Kia partners with the Telegraph to ensure Euro 2016 sponsorship is a win

Havas Media UK has brokered a deal between Euro 2016 sponsor Kia and The Telegraph, designed to associate the car brand with football in the build-up to and throughout the tournament.

To kick off the campaign there will be four events across the country at Kia dealerships – in Bolton, London, Bridgend Wales and Burton. The events have been timed to correlate with key events in the run-up to the Euros such as the England warm-up matches and squad announcements.

The events will feature high profile figures in football including John Barnes, Stuart Pearce, Dean Saunders, Garry Monk and Neil Lennon with the events all fronted by TV presenter Sue Thearle. To showcase the Kia Sportage, football talent will be asked for their tournament predictions, players and teams to look out for from the passenger seat of the vehicle.

Content captured at the dealerships will be published on the Telegraph website and social channels. Selected guests attending the preview events will be offered the chance to win tickets to the opening match of Euro 2016.

The second phase of the campaign, taking place as the tournament gets underway, will follow Telegraph sports writer Thom Gibbs on a road trip to France in a Kia Sportage. It will see Gibbs capturing the build-up, game results and fan reactions in a 36 day video series - Thom Voyage! - hosted on the Telegraph website and shared channels.

To further drive interaction with the campaign, the Telegraph has created a bespoke Kia penalty shoot-out game, offering a chance to win a Kia Sportage. The game launches today (11 May), and is fronted by ex-England Goalkeeper David James. It will be promoted across Telegraph platforms.

To close the campaign, there will be a series of features showcasing the best moments from the competition. These will run alongside high impact, tactical display activity at key moments throughout the tournament, celebrating, commiserating and congratulating teams on their performance.

Natasha Murray, managing director at Havas Media said: “Kia’s association with football and the Telegraph’s fantastic sports journalism make this a great brand fit. The Euros are a key date in the sporting calendar and we are thrilled to have brokered such a fitting collaboration. ”

Simon Hetherington, commercial director at Kia said: “Kia has a strong link with football. Euro 2016 this summer will ensure that as a brand we will gain cut-through with new consumers and current Kia owners.”

Keith Perry, group sport managing editor at Telegraph Media Group said: “The Telegraph Media Group is the number one place for sport, with an array of talent producing award-winning coverage. Alongside our newly relaunched website and video capability, this means we’re able to work with brands to create truly innovating and engaging content.”

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Kia Motors America and B.R.A.K.E.S. Expand Hands-On Defensive Driving Education Throughout Southern California

IRVINE, Calif., May 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to overwhelming public interest, B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) and Kia Motors America (KMA) are expanding the Teen Pro-Active Driving School throughout Southern California in an effort to help reduce the high rate of motor vehicle accidents involving teenage drivers. In a region with approximately 750,000 potential new drivers between the ages of 16 and 20,2 B.R.A.K.E.S. training programs will be conducted beginning late May in Costa Mesa, Pomona, San Diego and Fontana. According to a recent study, teens who complete the B.R.A.K.E.S. program are 64 percent less likely to be involved in an accident in their first three years of driving,1 and 84 percent of all B.R.A.K.E.S. graduates since 2011 had no crashes.

"The leading cause of death for American teens is motor vehicle crashes, and our mission is to prevent injuries and save lives by providing young drivers with the real-life driving experience they need in a safe and controlled environment," said Doug Herbert, founder of B.R.A.K.E.S. and recipient of the Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Award from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). "Teaching young drivers how to manage potentially dangerous conditions gives them an advantage should they ever encounter similar situations on the road."

Participating teens and their parents will receive hands-on defensive driving education from B.R.A.K.E.S.' team of highly skilled professional instructors, which includes former race car drivers, stunt drivers and secret service agents. Instruction, in vehicles provided by Kia, includes a distracted driving course, handling emergency braking situations — utilizing anti-lock braking systems, evasive maneuvering and skid-control practice. The program adheres to a low three-to-one student-to-teacher ratio to ensure personal attention is provided to every driver. Parents also participate in the courses to ensure proper driving techniques are reinforced long-term after the training is completed.

