TV ads showed Hyundai’s new Momentum site, which displays uncontrolled media. Brilliant ROI!
Tonight I saw a Hyundai commercial that caught my eye. It wasn’t the sleek design of a new model or a shockingly attractive MSRP or financing options, but the simple invitation to visit HyundaiMomentum.com.
The commercial revealed a glimpse of the site’s sexy Cooliris/Apple-like interface, so I instantly checked it out. I’m not yet in the market for a new car (sorry Hyundai, that whole getting-a-job-thing is holding me down!), but this is definitely the way to entice consumers that are searching for new wheels.
Basically, Hyundai stretched its TV ad dollars by encouraging viewers to visit a straight-forward site featuring “everything you need to know about Hyandai, as told by everyone, except Hyundai”. You’ll find articles about Hyundai product from mainstream sites like MSNBC.com, Time.com, and even Vimeo.com, along with car-niche sites including Edmunds.com, Autoblog.com, and NorthAmericanCarOfTheYear.org.
Although US auto manufacturers may be waddling along the road to recovery, Hyundai has shifted into 5th gear. Throughout the downturn economy, the Korean car maker viewed the glass half-full and has aggressively found opportunity in the bleakest of times. (Remember Hyundai Assurance?)
In this arm of the campaign, Hyundai has managed to unite the power of not only tv and web, but advertising and PR. TV ads serve as the magic bullet, driving a target audience to visit the site. Once there, viewers will perceive HyandaiMomentum’s visuals as an experience, whereas shifting through the clutter of Google search results for Hyundai can be a chore. HyundaiMomentum is a launchpad for viewers to visit other sites. At this point the power shifts from controlled media to uncontrolled media, which is the entire point: Hyundai wants 3rd-party endorsement of its products to edge over consumers still unsure of the brand. All of the sites I visited had web 2.0 features, so for the cost of a TV ad, Hyundai may enjoy some social media buzz through this.
There’s a strong resemblance of consumer attitudes between present-day Hyundai and Kia and Honda and Toyota circa 1980. Although Hyandai and Kia started convincing consumers they were reliable brands about five years ago, there is still opportunity to educate consumers of the brands’ progress. Had Honda and Toyota had new media at their disposal in the 1980′s, I doubt it would have taken them as long to become the power brands they are today.
Have you observed other car manufacturers leveraging new media elements into their campaigns?
