• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, October 2, 2012

Domestically, Kia's market share has grown for 17 consecutive years, and its sales numbers continue to rise.

So, what's eating Michael Sprague, CMO of Kia Motors? What’s “weighing me down is the perception of the old Kia,” he told OMMA Global attendees on Tuesday afternoon.

Despite the brand’s recent innovation, consumers now hold onto their cars for an average of 8-to-10 years. What that means, Sprague explained, is that shoppers really haven’t taken a close look at Kia for nearly a decade.

What’s more, Kia's brand awareness is currently about 60%, according to Sprague. That’s not bad, he says, but “still not where my competition is,” which is closer to 65%.

What does Sprague want everyone to know about Kia? "We’re youthful, we’re fun, we’re sporty ... To sum it up, we’re a challenger brand ... We don’t generally do traditional advertising."