New Integrated Creative Agency Named by Kawasaki's Engines Division

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Oct. 17, 2018)---The Engines Division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. announced the retention of a new integrated creative agency to partner with the company as it continues to broaden its impact in the general purpose engine market. HZ, a strategically led, digitally driven agency headquartered in Rockville, Md., with offices in Baltimore, New York City, and Washington, D.C., will support the company’s efforts in branding, marketing, content creation and digital expansion. HZ’s wide-ranging offerings include a full spectrum of multichannel digital design and development, mobile activation, social media, brand and identity creation, content and video production, search marketing, data and analytics, as well as integrated media solutions. The agency’s client base includes consumer, hospitality, food & beverage, education, B2B, real estate, sports & entertainment, healthcare, and technology industries. Volkswagen, Salesforce.org, and Tishman Speyer’s Rockefeller Center are among its top clients.

According to Karen Howard, Kawasaki’s director, dealer sales support and marketing, “This new relationship will provide Kawasaki a broad window of opportunities for taking our brand marketing and integrated advertising activities to the next level. HZ has a proven record of success, including with clients having similar needs to ours.”

One of the firm’s current clients is Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), the leading association of equipment, engine, and UTV manufacturers and suppliers. Howard said the agency’s involvement with OPEI provides HZ with a well-rounded understanding of the potential for growth in the near future.

“Among the key elements of the agency’s portfolio moving forward will be helping to assure continuity of brand, OEM, and dealer messaging so that the focus of Kawasaki’s outreach is both finely honed and distribution channel oriented,” said Tiffany Young, Kawasaki’s marketing manager, who will supervise ongoing contact with the agency.

Kawasaki’s approach to enhancing its digital footprint played a key role in the agency’s selection, according to Young. She said the company recognizes the importance of creating linkage between all of its outreach programs and sees the extensive experience from HZ in that area as being supportive of growth plans. “Kawasaki is the epitome of a brand that understands the importance of staying true to its core values in order to bring the best possible product and service to the market,” said Katie Hooper, chief strategy officer at HZ. “Long known as a brand that obsesses over quality, we look forward to bringing their remarkable story to life in new and innovative ways,” said Ron Thompson, vp, executive creative director. He added, “We’re looking forward to elevating this story across digital and traditional platforms to their customer base and also their consumers, the end users of these precision engines.”

Kawasaki Engines:
Kawasaki Engines, a division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., distributes gasoline engines for landscape, industrial, and consumer markets. The division is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. It sells to and services customers through a network of more than 40 OEMs, 15
distributors, and more than 7,500 independent dealers throughout the United States, Canada,Australia, select countries in Central and South America, and the U.S. Trust Territories of thePacific, including Guam.
HZ:
HZ is a fully integrated creative agency specializing in branding, marketing, content, and digital. Known or employing a wide range of award-winning online and offline directives, HZ’s capabilities live at the intersection of design, storytelling, and technology. Led by founder and chief creative officer Karen Zuckerman, HZ employs a staff of nearly 200 creatives, strategists, and
specialists working in DC Metro, New York City, and Baltimore.