ANKUR SURI ELEVATED TO GM–ADVERTISING & EXPERIENTIAL AT HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY

Hyundai Motor Company elevates Ankur Suri to General Manager – Advertising & Experiential, tasking him with leading brand lifecycle management, positioning, creative storytelling, and immersive activations. The move signals Hyundai’s sharpened focus on integrated campaigns and deeper consumer engagement across touchpoints in an increasingly experience-driven automotive market.

In a move that underscores the rising importance of brand storytelling and experiential engagement in the automotive industry, Hyundai Motor Company has elevated Ankur Suri to the role of General Manager – Advertising & Experiential. The appointment places Suri at the helm of the company’s brand lifecycle management, positioning strategy, and immersive consumer experiences, reinforcing Hyundai’s intent to build deeper, more meaningful connections with its audiences across platforms and touchpoints.

As automotive brands navigate an increasingly competitive and experience-led marketplace, the role of advertising has evolved beyond traditional campaigns into a complex orchestration of narrative, design, technology, and consumer journeys. Suri’s expanded mandate reflects this shift. His responsibilities will span the entire arc of brand communication—from defining how Hyundai positions itself in consumers’ minds to how those ideas are translated into creative storytelling and brought to life through experiential activations that engage audiences in tangible, memorable ways.

Hyundai’s brand presence in India and globally has steadily matured over the years, moving from a value-driven proposition to one that emphasises innovation, aspiration, and lifestyle relevance. This evolution requires a nuanced approach to communication, where consistency across the brand lifecycle is as important as the freshness of each campaign. By placing lifecycle management and experiential marketing under a unified leadership structure, the company signals its belief that storytelling and experience are no longer separate streams but interdependent levers of brand growth.

For Suri, this elevation represents both continuity and expansion. Having been closely involved with the brand’s advertising ecosystem, he steps into a role that demands a more integrated vision—one that bridges strategy and execution across mediums. In practical terms, this means ensuring that every consumer touchpoint, whether it is a television commercial, a digital film, a dealership activation, a product launch event, or a social media interaction, speaks the same brand language and reinforces Hyundai’s evolving narrative.

The automotive category is uniquely dependent on experiential engagement. Unlike many consumer goods, vehicles are high-involvement purchases where consumers seek reassurance through multiple interactions before making a decision. Test drives, showroom experiences, auto expos, on-ground events, and digital simulations all play a role in shaping perception. Suri’s role will be to ensure that these interactions are not merely functional but emotionally resonant, turning routine brand encounters into memorable brand moments.

This approach also aligns with broader industry shifts where consumers expect brands to be immersive and participative rather than distant and transactional. Experiential marketing, once considered an add-on, is now central to how brands build recall and affinity. For Hyundai, known for its consistent emphasis on design, technology, and innovation, experiential activations offer an opportunity to let consumers ‘live’ the brand rather than just ‘see’ it.

Creative storytelling remains at the heart of this mandate. Hyundai’s campaigns have often blended emotion with innovation, portraying its vehicles as companions in life’s journeys rather than mere machines. Under Suri’s stewardship, this storytelling is likely to become even more integrated across formats, ensuring that narratives flow seamlessly from mass media to digital platforms to physical experiences. The challenge lies in maintaining coherence while adapting stories to suit different audience contexts and platforms.

Another critical aspect of Suri’s portfolio will be brand positioning in a market where competition is intense and differentiation is subtle. With multiple players vying for consumer attention, the ability to articulate a clear, compelling brand promise becomes vital. Positioning is no longer a static statement but an evolving dialogue shaped by consumer expectations, cultural trends, and technological advancements. Suri’s role will involve continuously refining this positioning and ensuring it is reflected consistently across campaigns.

The elevation also highlights Hyundai’s recognition of the growing overlap between advertising and experience design. As consumers move fluidly between digital and physical environments, brands must mirror this fluidity in their communication. Integrated campaigns that combine digital storytelling with on-ground activations and retail experiences are now essential. Suri’s mandate explicitly calls for driving such integrated efforts, bringing coherence to what could otherwise become fragmented initiatives.

Internally, this role requires close collaboration across departments—marketing, sales, product, and retail operations—to ensure that brand messaging aligns with business objectives and customer realities. Externally, it demands strong partnerships with creative agencies, experiential partners, and technology collaborators who can translate strategy into impactful execution. The effectiveness of this ecosystem will significantly influence how Hyundai’s brand is perceived in the coming years.

Suri’s elevation comes at a time when automotive brands are reimagining how they communicate in an era defined by digital transformation and heightened consumer expectations. The modern car buyer is informed, discerning, and influenced by a multitude of content sources. Cutting through this noise requires not just louder advertising but smarter, more engaging experiences that invite participation and emotional connection.

By entrusting Suri with this expanded role, Hyundai signals confidence in his ability to shape the brand’s narrative across its lifecycle while ensuring that each campaign is rooted in experiential richness. It is a role that blends strategy with creativity, and vision with execution—reflecting the new realities of brand-building in the automotive world.

As Hyundai continues to strengthen its foothold and redefine its brand presence, the integration of advertising and experiential marketing under unified leadership could prove pivotal. For consumers, this may translate into richer brand interactions. For the company, it represents a strategic step toward making every encounter with Hyundai not just informative, but unforgettable.