FIFA World Cup Boosted Hyundai's Image

The not so long ago concluded FIFA World Cup, as any other sporting event of its magnitude, has done wonders for its sponsors. Of all those sponsors however, one seems to have benefited the most. And that one is South Korean manufacturer Hyundai.

According to a study conducted by Echo Research, the brand's popularity increased as a result of the World Cup by 5 percent in the UK, while in the Netherlands the brand awareness almost tripled.

The study showed that Hyundai gained to its side mostly young women, in between 20 and 29 years of age. The men who are drawn to the brand as a result of the World Cup are mostly aged in between 30 and 39.

Hyundai also became one of the favorite topics in the online environment. Whereas the overall auto industry posted a tree percent increase in online notoriety, Hyundai posted over three times that much, 10 percent.

According to market research company Nielsen McKinsey, Hyundai was the subject of 5 percent of all Internet chatter during the World Cup, becoming the sixth most commented brand during the event.

“Hyundai's goal is to become one of the top five European car manufacturers over the next five years, and I believe we made some important steps towards that end,” said Allan Rushforth Hyundai Motor Europe vice president.

“Our presence on the continent during the World Cup helped us boost the brand's awareness, giving us a strong basis on which to built our market share through selling the models intended for the European market."