Kia is the Official Vehicle and presenting sponsor of the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School and provides a fleet of more than 40 vehicles. With Kia's support, B.R.A.K.E.S. continues to increase the number of schools offered and expand into new markets.

"Kia places a priority on vehicle safety, and our partnership with B.R.A.K.E.S. reflects our commitment to keep drivers safe on the road, which begins with practical, hands-on driving experience," said Tim Chaney, vice president of marketing communications, KMA. "The B.R.A.K.E.S. program has been proved to improve driving skills and help teens make better decisions when behind the wheel. Even if one accident is prevented as a result of this training, that's a win."

The B.R.A.K.E.S. Training Curriculum includes the following:

•Accident Avoidance/Slalom: This forces students to make a split-second decision to execute a quick, evasive lane change when encountering an unexpected object without losing control of the vehicle. Students must navigate their vehicle around cones while focusing on weight transfer, hand positioning and eye scanning.

•Distracted Driving: The course demonstrates the danger that cell phones, text messaging, and other distractions can pose while driving.

•Drop Wheel/Off Road Recovery: The drop-wheel recovery course teaches students how to effectively recover when one or more of their wheels veers off the road surface and onto the shoulder, regaining control of the car and safely returning to the roadway.

•Panic Stop: The panic-stop course instructs students on proper braking techniques to help stop a vehicle in the shortest distance possible while maintaining control. Students and their parents experience firsthand the pulsating brake pedal effects of Antilock Brake Systems (ABS) and how to control the vehicle when ABS is engaged.

•Car Control and Recovery: A wet skid pad simulates wet-road conditions. Students learn how to recover from both oversteer (rear wheel) and understeer (front wheel) skids.

•Other learning experiences vary by school but can include an eye-opening view from the driver's seat of a big-rig truck with a discussion about safe zones and blind spots, as well as demonstrations from police and fire-rescue agencies.

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Total and Kia Renew Partnership

Total Lubrifiants will remain Kia's recommended and exclusive partner for automotive lubricants for a further 5 years.

Kia Motors Corporation and Total Lubrifiants recently renewed their strategic partnership agreement. For another 5 years, Total will remain Kia Motors Corporation's preferred aftermarket lubricants supplier for Kia vehicles. Total branded automotive lubricants will be exclusively recommended and available to customers across Kia's service network of more than 5,500 dealers in around 180 countries, including West European markets from January 1st, 2017.

The extension of the initial cooperation, first started in 2011, extends benefits to all Kia vehicles owners and Kia dealers. The Kia networks will receive access to high-performance Total Quartz engine oils, specifically developed to optimize Kia engines' performance, reliability and improve fuel economy benefits. Kia and Total will also develop joint marketing service programs aiming at increasing Kia dealers' profitability, customer retention and customer satisfaction.

Through this partnership Kia and Total Lubrifiants confirm their shared aim of strengthening their growing presence in the global marketplace and combining their strengths in an "Alliance of Skills" to developing high-quality products and services for an unrivalled Kia Customer Service experience.

"We are delighted to extend our global cooperation with Kia Motors Corp. This renewed Partnership confirms Total's strong commitment to accompany Kia Motors, in the long run, in its successful international expansion and to deliver innovative lubricants, recognized Total marketing expertise and dedicated aftermarket programs to Kia dealers and customers," says Pierre Duhot, General Manager Automotive Division at Total Lubrifiants.

"For the past 5 years, Total has demonstrated it has the worldwide coverage, strong marketing capabilities and high-quality lubricant technology to meet the needs of our Networks. Total will be a key partner for us in our global aftermarket strategy to enhance Kia customer and dealer satisfaction," commented Steven Yoon, Vice President Overseas Service Division at Kia Motors Corp.

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Kia Motors America And B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School Extend Multiyear Partnership

To accelerate the education of teen drivers and their parents on safe driving practices, Kia Motors America (KMA)today announced an expanded partnership with B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe), a non-profit organization that provides free, hands-on defensive driving workshops in cities nationwide. The multiyear partnership is expected to double the number of teens and parents that receive the life-saving training. B.R.A.K.E.S. will use an expanded fleet of vehicles provided by Kia and increase the number of classes offered.

