The first battle in China's auto market is pushing the industry reform to the deep water area.
The market share of fuel vehicles is shrinking, consumer demand is still sluggish, and the increasingly fierce war has made car companies more and more powerless. Many people are confused about what to hold on to and what to give up. Some car companies raised their arms and shouted that the war should not continue, and should return to value competition. However, the performance of the market seems to indicate that the values that traditional car companies adhere to are failing.
Are traditional values ineffective?How should the value war be fought?At least in Lincoln's view, there is a unique insight.
This century-old brand from the United States has been in the Chinese market for nearly ten years and has gained 500,000 Chinese car owners. What value means to brands, car companies and users, and what to adhere to, perhaps no one knows better than Lincoln. When everyone was still thinking about how to fight the value war, Lincoln had already handed over the answer to this ** dispute.
Sticking to brand value is equal to keeping profits
For many Chinese companies, the pursuit of reasonable profits seems to be a difficult thing to talk about, because it can easily be misunderstood by users as unkind and unconscionable. Especially in the ** war, profit is naturally the enemy of **. But Lincoln understood this differently.
Enterprises must be profitable in order to develop, and channels must be profitable in order to have combat effectiveness, and then in order to get more users, which is the basis for supporting brand value. And with a stable brand value, users will be more willing to accept the brand. This is a virtuous circle of enterprise development. Endlessly trapped in the first war can not extricate themselves, the loss is the normal profits of enterprises and dealers, let users hesitate to wait and see, and even make the value of the product precarious, and finally lose the market share, hurt the value of the brand and the interests of users.
In 2023, when mainstream luxury brands begin to try to promote new energy and exchange fuel vehicles for price, they have fallen into the trap of the first war. This year, the market share of major mainstream luxury brands has declined, and dealers are suffering from inventory pressure and financial losses. Lincoln's terminals, on the other hand, have always maintained a stable discount rate, and the depth of inventory ranks second in the luxury brand segment. This shows that Lincoln neither participated in the first war, nor did it press the dealers to maintain the profitability of the dealers.
As of September this year, Lincoln is the only mainstream luxury brand with a positive rebate gross margin, which means that every car Lincoln currently sells is profitable. Sixty-five percent of Lincoln dealers are profitable, and dealer return on sales (ROS) is well above the industry average.
The stability of the terminal has been exchanged for Lincoln's stable market share and the leading value retention rate of various models. According to the data, Lincoln's market share in the luxury car market this year is 19%, down only 04 percentage points. The Lincoln brand's first-year and three-year retention rates are better than those of major second-tier luxury brands. Keep profits, stabilize channels, lead and maintain value, and promote the healthy development of the brand, Lincoln has done it!
Adhere to the value of the product is equal to the standard American luxury of the whole series
Lincoln's American luxury is a multifaceted expression of generosity, taste, and experience. "The sense of ritual brought from the details makes every car life full of happiness. "Lincoln's luxury is a sense of confidence and calmness. ”
This is the understanding and interpretation of Lincoln American luxury by Lincoln owners. It is not difficult to see that the so-called American luxury is not simply a simple pile of various fancy configurations, but not only to be the only one in the same class.
First, the standard configuration of the whole system, but also to make these configurations more enough to bring users a more valuable car experience, this value is not only the use value, but also the emotional value. Even if the terminal maintains a certain discount, Lincoln still adheres to the concept of this product value.
In terms of the "domestic three musketeers" that we are familiar with, the Lincoln Adventurer is equipped with the strongest 20T+8AT power combination, maximum 27-inch panoramic screen, the only 24-way power-adjustable seat in the same class, the class-leading AAR fresh air butler system, plus nearly 100 other luxury standard configurations, 30+ leapfrog configurations, so that the luxury atmosphere of the vehicle has been greatly improved.
The Lincoln Navigator not only has the largest body size and interior space performance in its class, but also has 24 front electrically adjustable seats, seat cushion massage function, left and right independently adjustable leg rests, and double 23The 6-inch wrap-around ultra-high-definition screen is a unique luxury configuration in the same class. For example, the Voyager vehicle is designed according to the US-NCAP and C-NCAP safety standards, which can be said to be the most stringent in the world and the safest body in its class.
As the first domestic large-scale luxury SUV in China, the Lincoln Aviator is the only one in the same class that is equipped with 3The power combination of 0TV6+10AT can output 355 horsepower and 553 Nm of maximum torque, and with the only CCD adaptive suspension system in the same class, it can be said that it is completely full in performance. Inside, the car is also equipped with top-quality natural semi-aniline high-grade leather seats as standard, and can achieve 30-way electric adjustment. And the threshold to have it all is just 50080,000 yuan.
