Case Study

SpeedKore Brand Building

Kahn Media was selected as the agency of record for SpeedKore Performance Group in 2019. That same year, SpeedKore planned to launch its first full carbon fiber 1970 Dodge Charger it called “Evolution.” SpeedKore hired Kahn Media to elevate its brand image, recognition, and reputation as the leading innovator in bespoke automotive carbon fiber manufacturing through a coordinated social media marketing, content creation and public relations strategy.

Client
SpeedKore Performance Group
Type of Work
Public Relations
Social Media Management
Creative Services
Dates
2019-Present
01 / The Project

Establish
Brand Authority

SpeedKore tasked Kahn Media with establishing them as an authority on carbon fiber within the automotive aftermarket space. SpeedKore was a relatively new custom car builder and parts supplier, so Kahn Media needed to highlight not just its products and vehicles, but their aesthetic appeal and unique construction methodology to create a strong brand image, voice and ethos. This was not only important when creating content for the brand’s social media channels, but also in the public and media relations outreach to promote its new vehicle builds and push component part sales.

02 / The Tactic

SpeedKore produces exceptional cars and an intrinsically interesting product, meaning the method of elevating the brand would not just be positive coverage in automotive media outlets, but also placing stories that delved into the quality, technology, and individuality of the company. This goal from the public relations campaign was also mirrored on SpeedKore’s social media channels, a direct pathway to fans of the brand and potential customers.

With the launch of SpeedKore’s “Evolution” 1970 Dodge Charger in late 2019, Kahn Media used a two-pronged approach to generate positive coverage. The first method was traditional public relations outreach, making use of our established connections and relationships with journalists and high-profile media outlets. The second method was a focus on new media, lining up features on the car and interviews with SpeedKore representatives with popular digital media outlets, with particular attention paid to influential podcasts and YouTube channels. We secured coverage with major decision-makers like Jay Leno’s Garage, Hoonigan, Donut Media, and the Smoking Tire. Each opportunity allowed for SpeedKore to garner more mainstream awareness of “Evolution,” guiding the narrative and offering unique insights not always imparted by a press release alone. With subsequent debuts, this methodology continued to prove successful and was further improved with additional social media efforts.

Kahn Media worked to refine the way SpeedKore connects with fans and potential customers online, curating a unique and unmistakable aesthetic for the brand’s channels that were guided by weekly and monthly social media themes and motifs. A large component of this strategy was a move toward multi-photo posts, short form video, behind-the-scenes content and vehicle build infographics which helped increase audience interaction by giving them engaging and unique content they couldn’t get anywhere else.

Central to each component of our strategy was impactful photography presented in a way that not only encouraged users to spend time on each post, but in a way that worked with the algorithms of Instagram and Facebook to make the most of each site’s unique features. Posts for Instagram’s photo carousel, for example, were optimized with photos and graphics spread across multiple panels, prompting users to swipe through the post, increasing the likelihood of engagement. Moreover, this helped posts be seen as relevant and engaging by the platform’s algorithm, increasing both post and account reach.

Video posts also became an important component of our social strategy following the release of Instagram Reels, where Kahn Media helped SpeedKore become an early adopter of the feature. The promptness with which SpeedKore began posting on Reels garnered fantastic results, securing an impressive 645,000 views on an early video — near six times the account followers at the time — and a 4% increase in followers.

The prior two tactics both played a role in the development of infographics and their video counterpart, short informational videos we call “buzz videos.” To further enhance the aesthetic and effectiveness of SpeedKore’s social media channels, Kahn Media created infographics that highlighted the unique attributes and methodologies of SpeedKore in its custom vehicle builds. These graphics and videos move copy from the caption into the post, increasing their visibility while making the content incredibly easy to consume. These posts have become some of SpeedKore’s best performing.

Following the release of SpeedKore’s latest Charger build, “Hellraiser,” Kahn Media once again dovetailed traditional public relations tactics with a focus on “new media,” using the social accounts of established media outlets to drive users to SpeedKore’s own page. Kahn Media provided social media-specific imagery along with suggested hashtags when pitching “Hellraiser” to editors and, specifically, social media managers. The result was not only coverage in traditional outlets like Robb Report and Fox News, but also posts on the social pages of Hot Rod Magazine, Motor Trend, Motor1, and even HypeBeast (which has over 9.7 million followers).

Refine Consumer
Connection

Connect

Utilize our establish
network of media

Convey

Produce branded content
distributed via social media

Establish

Create and elevate
brand authority
03 / The Results

Focused Social
Media Growth

With Kahn Media leading strategy, conducting public relations outreach that was focused on driving social growth, and developing engaging original social media content for the brand’s channels, SpeedKore’s social media has grown substantially. During 2020, the SpeedKore Instagram channel grew by almost 30% when looking at followers, with the most impressive growth being with reach and impressions. Since May 2020, SpeedKore has seen a 37% increase in reach and a staggering 65% increase in average monthly impressions. This growth is the result of consistent, high-quality posts that all work toward building a strong brand identity with an equally strong community of enthusiast fans.

About the client:

SpeedKore™ Performance Group is an American performance company where engineers and artisans combine traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. The SpeedKore high-performance vehicles are engineered and built as limited editions or one-off custom builds. SpeedKore is known for its use of pre-impregnated carbon on classic and late-model vehicle builds and a wide variety of aftermarket body panels, parts and accessories. SpeedKore’s 1970 Dodge Charger, “Evolution,” received one of five Goodguys Gold Awards in 2018 at the world’s largest aftermarket automotive trade show, the SEMA Show. SpeedKore’s carbon-fiber 2017 Ford Mustang GT Fastback and 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 were awarded the prestigious “Best in Show” design award from Ford Motor Company at the 2017 SEMA Show.

Ready to rev your brand engine?

Get in touch with our team. Shoot us an email at info@kahnmedia.com or give us a call 818.881.5246.