Kia Motors Enters the Ranks of the ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands’

- Kia’s brand valued at $4.1 billion USD to achieve 87th place on global top 100 brand ranking study
- Advances in product quality, design and innovative marketing were noted as key factors for Kia’s dramatic brand value increase

(SEOUL) – Kia Motors Corporation enters the exclusive list of the ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands,’ according to the 2012 study released today by Interbrand, the world’s largest brand consultancy agency.

Kia’s remarkable increase in brand value is now estimated at $4.1 billion USD, which firmly sets the automaker at 87th place on the ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands’ list. This is a 50% increase from last year’s estimated brand value and far exceeds the average automotive brand value growth rate of 11%. The 2012 edition of Interbrand’s annual ‘Best Global Brands’ study was executed through a comprehensive brand performance analysis using best practice research methodology by expert analysts. The study measures a corporation’s financial performance in terms of the raw financial return to investors; role that a brand plays in the actual purchase decision; and brand strength, which is the ability of a brand to secure the delivery of expected future earnings.

The strong increase in Kia’s brand value closely mirrors the company’s recent surge in global sales, which have posted three consecutive double-digit year-or-year gains to cement Kia’s position as the world’s fastest growing major automotive brand. Over this three year period (2008-2011), Kia’s annual global sales have grown by 81% to nearly 2.5 million units.

Claire Chai, Vice President of Kia Motors Corp. Marketing Division, said, “Entering the ‘Top 100 Best Global Brands’ validates Kia’s commitment to continuously provide exciting and inspiring brand experiences. And it’s amazing to see what we can accomplish by staying true to who we are – a young and dynamic challenger that goes beyond expectations.

In addition to the major advances Kia has made on the product front, the company has also been executing numerous large-scale marketing initiatives that have helped raise awareness of the brand, including its sponsorship agreements with the world’s premier sporting events like the FIFA World Cup, Australian Open and National Basketball Association. Kia has also made effective in-roads towards engaging its young-at-heart customers through a strong presence on social media channels and innovative advertising campaigns such as the eccentric music-loving hamsters TV commercials seen in the USA for Kia’s iconic Soul urban crossover vehicle.


Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com) – a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart – was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. Over 2.5 million Kia vehicles a year are produced in 15 manufacturing and assembly operations in ten countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 149 countries. Kia today has over 47,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of US$39 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and an official automotive partner of FIFA – the governing body of the FIFA World Cup™. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan – “The Power to Surprise” – represents the company’s global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.