Daewoo Motor America Making the Grade on College Campuses
11 December 1998
Daewoo Motor America Making the Grade on College Campuses Across America; Korean Automaker Investing Heavily On Unique Car Marketing Program
COMPTON, Calif.--(AutomotiveWire)--Dec. 11, 1998--Sixteen U.S. college newspaper editors and reporters -- representing universities including Yale, DePaul and UCLA -- are in South Korea this week at the invitation of Daewoo Group.
They are there to find out firsthand why the company's unprecedented automotive marketing program has motivated thousands of students on hundreds of campuses to market and/or purchase one of the first new car models manufactured by Daewoo for American consumers.
Daewoo Motor America Inc. (DMA), the automobile distribution arm of Daewoo Group in the United States, with headquarters in Compton, launched its inaugural three-car line of stylish, well-built and economical models -- the Leganza, Nubira and Lanos -- in late September. These cars are being sold through 15 company-owned stores in nine states: California, New York, Florida, Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
DMA is part of Daewoo Motor, one of Korea's top automakers and subsidiary of Daewoo Group, the world's 18th largest industrial conglomerate.
DMA has already invested more than $10 million on its college marketing program. The 16 college journalists now in South Korea are the second such group to visit Daewoo's corporate hometown in recent months. But that's just the tip of the iceberg -- since last summer Daewoo has provided all-expense-paid, week-long trips to almost 2,000 college students on some 400 U.S. campuses who signed up for positions as independent Daewoo Campus Advisors (DCAs) and went to South Korea for orientation and training. While there, the DCAs learned about the company and its diversified product line and toured Daewoo's state-of-the-art automobile manufacturing facilities.
Daewoo further invested in its college marketing program by making its line of U.S. car models available for purchase by DCAs at up to 50 percent off the retail price. Approximately 800 DCAs took advantage of this special offer.
Korea's second-largest automaker also has spent heavily to recruit qualified DCAs through print advertising and on the Internet, as well as by providing DCAs with additional training at the Daewoo store near their campus, an arsenal of marketing materials, and the free use of a new Daewoo car for up to 90 days.
But it's not just DCAs who are finding Daewoo to be college- oriented. The company has introduced special financing programs and an insurance referral service specifically geared to the needs of college student purchasers.
Why is Daewoo investing so much to woo and educate college kids about their cars? The company is investing in the college market with the goals of developing a positive, lifelong relationship with today's young adults -- both as potential purchasers and as potential employees, starting in its DCA program.
Daewoo Motor America Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Korea's Daewoo Group. Founded in 1967 by Mr. Kim Woo-Choong as a small textile exporter, Daewoo has grown to become a global company with 1997 sales of $71.5 billion placing Daewoo 18th in a recent Fortune 500 ranking of global companies.
In addition to its worldwide automotive operations, Daewoo is engaged in trading; domestic and overseas construction; shipbuilding; and manufacturing heavy equipment, consumer electronics, home appliances, textiles and other products. Daewoo also has investments in financial and telecommunications services, and operates hotels worldwide.
