Maaike Aarts - Kia Netherlands

Six years ago, Kia Netherlands stood on the verge of a major brand transformation. Since then, the brand has introduced a new global identity, strengthened its position in electric mobility and became market leader in the Netherlands. For Maaike Aarts, Manager Communications and PR at Kia Netherlands, that growth was not driven by one single factor, but by the ability to bring a global strategy to life locally supported by the right mix of products, a strong dealer network and consistent visibility. Now that the EV market is becoming more crowded, the challenge is shifting: Kia needs to move from being known for strong electric products to being clearly understood and actively considered as a brand.

From Brand Renewal to Market Leadership

In 2021, Kia launched its new global brand identity, with a new logo, visual identity and the slogan “Movement that inspires.” For Kia Netherlands, that transformation came at the right moment. The brand had long been associated with value for money, but the ambition was to broaden that perception and position Kia more clearly as an innovative frontrunner in sustainable mobility.

That did not mean leaving value behind. Instead, the meaning of value changed. Maaike now sees Kia’s pricing as broadly in line with competitors, which means the difference is no longer about being the cheaper option. It is about what customers get for that price: strong equipment levels, clear model packages and a complete proposition. In that sense, Kia has broadened value from affordability alone to quality, innovation and what the car offers in everyday use.

The launch of the EV6 provided a strong proof point of that broader positioning, helping to make the brand shift more tangible for consumers. It was Kia’s first car developed as a fully electric vehicle from the start, with strong range, fast charging and a high battery capacity. At the same time, demand for EVs was growing and Kia was able to keep delivering cars while many competitors faced supply issues. “To me, brand growth is how all element come together consistently over time,” Maaike explains. “Product is a very important part of it, but it only works when it comes together with the right communication, media and market context.” In 2022, Kia Netherlands became market leader for the first time, a result of several factors coming together, and it has held that position since.

“To me, brand growth is about how all elements come together consistently over time.”

Finding Local Space within a Global Strategy

One of Kia Netherlands’ ongoing challenges is balancing global consistency with local relevance. Campaigns are developed for many European markets at once, which means they are rarely fully tailored to Dutch consumers. Rather than trying to change everything, the local team looks for the spaces where it can make a difference.

Social media is one of those spaces. Kia Netherlands works with a local social strategy that differs from the European approach. This sometimes creates tension with corporate identity guidelines, but Maaike sees it as necessary when the local strategy performs better. “As long as you can substantiate it, you get quite a bit of room,” she says.

“Research also helps create that freedom. With campaign pre-testing, we can show Europe which small changes improve relevance in the Dutch market. Sometimes the campaign

assets remain the same, but a different sentence or edit can make  communication more effective.” Strong market and brand performance also gives the Dutch team credibility. As one of the stronger Kia markets in Europe, the Netherlands has more room to influence how European and global work is translated locally.

From Product Strength to Brand Meaning

As the EV market matures, staying ahead is becoming increasingly challenging. Competitors are rapidly closing the gap with strong electric products, while technical features such as range and charging speed are no longer differentiating, they are expected. This raises the bar for Kia; to maintain its position, the brand must continue to grow and evolve beyond product alone For Maaike, the key question is therefore what Kia should stand for in people’s minds beyond its cars. “When people think of Kia, what should immediately come to mind? Defining that clearly is both critical and complex.”

One way to strengthen the Kia brand is by looking beyond the car itself. Maaike points to developments such as Kia Charge and vehicle-to-grid technology, which show how EVs can play a broader role by storing energy and potentially returning it to homes or the grid. In a market where core functionalities such as range and charging speed are becoming standard, these kinds of innovations help demonstrate that Kia is not only building electric vehicles, but actively shaping the wider role those vehicles can play in people’s lives.

For Kia, the next phase of growth is therefore not only about launching new products, but about sharpening the associations the brand wants to own. The product portfolio is strong, with EV models across multiple segments, but the brand now needs to clearly define what makes Kia relevant and distinctive in a more mature EV market. Maaike sees the biggest opportunity in the middle of the funnel. Awareness is already strong, but familiarity and consideration still need to grow. “The biggest growth is in that middle piece,” she says. “From awareness to, okay, I am really going to consider it.”

Kia’s growth has also been supported by a strong dealer network, which remains a crucial part in the customer journey. Customers arrive at the dealer well-informed, with expectations already shaped by the brand. The in-dealer experience must therefore consistently deliver on that promise. Kia supports its dealers through marketing programmes and co-investment, to ensure the network contributes to brand strength and continued growth.

Reach, Relevance and the Next Phase of Growth

Media remains essential, but it is becoming more challenging. Media costs continue to rise, audiences are increasingly fragmented and budgets do not automatically grow with ambition. For Kia this means being more deliberate in how reach is deployed. TV and radio still play a crucial role in building the brand and driving demand, but impact now depends less on how much media you deploy and more on focus and consistency.

At the same time, precision is becoming just as important as scale. Through CRM, first-party data and always-on activation, Kia is strengthening its ability to convert interest into action. In a very competitive market, the challenge is balancing short-term commercial pressure with long-term brand building. A single campaign is rarely enough to solve a short-term model issue, and not every campaign should be designed to drive immediate results. This forces the team to make clearer choices about where to invest for immediate return and where to build future brand value.

Kia has also learned that in brand communication brand and product need to stay connected. Attempts to communicate purely on an abstract brand level around “Movement that inspires,” without a clear link to the car, proved less effective. “For us, credibility comes from showing the product within the brand story. Once the car is part of it, the message becomes clear.”

AI is also entering that search for relevance and efficiency at scale. Kia is exploring its use in areas such as website service bots, reporting, content adaptation and performance marketing, including ways to make ongoing creative assets feel more local and context-specific. At the same time, Maaike remains cautious. Data privacy, regulation and internal guidelines all shape what is possible, and she does not see AI replacing strategic or creative judgment at this stage. “I still believe that a very large part of creation is, and will remain, human work,” she says.

Kia Netherlands’ rise to market leadership was built on a combination of strong products, local adaptation, dealer strength and consistent visibility. Maintaining that position will require the same discipline, but with a sharper focus on brand meaning and relevance. In a market where many brands can offer strong EVs, Kia’s next phase of growth lies in turning awareness into familiarity, familiarity into consideration, and consideration into a clear and compelling reason to choose the brand.

“For us, credibility comes from showing the product within the brand story. Once the car is part of it, the message becomes clear.”