A customer’s trust goes a long way. It is one of those intangibles that play a huge role in the mind of a customer deciding what to buy or who to go to.

For Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC), the exclusive distributor of Kia Motors vehicles in the Philippines, getting the public’s trust equates to getting loyal supporters or the so-called Kia Advocates.

Every year, CAC seeks vehicle owners nationwide who have manifested their trust of the brand by owning several Kia vehicles, by being a staple in dealership events, or by participating in Kia car clubs.

The chosen Kia Advocates were then treated to a 5-day, all-expenses paid trip to Seoul, South Korea, headquarters of the Korean automotive giant.

This year, Perfecto Corpus, Jr., Roland Joey De Lara, and Jeremy Lapus were recognized as Kia Advocates. Together with one companion each, these Filipino Kia vehicle owners will go on an exclusive, VIP tour of Kia’s Hwaseong Plant and other manufacturing facilities, as well as cultural and historical tours of the city.

Among the three, they own a combined 8 units of different Kia models, with some dating back to as far as a decade old. They are Kia Advocates in every sense of the word.

According to Corpus who owns a Kia Rio, Sorento, and Picanto, “Actions speak louder than words. We own three Kia vehicles so that really means that we are very satisfied with Kia.” He continued, “Kia even has this advertisement about Family-like Care and I can say that Kia is really living up to their ad. People from the service centers are friendly, they are always willing to give tips, and they really establish rapport and good relationship with Kia owners.”

For De Lara, it was the European-inspired design and top-notch quality that got him hooked on Kia. Being the owner of a Kia Soul, Carens, Sportage, and Sorento since 2006, he said that it’s the “quality, ride, design, service from the dealers and the whole Kia experience” that made him buy Kia for his family and business needs. A motoring aficionado, De Lara revealed that he is very excited to see the Kia plant in Korea and get a behind-the-scenes peek at how Kia vehicles are made.

Of the three, Lapus can be considered the newbie having only acquired a Kia Picanto in 2012 but in three, short years, he already described the Kia experience to be “extremely satisfying.” He said, “I have never seen such quality in a car within that price range. It really feels like a high-end vehicle, very European actually, and it’s also very comfortable even on long road trips.”

CAC also treated this year’s Kia Advocates and their loved ones to a special send-off dinner at the Marriott Hotel in Resorts World Manila before leaving for their South Korean sojourn.
They were joined by CAC President, Ginia R. Domingo; CAC After-Sales Director Apollo R. Rosal; and other executives from the After-Sales division.

Domingo expressed her gratitude for the Advocates’ enduring support. She said, “We have had many successful runs of the Kia Advocates program for so many years now because of the public’s continuous support for the brand. Hence, CAC and Kia want to recognize and reward our customers’ loyalty and trust. Our public’s trust is priceless so this incentive trip to Korea is just our own little way of giving back.”