At Hyundai, Branding Is Job 2

Despite receiving high marks for quality, the carmaker has struggled with stalled sales. Marketing guru Steve Wilhite has to sell drivers a new story

BusinessWeek, May 21, 2007 — A tense Steve Wilhite paced in a cavernous hall at New York's Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the afternoon of Apr. 4, intently rehearsing his presentation. Hyundai Motor America's chief operating officer was about to introduce the South Korean company's upscale Genesis sedan to the media at the New York International Auto Show. He was worrying over his prepared comments about the $30,000 to $35,000 sedan, which he would soon audaciously compare with both the BMW 5 Series and the Lexus ES350.