The executive?s session, ?Lincoln Motor Company Harnesses Mobile to Attract New Buyers While Retaining Loyal Owners,? looked at how the brand is leveraging mobile and other tools of digital engagement to capture a new, younger audience while retaining their older, loyal customers. 

?When you take something like mobile technology, you?ve got to remember that whether you are 25, 50, 35, 75, most people in this country are going to have a smartphone,? said Trisha Habucke, digital marketing manager, with Dearborn, MI-based Ford. ?At least the people who are within our demographic. So we can use  that with the right design, with the right site, to reach both of those audiences.  

?I also feel wearables are important because any group would have a style and that can be turned into a smartwatch and that?s another way mobile technology can help reach diverse groups,? she said.

In an effort to launch a new era for the brand, in July, Lincoln unveiled an interactive, redesigned mobile Web site.

Created by the mobile teams at Ford agencies Team Detroit and Hudson Rouge, along with the Enterprise and Brand teams at Lincoln, the site aimed to engage both established and new customers while making navigation quick and efficient. 

It also pointed to an increased emphasis on designing automobile advertisements that would allow users to interact with the content. The brand?s core customers want to be influential and take on challenges and new experiences, Lincoln said. 

The redesign blended elegance with interactivity and a more personalized user experience.

Tapping or swiping upon a vehicle on the homepage took the user to an overlay and baseline information with options to build and price or dive deeper into vehicle content. An area at the end of the page highlighted Lincoln promotions and initiatives.  

A swipeable gallery at the top of the nameplate homepage allowed users to see the vehicle immediately. Baseline information was available at the top of the page. Space under the baseline information was provided for linking to specialized promotional content.

 

After years of selling mainly to North America and the Middle East, Lincoln, Ford?s luxury brand, will enter China by 2016. The brand still trails most of its competitors in the premium car sector. 

Two years ago, Lincoln married the old with the new in a mobilized retro ad for Newsweek. The ad was part of a Newsweek issue that celebrated the launch of AMC?s Mad Men?s fifth season by recreating the look of the magazine during the 60s but with all original content. 

Readers could use smartphones to scan the Lincoln ad to learn more about Lincoln.

Lincoln?s campaign around Mad Men also included a vignette featuring one of the show?s stars, John Slattery, and a 30-second spot for the then-new 2013 MKS. 

Other Lincoln programs on mobile in the past have included using mobile ads to push its end-of-year sale. The company ran an in-app mobile advertising campaign that let users watch videos and find nearby dealerships. The campaign also included Web and television spots. 

Lincoln?s plans including expanding the use of QR (Quick Response) codes on dealership lots.

QR codes have been found on Ford and Lincoln vehicle window stickers since the 2013 model year.

Scanning the QR code in the bottom right corner of the window sticker with a smartphone or mobile device with a QR reader app takes customers to a vehicle specific mobile website with information on the vehicle they scanned. This includes interior and exterior images, feature videos, pricing and dealership information.

The Web site will show any discount offers that may be available for that vehicle. Customers can also look for similar vehicles on the current dealer?s lot.

?Out of every 100 people who submitted a lead, 30 bought, Now compared that with Ford.com, where for every 100 people, 10 buy,? Ms. Habucke said. 

?So this is an incredibly important project for us. So next year going forward QR codes will now become our dealer WiFi project, and that?s all I can tell you about it,? she said.