ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Automotive, a leading provider of products and services that span the automotive ecosystem worldwide, has named Zambezi as its lead creative agency for the company's leading consumer brands of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. Zambezi will work with both companies to help strategically transform the way the Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book brands collectively approach marketing and communications for consumers.

"With Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book being two of the biggest brands in automotive advertising, it is our responsibility to lead the industry with transformational marketing that deeply engages consumers in their car shopping journeys while offering our clients new ways to connect with those consumers," said Jessica Stafford, vice president of consumer marketing and creative studios at Cox Automotive. "We are striving to be more nimble, flexible, contextual and data-driven in our marketing, and we were looking for a partner that could bring fresh thinking to our brands. We found our perfect match in Zambezi, and we're looking forward to doing some really cool things this year."

Zambezi is an award-winning, independent agency that exists to help brands earn a role in consumers' lives. It is driven by the belief that creativity is and will always be the most powerful storyteller.

Together, Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book garner more consumer recognition, more shoppers and deliver more advertiser value than any other third-party automotive site. More than 65 percent of all car shoppers visit Autotrader.com or KBB.com during the car shopping process.

Grabbing consumers' attention and keeping the brands moving forward through unique, contextual experiences are hallmarks of the charge for Zambezi. Through the selection process, the agency demonstrated a deep understanding of Cox Automotive's business needs and the complementary roles Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book play in the car shopping experience.

Autotrader will collaborate with Zambezi to reignite the love, the thrill and the excitement of car shopping and selling. Autotrader has one of the largest aggregations of actual cars for sale in the United States, with a multitude of tools and search features that enable consumers to customize their experience toward finding their perfect car match.

Kelley Blue Book is the most trusted automotive brand in the United States and is known for pricing expertise, expert reviews, vehicle recommendations and information that fuels definitively smart auto choices throughout the car shopping process. With Zambezi, Kelley Blue Book is focused on furthering its position as The Trusted Resource^®, providing rich insider insight and guidance to empower shoppers to choose the perfect car at the right price.

"The rarest thing in business is a category leader who thinks and acts like a challenger. That makes Cox Automotive a dream partner for us. There's tremendous energy around the brands right now. And we are going to communicate them in human, inspiring ways - driving to integrated experiences, online and offline. Car shoppers will find everything they need to get matched with their perfect car, and they'll do it in fresh, engaging ways," said Chris Raih, Founder and CEO of Zambezi.

Cox Automotive's agency selection followed a competitive review that included a short list of creative agencies. Zambezi delivered an innate understanding of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, and a strong aptitude for creatively leading the brands through their respective evolutions.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive, Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Manheim^®, Autotrader^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Dealertrack^®, vAuto^®, Xtime^®, NextGear Capital^® and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of more than $17 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

About Zambezi

Zambezi, LLC is an independent, modern communications company helping brands earn a place in consumers' lives. Founded in 2006, Zambezi is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. The agency works with Fortune 500 brands including The TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Footlocker Inc., The Honest Company, and Cox Automotive. To learn more about Zambezi, visit www.zambezi-la.com.

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SOURCE Cox Automotive