Genesis quintupled U.S. gross sales in October in contrast with final 12 months and has crammed a trophy case with trade awards over the previous 5 years. However now it wants a giant push to lift model consciousness, Claudia Marquez, COO for North America, instructed Automotive Information.
“Progress year-over-year has been excellent,” mentioned Marquez, simply six weeks into the newly created COO job. “Precedence No. 1 is that we’ve got to ensure that shoppers perceive that we’ve got nice merchandise. They’re excellent. However we’re lacking consciousness.”
The brand new GV70 compact crossover gained Motor Pattern SUV of the 12 months final month. And final week, it was chosen as a utility-vehicle finalist for the North American Automobile, Truck and Utility Car of the 12 months Awards.
“We all know that SUVs do effectively, however we’re additionally doing nice with our sedans,” Marquez mentioned. As a result of Genesis is a rising model, Hyundai Motor Group has given the newcomer precedence for semiconductor chips to be able to obtain its marketing strategy for the 12 months, Marquez mentioned.
Within the January-to-October interval this 12 months, Genesis offered 15,508 of the G70, G80 and G90 sedans and 24,112 of its GV70 and GV80 crossovers within the U.S. Each crossovers had been launched throughout the final 12 months. Subsequent 12 months, Genesis will launch the GV60 EV crossover and the Electrified G80.
However generally Genesis nonetheless looks like the trade’s “finest saved secret,” Marquez mentioned, and that should change. The automaker will shift extra promoting to tv to be able to attain a higher viewers with its model message. Digital and experiential advertising and marketing will proceed, she mentioned.
Marquez was named COO of Genesis Motor North America in late September and studies to Jose Muñoz, CEO of Hyundai Motor North America and world COO of Hyundai Motor Co.
As Marquez took over her new job, the automaker instructed Automotive Information that Mark Del Rosso was leaving his submit as CEO of Genesis Motor America after a three-month go away of absence to cope with a private matter.
Marquez was principally not too long ago CEO of Hyundai Motor Mexico. Earlier than becoming a member of Hyundai in November 2019, Marquez held senior government positions at Nissan North America, together with on the Infiniti model. Her tenure at Nissan overlapped with Muñoz, who was chairman of Nissan North America.
The general public profile of the Genesis model will even get a lift from the approaching inauguration of its first stand-alone dealerships, Marquez mentioned. At the moment, Genesis automobiles are offered at Hyundai shops.
The primary unique Genesis retailer is about to open within the first quarter of subsequent 12 months, she mentioned.
Genesis expects to have about 150 unique dealerships by 2025, Marquez mentioned. The Genesis model will even have higher differentiation inside Hyundai shops that proceed to promote the luxurious marque.
One other brand-building part, Marquez mentioned, is that this month’s opening of Genesis Home New York that may showcase the Korean firm and Korean tradition.
The 46,000-square-foot area in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District features a restaurant and tradition institute, a tea backyard, a library and a automobile showroom for searching — however not gross sales.
“We’re distinctly Korean, which is a vital a part of our DNA,” Marquez mentioned.
“What we’re doing there may be expressing and displaying the values of our model to the shoppers to allow them to really feel that.”