Hyundai's New Spokesperson: Martin Winterkorn

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Hyundai has a new and extremely successful spokesman. He is well-known, he can speak about cars with more authority than a football player. Best of all: He works pro bono. It is Volkswagen’s CEO Martin Winterkorn. With a low-cost video, Winterkorn catapulted Hyundai’s image to formerly unknown heights.

The German magazine Wirtschaftswoche reports that the image of Hyundai took a leap a few days after Martin Winterkorn walked over to the Hyundai stand at the Frankfurt motor show and praised the non-rattling steering column.The candid camera video went viral on Youtube. Says Wirtschaftswoche:

“In the days after the show, the image of Hyundai improved considerably. In the beginning of September, its brandindex score was at -25. A few days later, it climbed to -14, at least for a while. The brand still remains a bit weakly positioned, however, it is interesting that the brand score improved especially in the eyes of internet-savvy social media users.”

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Boxelder Boxelder on Dec 10, 2011

    This is one of my favorite videos of the year. It's amazing that we get a first-hand "Oh, Snap!" moment when a major-league powerful decision maker at VW notices that his underlings have been pulling his femur in:re the difficulty (cost) in making things work correctly. "Hell, if Hyundai can do this, why the frack can't we?!" Delicious on so many levels. Also, this is the best advertising Hyundai can't buy. Too bad for them, scruples be damned, I'd make a commercial out of it.

  • Sector 5 Sector 5 on Dec 11, 2011

    Similar nationalistic shadows haunt the divided here - North Korea and a former East Germany. Perhaps Winterkorn is sizing partnership, government backed and otherwise? After all if change does come to the North what better qualified country for South Korean industry to consult than Germany?

  • Buckshot Buckshot on Dec 11, 2011

    Poor Bischoff :)

  • Boxelder Boxelder on Dec 11, 2011

    I'd bet my 401K that the next-generation Golf has a smooth-as-butter steering wheel adjustment system and recessed windshield wipers.

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