Korean carmaker Kia has spearheaded a loyalty campaign to reward its customers. Scheduled to be held yearly, the campaign started its inaugural earlier this month, and aims to bring customers of the marque from around the globe to its headquarters in Korea. Other than giving a better understanding of what goes behind the making of Kia cars, the all-expenses-paid trip also exposes participants to cultural experiences of the marque's native land.      

Preparation for the advocate program started earlier this year with a pre-selection of Kia's existing customers. They were then asked to send in an entry, comprising of pictures or videos, to explain why they deserve best to win this trip. Ten best entries were chosen and uploaded onto the company's facebook, where the public were invited to vote for their favourites. The final round of judging was left to the panel from Cycle & Carriage - the marque's authorised dealer in Singapore. Based on three judging criteria, namely 'Creativity', 'Enthusiasm', and 'Power to Surprise', the final three winners were selected.

While there are many reasons behind the choice of ride, it was the bright, cheerful character of Kia cars which got some of the owners acquainted. One of the three lucky winners, Jeffrey Phoon, stated in his written entry, "Our very first car was a cute little yellow Picanto. We loved how 'Pica' was so easy to spot in any car park from a distance and that always puts a comforting smile to our faces, especially after a long day out!"

The participants were hosted in the very heart of Korea - Seoul, where they were given a factory tour at Kia's headquarters. The program encompassed a plant tour at one of Kia's production facilities in Hwaseong. The group also indulged in a line-up of cultural displays, comprising of several attractions such as the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Insa-dong, and Hwaseong Fortress. The trip ended on a high note at the N Seoul Tower, the country's first integrated transmission tower and a farewell dinner at Samcheonggak - for a taste of the local delights.

The Kia Advocate Program sets the benchmark for customer loyalty campaigns, being both the first in its segment, and one of such scale. The program will be held yearly to reward customers with long withstanding relationships with the Korean marque.