OREANDA-NEWS. December 31, 2015. Lincoln recently opened its sixth Lincoln Store in China’s affluent Jiangsu province – the Changzhou Mingdu Lincoln Store. The opening of the Lincoln store comes as the historic American luxury brand has received a warm reception in Jiangsu province and dealership partners’ enthusiasm in investing in the brand grows.

“Lincoln’s unique interpretation of luxury through The Lincoln Way meets the desires of Chinese customers,” said Robert Parker, president, Lincoln China. “With The Lincoln Way, we have made luxury more than a mere statement of net worth, but also a statement of individuality.”

The Lincoln Way, for a New Generation of Customers

The Lincoln Way is how Lincoln sells and services its vehicles, as well as how customers can experience the brand. It completely shifts luxury automotive ownership from a sales and service transaction model to an experience model.

Compared to other dealership facilities, which are often cold, impersonal and cavernous, a Lincoln dealership is built around the customer, using clean elegant designs, harmonious colors and quality materials. The overall effect is a warm, inviting environment that customers associate with the living room of a home or a five-star boutique hotel lobby.

In line with this customer-centric dealership environment is a transparent sales and service experience that aims to surprise and delight. Different from a traditional transaction-model dealership where the purchase experience is all about making the sale, the purchase experience at the Lincoln dealership is designed around building a relationship with the customer and understanding their needs. Attentive and intuitive staff gauge when to allow for self-exploration and when to provide assistance.

The key difference is Lincoln’s commitment to a “one size fits one” experience versus the “one size fits all” approach of other brands. At Lincoln dealerships, each customer has a dedicated team to ensure unique service, including personalized test drive route, transparent repair and maintenance through a live video feed, and a Personalization Studio where customers can configure and preview their dream Lincoln models and share them with friends.

This innovative experience has been brought online with The Virtual Lincoln Way. In the first phase “Explore,” customers can use China’s popular social media platform WeChat to experience a 360-degree virtual tour of a Lincoln Store. The second and most recently launch phase, “Shop” offers additional options to meet shoppers’ shopping needs including live video shopping and live chat functionality.

Expanding Product Portfolio Enhances Personalized Experiences

The Lincoln Way is focused on the dealership experience and providing outstanding service. It is also at the core of every Lincoln vehicle. Based on countless hours of testing and listening to customers, Lincoln vehicles are built to provide a uniquely personalized driver and passenger experience.

One of the latest proof points of The Lincoln Way is its full-size luxury SUV, the new Lincoln Navigator. A pioneer of the full-size SUV segment, the Navigator combines boldness and luxury with spacious room, exquisite interior and comfort, and leading in-car technologies. A 3.5-liter twin turbocharged EcoBoost engine and an array of intuitive technologies enables it to deliver great versatility.

Beyond the Navigator, Lincoln’s competitive product offerings include the Lincoln MKX, a medium-large premium utility vehicle; the Lincoln MKC, a medium-sized premium utility vehicle; and the Lincoln MKZ, a midsize premium sedan.

“Lincoln’s potent lineup of vehicles echoes the brand’s philosophy of The Lincoln Way and its heritage,” said Xu Jiawei, general manager, Changzhou Mingdu Lincoln Store. “Positioned in the most popular segments, Lincoln promises to bring an enjoyable journey to the local customers.”

Adding another nameplate to Lincoln’s lineup in China, the much-anticipated full-size sedan, the Lincoln Continental, will also launch before the end of 2016.