Challenger Takes Advantage of TV and Cable to Bring Buyers into Showrooms
Auto consumers looking for quality, reliability and style often turn to Toyota for their next car purchase. But through its advertising, competitor Kia is making the case that buyers have other options to consider.
The two manufacturers do have much in common. Both companies produce award-winning vehicles. Their competing models are similar in quality and style and offer plenty of safety and advanced features.
Another similarity? Their ads also look alike. So much so that we decided to conduct a face off to see how their advertising strategies compared. In this new analysis, we compared the companies’ creative and the number of instances on both TV and cable that each brand aired from September through November, using Media Monitors competitive advertising data.
However, the two companies are very different in one important way: Size. Toyota has sold nearly two million vehicles in the US as of October 31, 2019, while Kia has year-to-date US sales of 564,000.
The battle of the dealerships
We expect a lot of repetition in holiday sale creative, but these two commercials are more alike than most ads that air around this time. Both take place in a dealership. Both use an end of year sales theme. There’s an abundance of red and Christmas trees in the background. But the spots are also framed similarly and feature a female spokesperson walking the floor. In each ad, she radiates the same type of personality.
The details are slightly different – for instance, Toyota doesn’t mention specific financing, while Kia offers 0% – but overall, the result is strikingly similar.
| Account | TV Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
Cable Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Dealer Association | 158,204 | 83,974 |
| Kia Dealer Association | 11,803 | 22,504 |
“Everything is designed to fuse the brands together in the minds of viewers, probably to the advantage of the challenger,” said Media Monitors President and CEO Philippe Generali. “Given that Toyota is much bigger in size and airs significantly more spots, Kia is the one that benefits more with its similar commercial.”
Toyota aired almost 14 times more TV spots for its dealerships as Kia and four times as many cable TV spots during the September to November period.
The battle of the SUVs
With sports utility vehicles overwhelmingly popular among consumers, Kia is allocating a higher share of its advertising to spots featuring SUVs. By contrast, Toyota has the number one SUV on the market – the Toyota RAV4 – and it has aired significantly fewer spots for this and other SUVs. According to November 2019 sales data, the Toyota RAV4 was up over 26 percent for the month of November and nearly five percent year to date.
Again, the creative is similar between the two brands. Both spots feature the outdoor lifestyle and highlight all-wheel drive on unpaved roads.
| Account | TV Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
Cable Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Kia Sportage | 3,679 | 1,199 |
| Kia SUVs | 8,564 | 20,942 |
| Kia Telluride | 11,375 | 41,168 |
| Total | 23,618 | 63,309 |
| Account | TV Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
Cable Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Highlander | 1,805 | 291 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 8,875 | 1,793 |
| Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | 8,347 | 429 |
| Toyota SUVs | 111 | 30 |
| Total | 19,138 | 2,543 |
Toyota Camry vs Kia Sedans
Both companies continue to air spots featuring their sedans. According to US News, the Kia has “bland driving dynamics,” while the Toyota is enjoyable to drive. That might be why Toyota features people driving and riding in the car, focusing on the panoramic roof. By comparison, Kia’s commercial leans into safety features – like its turn signal and lane keeping assist – an area that US News calls “outstanding.”
Once again, Toyota airs significantly more spots on both TV and cable than Kia. However, as noted earlier, the similarity in the two means auto shoppers may be just as motivated to walk into a Kia showroom after watching a Toyota ad.
| Account | TV Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
Cable Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Kia | 5,442 | 9,001 |
| Kia Dealer Association | 11,803 | 22,504 |
| Kia Forte | 257 | 0 |
| Total | 17,502 | 31,505 |
| Account | TV Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
Cable Instances 2019 Sep-Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Camry | 2,896 | 355 |
| Toyota Dealer Association | 158,204 | 83,974 |
| Total | 161,100 | 84,329 |