"Kia is committed to continuing to support B.R.A.K.E.S.' efforts to reduce teen traffic fatalities through hands-on defensive driving instruction," said Tim Chaney, vice president of marketing communications, KMA. "The B.R.A.K.E.S. program provides teens and their parents with high-quality individual training to help them make better decisions behind the wheel."

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15-17 year olds1 and the first six months of driving are the most dangerous.2During the months of March and April, B.R.A.K.E.S. workshops will be held in various cities nationwide, including the San Francisco, Orlando and Seattle metropolitan areas and Southern California. Visit PutOnTheBrakes.org/Shop to view the full list of available locations and dates and register for a school.

Major studies have shown that parents play a strong role in influencing teen driver habits. Teens with parents who set driving rules and monitor their activities are half as likely to crash, 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated, and 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone when driving and less inclined to speed3. Despite these sobering statistics, only 25 percent of parents have had a serious talk with their teen about the key components of driving4. B.R.A.K.E.S. directly addresses this issue. Parents participate in many of the same exercises to ensure proper driving techniques are reinforced following the session. According to a recent study, teens who complete the B.R.A.K.E.S. program are 64 percent less likely to be involved in an accident in their first three years of driving5 and 84 percent of all B.R.A.K.E.S. graduates since 2011 had no crashes.

Did you know?

•Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash6
•On average, eight teens lose their lives every day in vehicle crashes, or approximately 3,000 teens per year7
•A quarter of teens respond to at least one text message or have multi-message text conversations while driving8 ◦As a result, drivers under the age of 20 have the largest proportion of fatal accidents involving distracted driving9

Nearly 20,000 teens nationwide have graduated from B.R.A.K.E.S.' intensive half-day training course since 2008. Instruction includes a distracted driving exercise, emergency braking using the anti-lock braking system (ABS), evasive maneuvering and skid-control practice. Kia is the Official Vehicle and presenting sponsor of the B.R.A.K.E.S. Teen Pro-Active Driving School and provides a fleet of 44 new vehicles for school use. With Kia's support, B.R.A.K.E.S. continues to increase the number of schools offered and expand into new markets.

B.R.A.K.E.S.' free safe-driving instruction provides a low three-to-one student-to-teacher ratio to ensure personal attention. The training provides teens the tools they need to respond to scenarios they may face while on the road.

"Kia's renewed commitment will help us substantially increase the number of teens and their parents that receive life-saving training," said Doug Herbert, founder of B.R.A.K.E.S. and recipient of the Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Award from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). "We aim to reduce traffic accident fatalities by providing teens and their parents with the training they need to make better decisions behind the wheel."

The B.R.A.K.E.S. Training Curriculum includes the following:

•Accident Avoidance/Slalom: This forces students to make a split-second decision to execute a quick, evasive lane change when encountering an unexpected object without losing control of the vehicle. Students must navigate their vehicle around cones while focusing on weight transfer, hand positioning and eye scanning.
•Distracted Driving: The course demonstrates the danger that cell phones, text messaging, and other distractions can pose while driving.
•Drop Wheel/Off Road Recovery: The drop-wheel recovery course teaches students how to effectively recover when one or more of their wheels veers off the road surface and onto the shoulder, regaining control of the car and safely returning to the roadway.
•Panic Stop: The panic-stop course instructs students on proper braking techniques to help stop a vehicle in the shortest distance possible while maintaining control. Students and their parents experience firsthand the pulsating brake pedal effects of ABS and how to control the vehicle when ABS is engaged.
•Car Control and Recovery: A wet skid pad simulates wet-road conditions. Students learn how to recover from both oversteer (rear wheel) and understeer (front wheel) skids.
•Other learning experiences vary by school but can include an eye-opening view from the driver's seat of a big-rig truck with a discussion about safe zones and blind spots, as well as demonstrations from police and fire-rescue agencies.

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Kia Becomes The Major Sponsor Of Australian Open

Kia Motors Corporation has been expanding the scale of its sports sponsorship for some years now.

Kia is developing itself very much into a sporty brand, designed to appeal to younger drivers with an emphasis on excitement and versatility.

Tennis superstar and Kia global brand ambassador Rafael Nadal lifted the cover off of Kia’s latest ‘X-Car’ on January 13 in Melbourne, Australia during the official VIK handover ceremony for the Australian Open 2016.

