But with the launch of the new Lincoln MKZ mid-sized sedan, the first of four new models, Lincoln isn't trying to match those luxury guys car-for-car. Instead it's aiming for a narrower audience it calls "cultural progressives" -- younger, independent thinkers who are open to new ideas, new brands and new products. Lincoln executives say this group makes up about 25 percent of luxury car buyers. They were the early adopters of the Audi brand in the U.S., for instance, or affluent Subaru or Scion owners ready to trade up but who don't see themselves in a Mercedes or Lexus.
“The time is now for Lincoln,” said Jim Farley, executive vice president of Global Marketing, Sales and Service and Lincoln. “The ‘Great Recession’ changed people and their view of luxury. Today, luxury consumers make decisions based on what appeals most to their passions and not what they believe will impress others."
The new MKZ, arriving in showrooms by the end of this month, will be the first of four new Lincoln vehicles in the next four years as part of a $1 billion investment to rejuvenate the brand.
Lincoln has all but disappeared from the automotive luxury landscape. It has sold about 75,000 vehicles so far this year, down 63 percent from the brand's peak in 1990. Lincoln took a back seat in the 1990s as Ford was preoccupied with building an entire portfolio of luxury brands, acquiring Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. After Ford chief executive Alan Mulally arrived, Ford divested those other luxury brands and made the decision to focus just on Ford and Lincoln. Ford has since been rejuvenated, Mulally said, and "now the time is right for Lincoln to stand on its own and move in the same direction."
The carmaker is even tweaking the brand name to give it a fresh start, while offering a tip of the hat to its heritage: it is now called The Lincoln Motor Company, a reminder that it was named in 1922 for former President Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln's marketing approach will be thoroughly modern, though. In its first-ever Super Bowl ad, Lincoln is teaming up with comedian Jimmy Fallon to create an unprecedented commercial written entirely by social media, with consumers participating through Twitter. Consumers will provide their best 140-character thoughts to a script, and Fallon will then curate the best contributions. Lincoln's advertising agency, Hudson Rouge, will then use them to create the ad to run during the broadcast of the big game.
Other TV spots weave together examples of what made Lincoln stand apart in the past with its current design innovation, using the MKZ as the face of the reinvented brand. In print, ads will aim to introduce the brand and its focus on individuality. Each ad features a group of people -- like redheads, for example -- who, at first glance, could easily be categorized, but who Lincoln recognizes as unique individuals in their own right. It's also redesigning the Lincoln website, Lincoln.com, and created a new app, Experience Lincoln, that will let users immerse themselves in the vehicle.
Because of its emphasis on individuality, Lincoln is also focusing on ways to make customers feel pampered through two new services. The first is The Lincoln Host and 24/7 Concierge Service, which provides a personal concierge to guide an interested client through the entire shopping process. The personal concierge stays with the client through ownership, creating a customized relationship. The second experience is Lincoln Date Night, which provides interested buyers the opportunity to spend a weekend with a new vehicle and take that special someone for a night on the town courtesy of the brand.
Through it all, Lincoln wants to remain authentic, said Matt Van Dyke, Lincoln's global head of marketing, sales and service. "Our customer has a strong BS meter," he told me in an interview. "No one’s sitting around today waiting for the next advertising from Lincoln. People want honest and different communication."
He also knows this is just the beginning of what will likely be a long journey. "We don't want to overdrive the headlights. We're very realistic about where we stand in the U.S. We're not on the radar screen of U.S. luxury buyers." Being on the Super Bowl will likely change that.
But as always, real success in the auto industry comes from the cars themselves. The new Lincoln MKZ has some features that set it apart from the competition, including a fully retractable glass roof, a push-button transmission on the dashboard and something it calls Lincoln Drive Control, a continuously controlled ride-damping feature for a more balanced ride. Powertrains include a 2.0-liter four-cylinder Ecoboost, a 3.7-liter V6 and a 45 mpg hybrid. Prices start at $36,800.
