KIA MOTORS' SPORTS MARKETING THRU MANNY PACQUIAO
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 09 Jul 2014
Considered as South Korea's oldest car company, Kia was founded on June 9, 1944 and it began as a manufacturer of steel tubing and bicycle parts by hand. Starting 1957, the company built motorcycles, then trucks in 1962 and cars in 1974.
Kia Motors, like any large industrial company, reached its promotional objectives by using extensive sports marketing such as sponsorship. This involves paying to be associated with another organization, event or even television program. Sports marketing allows Kia to reach a large audience and enables the company to increase its share of the automobile market.
With the backing of Columbian Autocar Corporation, the exclusive distributor of the Korean car maker in the Philippines, Kia Kamao will join the Philippine Basketball Association next season starting October as an expansion franchise.
On June 9, 2014, the team held a press conference, announcing that Manny Pacquiao will coach their team and will join the PBA draft in August to be selected as player-coach, a feat only achieved by legends Robert Jaworski and Ramon Fernandez. Pacquiao acted as playing coach in his team MP GenSan Warriors in the Liga Pilipinas.
Much has been written and spoken of the world's only eight-division boxing champion, most of them criticizing the move to coach and play professional basketball and actively fighting the best boxers in his category while acting as representative of Sarangani.
The more Pacquiao's name is mentioned in the media and the internet as Kia playing coach, the more media mileage his team would get. As in any PBA team, the purpose of Kia Motors in joining the pro league is marketing exposure.
In the past, the company has sponsored various sporting teams and personalities such as the Philippine Azkals, while Kia has been a global sponsor of major events including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the NBA All-Star Game.
Kia Motors also sponsored the following sports events: Liga ACB, National Basketball Association (NBA), Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), Archery World Cup, Australian Open (tennis tournament), Copa Kia do Brasil (football tournament), FIBA Asia Championship, FIFA World Cup, Kia Classic (LPGA), UEFA European Championship Games, X Games and X Games Asia.
The car company sponsored the following teams: Essendon Football Club (Australian Football League), FC Girondins de Bordeaux (French association football team), Global F.C. (Philippines association football team), Kia Tigers, Philippines national football team, Qormi FC (Maltese association football team), Spartak Moscow (Russian association football team), Slovakia national football team, South Korea national speed skating team, Surrey County Cricket Club, Toronto Football Club (MLS), and Vit?ria Futebol Clube (Portugal association football team).
Among the athletes Kia sponsored are Ryan Ford (MMA fighter), Fernando Gonz?lez (Chilean tennis player ? 2004 & 2008 Olympic medalist), Badr Hari (Moroccan kickboxer), Lee Sang-hwa (Speed skater), Yulia Lipnitskaya (Russian figure skater), Aliy Mustafina and Viktoria Komova (both Russian artistic gymnasts), Rafael Nadal (Global brand ambassador), Adelina Sotnikova (Russian figure skater), and Michelle Wie (Official golf ambassador & spokesperson).
Photo by KC Cruz/GMA News. Kia Kamao head coach Manny Pacquiao with PBA Commissioner Chito Salud.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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