The one-of-a-kind Sportage Compact Utility Vehicle (CUV) was created in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox and modeled after the popular X-Men character Mystique.

The vehicle boasts a unique design with special textured ‘tone-on-tone’ matte and gloss blue paint finish, racing wheels and tires along with red and yellow bodywork highlights.

The Kia X-Car and Rafael Nadal, widely regarded as the greatest left-handed tennis player, combine powers in an online video released ahead of this year’s Australian open.

The Sportage-based Kia X-Car is the company’s second show car project in collaboration with Fox, following the Wolverine-inspired Sorento that was shown at the Australian Open 2015.

The ceremony also featured the handover of 110 official courtesy vehicles to the Australian Open Organising Committee.

The fleet will be driven by approximately 225 specially trained volunteer drivers and cover more than 300,000 kilometers to transport players, officials, event staff, fans, VIPs and media representatives throughout the duration of the tournament.

Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, said: “Kia makes an incredible contribution to the running of the Australian Open and I’m again very pleased to accept the key to the 100-plus fleet of Kia courtesy vehicles.

“The sight of the Kia cars ferrying players, officials, media and this year for the first time, fans, around Melbourne, adds significantly to the tangible excitement and buzz the event brings to the city of Melbourne.

“The majority of the 110-strong courtesy fleet – 52 vehicles – is made up of midsize Sorento. Also comprising the fleet are 30 Kia’s Carnival MPVs and 28 C-segment Cerato sedans.”

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Kia Continues Partnership with JM&A Group to Offer Added Protections for Car Buyers

Kia Motors America (KMA) has renewed its agreement with JM&A Group, one of the largest independent providers of finance and insurance (F&I) products in the automotive industry. Together, they will continue delivering top-rated service contracts and added protections for Kia customers.

“We look forward to continuing this relationship with JM&A and utilizing the tools they help us provide our dealers.”

KMA first partnered with JM&A in 2007 to grow its dealer programs using branded F&I products and extended warranty services known as the Kia Distinction. Today, 716 Kia dealers provide customers with at least one of JM&A’s industry-leading products. Of those, more than 400 are enrolled in five service offerings.
“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Kia,” said Forrest Heathcott, President of JM&A Group. “We have great momentum and expect another excellent performance year. JM&A remains committed to providing automotive dealers with strategic support and we look forward to helping Kia maintain superior performance and growth.”
Kia’s suite of branded products includes vehicle protection plan, maintenance plan, road hazard tire coverage, Term Care Select, Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) and CPO Wrap programs, as well as Paintless Dent Removal coverage, an added benefit for consumers who want to maintain their vehicles’ appearance over time.
JM&A also provides Kia dealers with F&I Training in associate development, consumer-friendly sales methods, compliance, marketing and e-contracting. Over the last eight years, the partnership has helped Kia build customer loyalty, boost dealer profitability and establish its CPO program as the industry standard among non-luxury vehicle brands. Kia Distinction product sales have increased by 25 percent and the Kia CPO program continues to experience retail growth at 43 percent.
“Our customers’ satisfaction and peace of mind is our highest priority, and providing our dealers with the best possible F&I products and training in the industry helps us ensure that the needs of Kia customers will be met,” said, David Carp, Director of Fleet, Remarketing & CPO, Kia Motors of North America. “We look forward to continuing this relationship with JM&A and utilizing the tools they help us provide our dealers.”

About JM&A Group
JM&A Group consists of four companies that provide more than 3,000 dealerships with a variety of products and services, such as new and used vehicle protection plans, used vehicle certification programs, pre-paid maintenance plans, GAP protection programs and F&I training for sales and service departments and consulting services. With 37 years of experience, JM&A Group’s inter-related companies assisted dealers in selling more than 3.2 million vehicle-related service and maintenance contracts in 2014. JM&A Group is a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a diversified automotive corporation headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla. JM Family is ranked No. 23 on Forbes’ list of “America’s Largest Private Companies.” The company is also ranked No. 34 by FORTUNE® as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For®, its 17^th consecutive year on the list.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2014, surpassing the 500,000 unit mark for the third consecutive year. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900¹ flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle², Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States. Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.

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