Hyundai Motors America entered 2020 in the midst of a multi-year transformation of their brand and model line, and their much-talked about "Smaht Pahk" Super Bowl spot had CMO Angela Zepeda feeling the wind at their back. And then... COVID. The crisis hit home quickly with Hyundai as one of their own at a Montgomery, Alabama factory contracted the disease, leading to the temporary closure of the plant. As Angela tells us, the nature of the crisis pushed Hyundai to challenge themselves on how they could help.
The OEM and their dealer operators, with the help of their charitable partners from the Hope on Wheels program, turned their eyes towards doing all they could to improve COVID testing availability. The results were mindblowing: 4.3 million dollars in relief to help set up drive-through testing facilities at 22 hospitals, as well as the donation of 16K test kits to regions hit hardest by the crisis. Angela's conversation with CARS Chief Experience Officer Brooke Skinner Ricketts is a true testament to just how much good OEMs and their local dealer operators can deliver to communities in crisis.
