Did you hear Kia’s getting a ute?

Yep, we did too! Kia’s recent campaign promoting the launch of their new ute is an example of brand awareness done right.

The campaign made its introduction during the NRL Vegas season opener in March with a teaser video featuring some of Australia’s biggest sporting icons stating why this new utility vehicle should be named after them. Some of the stars included Ash Barty, Steve Waugh, Buddy Franklin, Jessica Watson and Wendell Sailor.

The launch was clever. The first ever NRL match in Vegas was always going to create some hype, let alone it being the season opener. The match ended up being the most watched NRL game ever on Fox Sports with 838,000 tuning in so it was inevitable for the campaign to spark attention in its first viewing.

The premise of the campaign was even better. All of these sporting icons suggesting names for this new ute built for the Australian people. By the end of the video it has you wondering, “What is this thing actually going to be called?”

This hype and speculation went on for another month. By this point, the word had well and truly spread that Kia is getting a ute.A landing page was created to capture expressions of interest. People wanted to know what this thing was going to be called and when it’s going to be released. In return, Kia gains a list of prospective customers.

 

 

Then, came another video. The official reveal of the Kia Tasman arriving in 2025.

The learnings from this campaign can be taken for the marketing of your own business. We’re not saying you need to go out and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a marketing campaign, but take the theory of how this campaign has run:

1. Build awareness and hype through your content (Discovery)
2. Send traffic to your website (Consideration)
3. Build on your customer list with a contact form (Conversion)

Say you’re about to launch a new product. Get your creative juices flowing with an eye-catching campaign idea that speaks to your target audience. (If you’re not feeling creative, this is where a digital marketing agency like us comes in!) Kia took advantage of Australians’ passion for sport.

How can you replicate this for your target audience?

• Use various digital marketing channels to spread the word about your product launch; organic social media, paid social media, email marketing, search engine marketing (SEM), influencer marketing, public relations.
• Develop a user-friendly landing page that is straight to the point so you can minimise that bounce rate. Include a contact form that captures the detail you need, but try not to make it too long that your prospective customer loses interest.
• Speak to your new-found audience with email marketing. Keep them updated – after all, that’s what they’ve signed up for.
• Lastly, observe the data. Report on the performance of your organic and paid channels. Analyse who exactly visited your landing page and how they engaged with it. These learnings will help you build upon your success for the next campaign.

Aston Digital are digital storytelling experts. Using our Brand Story Framework, we help our clients develop and implement effective digital marketing strategies. Find out how we can work together.