After falling off the radar screen of many buyers and lacking a solid position in the market for several years, Lincoln Motor Company has recently repositioned itself with the objective of revitalizing the brand through a creative marketing communications plan . Part of this effort includes a new interactive social media campaign, "Steer the Script"
As noted by Bradford Wernle in a September 2012 Automotive News article, Lincoln is targeting the “cultural progressive magicians,” and “agile
visionaries,” which are 35-50 year olds with an average household income of
$150,00 and are “obsessively curious knowledge seekers who have a strong sense
of purpose in life and dream of making the world a better place” (para. 17).
"Steer the script" attempts to engage the audience with an interactive campaign that theoretically should attract Lincoln's target market given the description noted above. The company is seeking tweets from consumers which tell stories of their most interesting and entertaining road trips which are then crafted into a commercial.
I like the idea, and I see how the style of this campaign should attract the buyers Lincoln is seeking. It will be interesting to see if this campaign is a success.
References
Hi Kristin,
ReplyDeleteI like their idea also of having Lincoln owners tweet their stories of car rides and then using those stories in their campaigns. It makes the campaigns and the messaging much more engaging.
This concept reminds me of the Great Bacon Barter that we followed in one of our previous classes. The major difference was that Oscar Mayer's Great Bacon Barter was not linked to television commercials. In this way, Lincoln is utilizing their social media and their television campaign followings together to reach a broader audience.
The integrated messaging from social media to campaign messaging is very strategic and overall a really great idea.
Kristin,
DeleteI find it interesting that the premiss of the campaign is to use personal stories. I think this helps to connect to the consumer and really makes them feel like they are driving the brand. Lincoln is making them an important element and allowing them to feel valued. Like Amanda mentions above, this also reminds me of another topic we discussed in a previous course. For me it made me think of the P&G "Mom" campaign they put out around the time the Olympics were in full swing. Mostly because it references personal stories, but now that Amanda mentions it, it does make me think about the Bacon Barter as well.
Hi Laura,
DeleteI agree, it does connect with the customer. I am questioning if it connects with Lincoln's particular targeted customer. It very well may, and I look forward to seeing the results of this campaign.
While I am slightly skeptical, I do like the idea, and I also have a great amount of trust in Ford because I am truly impressed by how that brand has turned around. The vehicles are attractive-I would argue as attractive, if not more than most luxury brands today. Furthermore, they offer luxury components without the luxury price. I had the opportunity to hear Alan Mullaly speak a few years back at an NADA convention and I was so impressed.
Between he and Jim Farley, a former top Lexus executive who now leads the Lincoln brand, I have confidence that Lincoln Motor Cars has the support it needs to turn around.
The Huffington Post featured an article in which Mulally and Farley were interviewed at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2013.
Here is Farley's commentary in response to a question about the new ad campaign:
"AP: You just changed Lincoln's name to the Lincoln Motor Co. and began a new ad campaign. What impact are you seeing?
Farley: More important to me than how is it affecting demand for Lincoln vehicles is that more and more people are talking about Lincoln. We're getting more online discussion. A lot more people are saying, "Lincoln. What is that? Who are they? What are they doing?" That is good. That was very much part of the initiative of the Lincoln Motor Co. When I talk to Gucci and Burberry, brands that were very big in the `70s and then recommitted themselves, they all said the same thing to me: "Jim, make sure that you start a conversation around Lincoln." And that's part of our expectation for the Super Bowl" (Durban and Krisher, Jan. 13, 2013)
References
Durban, D. & Krisher, T. (January 13, 2013). "Lincoln Cars: Ford CEO Alan Mulally Talks New Luxury Models At Detroit Auto Show 2013." Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/13/lincoln-cars-detroit-auto-show-luxury_n_2468367.html.
I have been impressed with Ford within the past few years. Especially recently with their new Fusion. It's an attractive car and resembles more of a luxury brand. When I first saw it I did not even think it was a Ford! A lot of my close friends said that it was a car they would consider purchasing, even though they are not particularly fond of Ford. Most drive foreign cars. The design really seemed like a departure for Ford and I think they succeeded in luring in new consumers with the attractive features the Fusion offers.
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ReplyDeleteAmanda,
ReplyDeleteI am having a hard time envisioning the proposed targets as individuals who would embrace this type of opportunity to engage with Lincoln Motor Cars. I just feel as though the customer Lincoln has, a more sophisticated individual, is probably not likely to participate in this campaign. However, I could be very wrong, and I hope I am for Lincoln's sake because it needs to turn things around. Theoretically, as I mentioned above, the company has chosen an activity that should attract the profiled target they are going after. But again, I am interested to see if this is actually a success.
Kristin, you make an excellent point. Now that I think about it when Lincoln comes to mind I don't exactly think of young jet-setting individuals that are off on a road trip. When I think of Lincoln I think of my Grandma, or maybe my uncle. Maybe that is the image they are trying to change to revive the brand. I'm not sure. I wonder what kind of research they have done to determine that this is the best campaign angle for them. I would be interested to know who they are trying to target here and why. In my mind it would be a young professional, maybe between 25 and 35 who does a fair amount of traveling by car.
DeleteI am a proud owner of a car engine that was made by Lincoln Motors. I am satisfied on its speed and quality of their engine. If I will buy another engine, I will choose Lincoln Motors even it was a used engines. You may click here for more information about them.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that I have not seen or heard much from Lincoln for a while now. Good to see them try different types of social media campaigns out there to get the ball rolling again.
ReplyDeletesocial media for business