Kia Motors forges marketing partnership with Kakao's entertainment wing

SEOUL -- Kia Motors, an affiliate of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, has forged a strategic partnership with Kakao M, the entertainment wing of the web service giant Kakao, to roll out K-pop cultural marketing promotions for young global consumers.

Kakao M is a total entertainment company that operates Melon, a favorite online music service in South Korea. The company also has multiple entertainment agencies with artists and celebrities such as IU, Lee Byung-hun, Go Soo and Han Ji-min.

Kia Motors said in a statement on Wednesday that it agreed with Kakao M to strengthen the carmaker's global cultural marketing with the purpose of broadening the scope of exchanges with young people and providing a dynamic experience of the Kia brand to foreign customers.

The first marketing collaboration between Kia and Kakao M will take place at this year's "Melon Music Awards" in Seoul on November 30, with Kia serving as the main sponsor. Seltos, a compact sport utility vehicle released in July, will be displayed at the venue of the annual music awards event. Kia will invite some 250 selected customers from home and abroad.

Kia and Hyundai Motor have rolled out marketing promotions which would effectively appeal to younger generations. Kia partnered with YG Entertainment, one of South Korea's entertainment powerhouses, to stage a global marketing campaign involving girl band BLACKPINK. Hyundai endorsed super-popular K-pop band BTS in November last year to promote "Palisade", a full-sized SUV released in 2018.