Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai are the finalists for the 2nd annual Nielsen Automotive Green Marketer of the Year award. The award recognizes the brand that made the greatest strides in gaining consumer awareness and positively shifting consumer perceptions for the automotive industry’s environmentally friendly initiatives.

Nielsen went “under the hood” in China, the world’s leading automotive market, to survey and to better understand what Chinese consumers want when shopping for a new car.

For the second year in a row, Kia’s hip hamsters helped the automaker roll home with The Nielsen Company’s 5th Annual Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year award.

China’s economic growth has led to massive expansion across all consumer categories as its citizens become more affluent, and, in many cases, have discretionary income for the first time. But one sector stands out for growth even in China: automobile sales.

The award recognizes the brand that made the greatest strides in gaining consumer awareness and positively shifting consumer perceptions for the automotive industry’s environmentally friendly initiatives.

Marketing around “green” vehicles continues to be an important factor in driving sales for the auto category. In a recent study of more than 1,700 U.S. consumers and their electric vehicle purchase consideration, Nielsen saw that seven out of 10 U.S. consumers would consider purchasing an electric vehicle, and 63 percent would consider them for their positive environmental impact.

A majority of U.S. and U.K. consumers would consider purchasing an electric vehicle, but many consumers are suffering from sticker shock when they discover the price of driving a “green” car.

Since the start of the Russian free market more than 20 years ago, car owners have been changing over their cars with greater frequency.

With economic concerns still top of mind, Chinese consumers opt for ‘quality of life’ and ‘ease of transport’ when purchasing a new car, but still want a stylish and sporty design. Now is the time to increase incentives on alternative energy vehicles—consumers are ready for the switch.

Kia Motors was the big winner at the 2010 Nielsen Automotive Advertising Awards, earning the title of Most Effective Automotive Ad of the Year.