Hyundai’s Dean Evans Named the World’s Eighth Most Influential Chief Marketing Officer by Forbes

06/26/2018, Fountain Valley, CA

  • The Highest-Ranked CMO in the Automotive Industry


FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., June 26, 2018
Dean Evans, chief marketing officer (CMO) of Hyundai Motor America, was again selected as one of the World’s Most Influential CMOs by Forbes. Evans ranked No. 8 and is the highest-ranking CMO from a global automaker in the 2018 report, developed by Forbes in partnership with Sprinklr and LinkedIn. Evans has made multiple appearances on the list, improving upon last year’s No. 29 ranking.

“We are very proud that Dean has been named to Forbes’ Most Influential CMO list and consider it a tremendous honor for him and the entire marketing team at Hyundai,” said Kenny Lee, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. “As Hyundai continues to expand its lineup of SUV offerings, Dean and his team have successfully introduced new models and continued to enhance customer perception through our brand philosophy and innovative, customer-oriented programs like Shopper Assurance.”

As traditional advertising models continue to evolve and adapt to the increasingly fractured media landscape, CMOs require a multidimensional, strategically savvy and creatively innovative skill set to face today’s challenges. The latest list from Forbes provides a comprehensive view of the CMOs who are driving transformational change within and outside their organizations. Leaders are placed at the top of the list for lending their voices to broader industry conversations and for articulating core brand and business purpose.

Evans oversees a talented marketing team at Hyundai and the company’s agency, INNOCEAN. Together they have effectively built Hyundai’s consumer-centric brand promise and driven more customer engagement as car-buying habits change rapidly.

This past year, Evans and his team helped launch the industry-first Hyundai Shopper Assurance program and rolled it out to consumers nationwide. The campaign has helped differentiate the shopping experience by showing a commitment to respecting people’s time, giving them more transparency and providing a worry-free experience.

After many years of successful Super Bowl ads as an official NFL sponsor, including becoming the first car company to win the USA TODAY Ad Meter in 2018 and producing several firsts with “Operation Better” in 2017, Hyundai showcased its non-profit organization, Hyundai Hope On Wheels, this year. The emotional spot surprised Hyundai owners by showing them the impact they’ve had in the fight against pediatric cancer. The emotional ad placed ninth on the USA TODAY Ad Meter and placed in the Top 10 Breakthrough Super Bowl Ads by Ace Metrix, which measures the highest combined scores for attention and likeability.

Hyundai has also recently launched successful partnerships with Marvel, including a high-profile collaboration for the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp movie that includes product placement and a fully integrated marketing campaign for the all-new Veloster. Hyundai also teamed up with BuzzFeed and iHeartMedia to introduce Kamp Kona, an all-new, three-part music experience that celebrates local creators.

While entering new frontiers, the brand has continued to successfully launch new models with attention-getting campaigns, most recently Sonata, Kona and Veloster. All of these efforts have helped build emotional connections with customers. With a unique approach to customer voice, Evans and his team have transformed and elevated the entire customer experience for Hyundai shoppers and owners.