• by Karl Greenberg , October 13, 2009

Consumers are sticking with the brands they trust, so it's no surprise that auto marketers are promulgating their brand's core values to build loyalty and consideration. Honda and Toyota, as well as GM, have launched campaigns that talk about things like durability, authenticity, innovation, environmental technology, fuel efficiency and corporate goodwill, as well as all-important third-party endorsements.

But Hyundai Motor is focusing on that last one with a new "Momentum" campaign that is intended to get people to consider Hyundai because of what experts, scribes and analysts are saying. The effort -- which focuses on people in the market for a new vehicle -- talks up the company's Genesis sedan for having won North American Car of the Year honors; Hyundai's having taken top honors for non-premium brands in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study; and the Hyundai Assurance program launched early this year, among other things.

The ad campaign, via Hyundai's sibling company, Innocean Worldwide Americas, includes five TV spots to run through November. They show people kicking tires in Hyundai showrooms, and counsel that owning a car is a long-term commitment: Although buying one takes relatively little time, it's time enough to make a mistake.

One ad says: "A new car is one of the most expensive purchases you can make. But Hyundai thinks when buying a car what you need even more than money is information." The ad goes on to say that one usually gets a second opinion, just to be sure. "If that helps, imagine a thousand second opinions, all saying the same thing." The ads end with the pitch: "Come to HyundaiMomentum.com, to see why more people are buying a Hyundai."

The new website is a wallpaper-style collection of articles, endorsements, research, and reviews. Hyundai says it plans to add more articles and enhance search functionality over time.