Hyundai Brand Value Rises Businessweek

Hyundai Brand Value Rises Businessweek Calls Brand “Big Winner”

--- Jumps nine positions in Best Global Brands survey by BusinessWeek/Interbrand --- Biggest increase of automakers (Seoul, Korea) Hyundai Motor Co. has emerged as one of the world’s leading brands ranking 75th overall, according to the 2006 Best Global Brands survey jointly conducted by Interbrand, a leading consultancy in branding and BusinessWeek, the New York-based global media organization. The 17 percent increase since last year in the value of the Hyundai brand earned the Korean automaker the title of fastest growing automotive brand and a place among the top five biggest gainers in brand value, causing the magazine to label Hyundai one of its “Big Winners”. Last year, in its debut appearance on the Best Global Brands list, Hyundai ranked 84th. With a brand value estimated at $4.1 billion, the power of the Hyundai brand on a global basis now surpasses several competitors. “This survey tells us what many people already know: That Hyundai is a fast-rising star,” said Hyundai’s Vice President for brand strategy, Brandon Yea. “Our brand management is supported by continuous improvement in the quality of our products,” he added. Public perceptions of the Hyundai brand have been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. In turn, this has fueled a steady increase in sales and confidence in the brand among both customers and dealers. Hyundai’s pursuit of a better balance between quantitative and qualitative growth has benefited from the company’s brand management. Brand management issues now influence decision-making in styling, marketing and communications as well as at the retail and after-sales service levels. Interbrand Ranking 2006 Result Overall AutomotiveRanking Brand Brand Value(Billlion $) 7 1 Toyota 27.9 10 2 M. Benz 21.8 15 3 BMW 19.6 19 4 Honda 17.0 29 5 Ford 11.0 56 6 VW 6.0 74 7 Audi 4.2 75 8 Hyundai 4.1 80 9 Porsche 3.9 90 10 Nissan 3.1 92 11 Lexus 3.1 Interbrand (www.interbrand.com), the leading brand consultancy and authors of the annual ranking of “The Best Global Brands” in partnership with BusinessWeek was founded in 1974. Interbrand has offices in over 30 cities in more than 20 countries around the globe and clients from among the most respected businesses. BusinessWeek is a leading global business media organization which was founded in 1929 and is published by the McGraw-Hill Companies, BusinessWeek has more than 4.7 million readers each week in 140 countries. Local language editions include Chinese, Russian, and Bahasa Indonesian. Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group which in 2005 sold 3.7 million vehicles to ranked as the world’s sixth largest automotive manufacturer and includes over two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and affiliates. Hyundai Motor Co., employing over 68,000 people worldwide, posted US$26.1 billion in sales in 2004 (on a non-consolidated basis). Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through some 5000 dealerships and showrooms. Further information about Hyundai Motor Co. and its products is available at www.hyundai-motor.com