Hyundai eyes premium economy status

Hyundai’s is continuing its campaign to promote its i10 vehicle as a desirable brand, as opposed to a budget consideration, with a TV blitz aimed to win over motorists here.  


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The i10 was unveiled last week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where the company unveiled its intention to use the vehicle to elevate the car marque’s brand perception. 

Speaking with Marketing Week, Mark Hall, Hyundai VP for marketing, said the South Korean manufacturer plans to promote its i10 “A-class”, or economy, vehicle formed part of an ongoing bid to give the car marque a more premium brand identity. 

“We want to make people really want the i10,” he said adding that vehicles in this sector are usually marketed to audiences in search of value. However, he feels the vehicle can meet these requirements, plus attract motorists with more premium aspirations. 

He said: “It’s a different kind of car [with improved engineering compared to earlier models in this category] and we think we can attract a different kind of demographic with this marketing.”

Hall also said Hyundai was locating its production base in Europe and away from South Korea – two factories will be located in the Czech Republic and Turkey – to bolster the appeal of the brand here. 

“By the time the i10 comes to market, 90 per cent of Hyundai cars in Europe will have been manufactured here,” he said. Hall expects this fact will help engender further trust in the brand among European motorists. 

Hyundai’s current marketing activity for its ix35 vehicle includes a TV slot by adverting agency Innocean (see video) which Hall thinks “communicates the brand in an unexpected way”.  

Similar slots, also by Innocean, for Hyundai’s i10 and i30 models will continue to promote the brand in this way, he added.

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