Kia Ireland takes title sponsorship of Newstalk drivetime programme The Hard Shoulder

Kia Ireland has been named title sponsor of Newstalk's flagship drivetime programme The Hard Shoulder in a 12-month partnership brokered by Media Central and Havas Media, as reported by Business Plus, positioning the Irish automotive brand alongside one of the country's most listened-to evening radio programmes.

The weekday programme, hosted by Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman, attracts an audience of approximately 153,000 listeners during the evening commute, giving Kia Ireland consistent access to a large and engaged national audience throughout the sponsorship term.

The campaign incorporates a mix of on-air and digital activity, including weekly programme promotions, sponsor stings within the show, display advertising and promotional activity across the year.

Ross McDonnell, sponsorship director at Media Central, said the partnership was well matched to Kia Ireland's current commercial priorities. "The Hard Shoulder is one of Ireland's most listened-to and trusted radio programmes, making it an excellent platform for Kia Ireland to connect with audiences nationwide," he said. "It's a collaboration that will deliver real value for both brands, and we're excited to see it come to life on air over the next 12 months."

Kia Ireland managing director Ronan Flood said the sponsorship supported the brand's product launch activity at a particularly active period for the company. "As a brand, we are in the unique position of having launched six new vehicles in the past six months," he said. "Working with the team in Newstalk, they have provided us with a platform to promote these individual models to their listeners in one simple and easy to manage sponsorship package. We look forward to the year ahead which coincides with a very exciting time for the motor industry in Ireland."

Ed Privett-Collins, head of investment at Havas Media, said the deal was designed to place Kia alongside content reaching commuters at peak engagement hours. "Our aim was to align Kia with content that reaches an engaged audience during the evening commute," he said.

The sponsorship aligns Kia Ireland with trusted current affairs and talk radio content at a time when the brand is managing one of its most active product introduction cycles in the Irish market, with six new vehicle models launched in the six months preceding the deal.