Kia Motors America Selects Denuo As Digital Web Agency Of Record

Agency to Bring Innovative Force to Fast-Growing Automaker's Digital Marketing Properties

- Complete website redesign and new interactive features such as social shopping tools coming in 2013 for Kia.com

- New website will have richer user experience and more creative content across desktop, mobile, and tablet experiences

IRVINE, CA--Jan. 17, 2013: Kia Motors America (KMA), one of America's fastest-growing car companies over the last five years[1], today announced the selection of Publicis Groupe's Denuo as its web Agency of Record (AOR) following a competitive review. With seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles expected to arrive in showrooms in 2013, Denuo will develop a completely redesigned website for Kia to enhance the car buying research and shopping process with more images, videos and creative content. As Kia's AOR, Denuo will also be called upon to breed partnerships with emerging companies in the areas of mobile and social technologies.

Denuo is tasked with managing the complete Kia.com strategy -- including creative and user experiences -- as well as other properties within the brand's digital ecosystem, including the Kia.com Owner's Portal for existing customers. The new partnership supports Kia's commitment to setting the bar for pioneering technology advancements in the automotive industry as well as understanding and fulfilling the needs of modern car shoppers and owners.

"Kia has just capped an unprecedented period of growth in the U.S. market, and we look forward to the continued maturation of our brand with the assistance of a progressive partner that will lead in the consumer digital marketplace and revolutionize our digital offerings now and into the future," said David Schoonover, national manager of CRM & digital marketing, KMA. "As awareness, perception and consideration for the Kia brand continues to improve, the evolution of Kia.com is vital to the brand's growth, and Denuo has offered fresh new ideas and insights and proven they can help us navigate these transitions and further our momentum."

Work on Kia.com has already begun.

Kia: One of the World's Fastest Moving Global Automotive Brands
Kia Motors America is one of only three auto brands to increase U.S. sales in each of the past four years, and in 2012 the company surpassed the 500,000 unit mark for the first time. With a full line of fun-to-drive cars and CUVs, Kia is advancing value to new levels of sophistication by combining European-influenced styling -- under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer -- with cutting-edge technologies, premium amenities, affordable pricing and the lowest cost of ownership in the industry. Kia recently joined the exclusive ranks of Interbrand's "Top 100 Best Global Brands," and is poised to continue its record-breaking momentum with seven all-new or significantly redesigned vehicles expected to arrive in showrooms in 2013. Over the past decade Kia Motors has invested more than $1.4 billion in the U.S., including the company's first U.S. assembly plant in West Point, Georgia -- Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) -- which is responsible for the creation of more than 11,000 plant and supplier jobs. The success of the U.S.-built* Optima and Sorento in two of the industry's largest segments has fueled Kia's growth and is complemented by Kia's comprehensive lineup which includes the Sportage compact CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Optima Hybrid, Forte compact sedan, 5-door compact hatchback and Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX Trims and certain LX Trims only) and GDI Turbo are built in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
[1] Based on comparison of 12-month retail sales from December 2007 to December 2012 of all U.S. automotive brands and five-year average sales growth.