Kia Motors bolsters brand image through Asian X Games 2005 sponsorship

News 


-     Kia promotes "exciting & enabling" brand identity among younger
generation

-     Media exposure expected to be worth US$14 million to Kia

 

(SEOUL) May 30, 2005 -- Kia Motors has significantly enhanced its brand
image amongst the younger generation across all markets, particularly in the
Asia Pacific region, through its sponsorship of the Asian X Games 2005,
which were held from May 26-29 at the Jamsil Seoul Olympic Stadium in Seoul,
Korea.

 

Kia Motors estimates that ongoing media exposure from the Asian X Games 2005
will be worth US$14 million to the company through the use of the Kia logo
on television broadcasts, billboards and press materials.

 

Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice-President and COO of Kia Motors, said,
"The adventurous spirit of extreme sports is a perfect fit for Kia's
'exciting & enabling' brand image and we are delighted to have been able to
support such a notable sporting event as presenting sponsor." 

 

"Extreme sports, like skateboarding and inline skating, are increasing in
popularity among young people the world over. We will continue our
involvement in this area to further enhance Kia's brand image among our
potential customers of the future," added Mr. Kim.

More than 200 top athletes from America, Japan, Malaysia and other
Asia-Pacific countries competed for prize money and medals in six categories
-- Aggressive Inline Skating, Skateboarding, BMX Freestyle, Wakeboarding,
Sport Climbing and Moto X.

For results and more information on the Asian X Games 2005, please visit
HERE.

 

Kia Motors Corporation (
<http://autoway.kia.co.kr/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.kiamotors.com
/> www.kiamotors.com) -- the fastest growing automaker in the world -- was
founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As
part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the
world's premier automotive brands. Kia's 16 manufacturing and assembly
operations in 12 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year
that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers
covering 155 countries. Kia today has over 32,000 employees and annual
revenues of $14 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis
Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. Kia Motors
Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" -- represents the
company's global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through
continuous automotive innovation.