Lincoln Navigator has just launched the black and gold version in September this year, as the largest SUV model in the same class, the Lincoln Navigator black and gold version provides personalized double body color and unique logo design, with the largest interior space in the same class and the interior materials that can be called the local tyrant level, creating an atmosphere of "American luxury living room". 3.A 5-litre V6 twin-turbo engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, CCD adaptive suspension, aluminum bodywork, and a Co-Pilot 360TM 20 intelligent driving assistance system, it can be said that everything that can be given at this level has been given, and ** has also taken the initiative to adjust.
Lincoln's product value logic is to benchmark the core selling point of competitors in the same level, and at the same time supplement more unique or unique configurations of its own level to form its own unique advantages. For example, in terms of safety, Lincoln can benchmark against Volvo, and even have a higher safety score than Volvo in the United StatesIn terms of hybrid technology, Lincoln can benchmark Lexus, not only surpassing it in terms of power output, but also richer than Lexus in terms of configurationIn terms of model class, the Lincoln Navigator, the pioneer of luxury full-size SUVs, has the largest size in its class and is equipped with 3 as standard in all modelsThe 5T V6 power and many flagship luxury configurations far exceed competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and the price is lower.
The unique product configuration brings users not only a unique experience, but also a unique emotional value. This value is unique to the Lincoln brand and must be upheld.
Adhering to the value of service is equivalent to continuing to deepen the concept of "Lincoln Way".
Service is the foundation of Lincoln's presence in the Chinese market, and it has become a benchmark in the industry.
Looking back, when Lincoln entered the Chinese market in 2014, the luxury car market at that time was already full of mountains and clear patterns. Lincoln put forward the concept of "Lincoln's Way", from the space design of the terminal store, to the pre-sales and after-sales service specifications, to a variety of innovative social interactions and user activities, to tailor an advanced and luxurious service experience for users before they think. This was unique among luxury brands at the time. It is no exaggeration to say that it was the success of the Lincoln Way that allowed Lincoln to finally gain a firm foothold in the Chinese market.
From the Lincoln Way to the Lincoln Way 20, and then to "luxury has its own way", Lincoln's service concept is still constantly evolving and evolving.
Walking into Lincoln's Experience Center, the first theme is not to see the car, but to experience the American style in an all-round way. Pass the introductory wall of water, browse the history of the Lincoln brand in warm lighting, and enjoy a cup of pure Americano. Two-thirds of the space is reserved for users, with a gathering area, a nail art area, an office area, a massage and relaxation area, and a children's rest area, ......There's something for everyone. In the model display area designed after Hollywood's "Walk of Fame", users can also control the steering of the car platform through the digital stand, and enjoy the new car in an all-round way.
At more than 100 Lincoln Experience centers across the country, 2,500 events called "Lincoln Moments" have been staged, which is an exclusive experience customized for car owners. Stories and moments that are moving, exciting, happy, or warm are played out at Lincoln Center every day. After-sales door-to-door pick-up without kilometer restrictions, unlimited pick-up and delivery services in the same city within one year, and scooter service ...... enjoyed simultaneously when the vehicle is sent for repairAll make users feel respected and valued.
The Lincoln Way is a luxury value experience for the whole journey, from buying a car to using a car.
Conclusion:
There is nothing mysterious or new about the values that Lincoln adheres to in terms of brands, products and services, and it is still the most traditional values. In such a fierce market competition, many car companies are often involuntarily lost in the first battle, and there are only a few who can really recognize the direction and stick to their own path without being deceived, and Lincoln is one of them. As Ms. Zhu Meijun, President of Lincoln China, said when talking about value marketing, "Achieving sales targets is not the only criterion for measuring the success of a brand, and Lincoln always insists on doing the right thing in the face of sales challenges." We firmly practice value marketing, which is not only the protection of brands and dealers, but also the protection of the interests of users, which is Lincoln's solemn commitment to Chinese users, and it is also the most worthwhile thing to do!Lincoln also proved the correctness of the value marketing strategy with practical actions. In the next decade, in the Chinese luxury car market, I believe that Lincoln will still be the unique model of American luxury value.
Text: Youshi Automobile, Old Cannon).
Note: The picture comes from the Internet, the rights belong to the original author, and thank you!This article only represents the author's personal views and does not represent the position of Youshi Auto.