Kia‘s new MD is targeting a rise in fleet sales from 25% of the Korean brand’s mix to nearer 40%.
Speaking exclusively to BusinessCar at the Frankfurt motor show last week, Michael Cole said: “We need to improve our share of the fleet market. Currently it’s 1.2%, where our retail share is 3.4%. About 35 to 40% of our mix is about the right level.”
Cole, who took over from recently promoted Paul Philpot, joined Kia fromToyota seven weeks ago and is already looking at ways of boosting fleetsales.
“Fleet is only about 25% of our mix this year and that¹s a bit low. We wantto grow this, but in the right channels,” he said.
“We do some daily rental, but the main question is getting on fleet lists.”
Cole pointed out that not all his plans for 2010 were set in stone, although he does “have a team running direct sales to big fleets”.
He continued: “The other side is through the dealers. We’re looking to strengthen our specialist fleet dealer network. It’s at 15 now and it could grow to 25.”
Cole also added that Kia has the same direct marketing agency as used by Ford‘s fleet operation, to generate leads: “We’re using the Wunderman operation at Byfleet and getting very good feedback from our sales team about the quality of leads.”
Debuting at the Frankfurt show was Kia’s green sub-brand called Ecodynamics, which will be rolled out to the manufacture’¹s most efficient cars in each range, starting in the UK with the Ceed.
“The Ecodynamics message is more about fleet than retail. It gives us the opportunity to relaunch the Ceed to fleet. Some of it is about showing that ‘we can do that, too’,” said Cole.
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