Kia Sorento Campaign Targets the Adventurous

Instead of focusing intensely on a particular demographic, Kia is aiming the Sorento at those with adventurous mindsets in a new online series that launched last week on the Yahoo Screen streaming service.

Kia is continuing the “Perfect Getaway” promotion -- minus Pierce Brosnan -- with “The Getaway Guide,” a six-episode video series in which people take spontaneous weekend getaways in the Sorento.

One episode features a young husband who surprises his wife with an impromptu zip-lining adventure to make up for their honeymoon in Haiti, which was marred by bad weather. Another video follows two friends as they learn the basics of trapeze flying like circus acrobats.

The videos give viewers plenty of chances to check out the Sorento’s styling and interior as the adventurers make their treks. Viewers will catch a glimpse of the sunroof in action, while seeing the Sorento in suburban environments as well as on more rocky terrain.

Kia wanted this marketing initiative to “focus in more on what people do, not so much who they are,” said Dave Schoonover, Kia Motors America’s national manager of CRM and digital marketing.

“The CUV segment is a large one, and it does span a wide demographic. What is consistent within that audience and what is clear is they want a vehicle that is reliable, safe, trustworthy and is a very capable all-wheel-drive vehicle,” Schoonover said in an interview. “So our objective there is, because it’s such a wide demographic, is to focus more on the mindset of what they’re interested in [for] a vehicle that’s a common thread throughout that segment.”

Kia will hone in on ideal audiences with the help of Yahoo’s targeting platforms, which Schoonover said can single out targets on a psychographic level.

The automaker will run page-width Yahoo Splash Ads with 15-second video clips across Yahoo digital magazines such as Yahoo Travel, Yahoo Food and Yahoo Health. Kia will connect with younger audiences, who are more apt to share content on social media, through sponsored posts on the Tumblr microblogging site.

Kia sold 10,842 Sorentos in March, a 25 percent boost from the year-earlier period. Sorento sales, which were sitting at 26,903 through March, are up 17 percent for the year.

“The Getaway Guide” episodes each clock in around four minutes, but Kia believes they’ll be able to keep viewers’ attention because of strategic video placement.

“By applying long-form content, we can create content whether it’s hiking or some of the other outdoor pieces that appeals to the location on Yahoo where people are consuming content,” Schoonover said. “If people are in the travel section, they’re consuming content that is hopefully interesting to them because it’s about something that’s personal to them. It’s really more about telling a story and how Sorento can really be a part of enabling that lifestyle.”