NEW YORK — Lincoln’s new president is working to provoke the posh model’s stalled revival by shrinking its seller community, refocusing its electrification technique and updating its merchandise to spark curiosity from new and returning clients.
“We have to get our mojo back,” Dianne Craig advised Automotive News final week on the New York auto present as Lincoln launched the redesigned Nautilus, a product she hopes will likely be key to that plan.
Lincoln executives spent a lot of the previous decade working to make the model related once more in an more and more crowded luxurious market. Their efforts succeeded to an extent — U.S. gross sales topped 112,000 automobiles in 2019, a 12-year excessive — then flatlined when the pandemic hit.
Craig, who succeeded Joy Falotico in December, now vows that Lincoln will develop once more.
“It’s really very straightforward — great products, great service,” she mentioned. “That will define the future of the brand.”
Many of Lincoln’s retailers, nevertheless, might not be a part of that future.
Although Craig referred to as the model’s seller community a “strategic advantage,” she mentioned it should get smaller. Lincoln had 637 sellers in the beginning of 2023, in accordance with Automotive News’ annual seller census.
“We have too many dealers,” Craig mentioned. “If we’re going to be a successful luxury brand, we need brand-exclusive facilities. Most of the dealers we have are still dualed. We love them as our Ford partner, but we need to focus on having that brand-exclusive experience.”
As of late final 12 months, Lincoln had about 145 standalone shops. It has been asking sellers within the high 120 markets to put money into new single-brand showrooms.
Craig declined to say what number of shops the model ought to have however urged it may very well be round 356, the variety of sellers who’ve signed up for Lincoln’s electrical automobile certification program.
“At the end of the day, all I know is we have too many,” she mentioned. “As we evolve to EVs with the dealers that signed up with our EV tenets, it’s probably in the right snap bracket to where we ultimately need to go, and we’ll work really closely with the dealers to get there.”
A Lincoln spokesperson mentioned the corporate will work with sellers individually to handle their differing wants “as this is not a one-size-fits-all approach.” Craig mentioned firm officers have been having discussions with “all of our dealers” about remaining with the model.
“I’ve had many conversations with dealers over the last four months, many that are my personal friends, that don’t want to give up the brand because they love the brand,” she mentioned. “But … if there’s not an industry there to serve, does it really make sense for them to go on this next evolution with the investments they’ll have to make for EV? Or just focus on Ford? We want to do the right thing for them as business partners.”
Source: www.autonews.com