brand awareness, recall and acceptance.

Create consumer excitement for Kia with engaging, memorable brand experiences

• Conceive a high-impact, integrated PR program to establish Kia brand equity in the lifestyle space
• Support and enhance Kia’s participation in the Canadian Auto Show circuit with Kia Exclusive Moments
• Drive positive mainstream and social media coverage for Kia’s new vehicle line-up, announcements and award wins throughout auto show season
• Make news for Kia’s “Power to Surprise” throughout the auto world’s busiest time of year
• Integrate and amplify messaging surrounding the brand’s 2019 AJAC Awards for Best Large Car (Kia Stinger) and Best Small Car (Kia Forté)

Our PR plan strategically touched Kia target markets across Canada, engaging lifestyle media, and by extension consumers, in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. We staged exclusive media events one-week before each city’s Auto Show to seize interest and attention from auto media and to introduce Kia to lifestyle, consumer and social media.

What We Did:

• We produced three creatively-themed, exclusive Kia Pre-Auto Show Media Events to showcase the brand’s Power to Surprise;
  • Our Canadiana-themed Montreal event payed homage to Northern Fortés, featuring poutine, beaver tails, Caesars, maple taffy and more, and revealed the the all-new #KiaForte5 for the first time in North America
  • Our Valentine’s Day-inspired Toronto match-making event invited guests to swipe, dating-app-style, through Kia’s exciting new portfolio to find their perfect #KiaMatch
  • We hosted an elevated, Spring Brunch for Vancouver and Calgary media and influencers in an airplane hangar so they could spend quality time with Kia and its vehicles at #KIAxVAN
• We supported the auto show circuit with media relations and relationship management, tracked lifestyle connections while exploring every opportunity for new brand touch points
• Facilitated vehicle test rides for lifestyle media
• Executed a thorough Social Media Audit examining Kia Canada’s use of social media to speak with consumers compared to its competitors; and gave recommendations on Best Practices
• Executed a detailed Media Site Audit examining how Kia Canada is presenting company and product information to media compared to its competitors; and gave recommendations on Best Practices
• Produced two Videos featuring Kia’s NEW Telluride and Forte5 for auto and lifestyle media

Client Comment: “The Kia campaign was so much fun to be a part of and the fact that SO was able to pull it off in the face of many challenges was monumental”