Reported by Pulsestacks on April 30th, Jia Mingdi has appeared at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show in his new role for nearly a month.
As the new president of Lincoln China, he affirmed Lincoln's brand proposition, elaborated on the planning and strategies for the new era, and addressed concerns from the public about Lincoln.
Lincoln's brand founder, Edsel Ford, once said, "Success does not require catering to everyone, but it must be deeply loved by those who cherish it."
Influenced by this perspective, Lincoln, in the midst of the fierce price wars in the Chinese auto market, appears somewhat unique.
Jia Mingdi emphasized that while Lincoln values sales volume, it does not simply pursue sales figures. Lincoln will focus on building and solidifying the brand, avoiding getting caught up in excessive competition.
More importantly, Lincoln seems to be brewing initiatives in product differentiation.
"Some new ideas will be implemented in the new products of 2026. To align with the brand essence of 'graceful composure,' in the future, there will be new planning for product naming and positioning, supported by branding through naming and colors.
Starting in 2023, the price war in the automotive market intensified, but Lincoln refused to join the price war.
Looking back at 2023, Lincoln and many luxury brands struggled, but the brand, dealers, and individual vehicles were profitable.
Jia Mingdi mentioned Lincoln's commitment to value marketing. According to him, this is long-termism, seeking healthy, sustainable, high-quality development.
He believes that for Lincoln, quality is more important than quantity, and value is more important than numbers. 'The high residual value of the Lincoln brand fully demonstrates the market's recognition of the brand.'"
American luxury is about giving users an additional choice. Unlike mainstream European luxury brands, Lincoln's American luxury is about luxury from the user's perspective.
Entering China, "Ford China's focus is relatively clear, with Ford Tough representing ruggedness, Changan Ford representing performance, and Lincoln representing elegance and composure for users."
This brand positioning makes "elegance and composure" the DNA of Lincoln.
At the product level, Lincoln's plans include the layout of new energy vehicles, with information set to be released within the year.
Jia Mingdi revealed that Lincoln's future focus will be on product design, product development, and product definition to support its positioning, allowing users to perceive elegance and composure.
For Lincoln, China is an important market that always requires deep cultivation.
Choosing not to engage in price wars means Lincoln must excel in other areas.
Jia Mingdi bluntly stated that Lincoln is facing a transformation in the retail sector. Regarding new retail, "it is necessary to integrate online and offline, integrate users to operate; also consider prioritizing experience and efficiency, either improving efficiency to save users' time, or providing the best experience to users in a period of time."
He also mentioned the "four focuses," focusing on brand positioning, product value, channel capabilities, and user operations.
The purpose of these methodologies is to make the brand more tangible. Specifically, in the future, Lincoln aims to support brand positioning with product planning and improvements, enhance elegant and poised experiences, and "create a sustainable legacy of luxury."
Currently, Lincoln's service brand, Lincoln Way, is undergoing continuous upgrades to enhance digital touchpoints. In the future, Lincoln will also focus on enhancing the owner experience by creating unique brand IPs and exclusive circle activities.
Jia Mingdi said that Lincoln's primary task is still to enhance its brand power.
"After the launch of hybrid electric vehicles, the pain points of users purchasing new energy vehicles have been addressed, and there must be opportunities."
He also mentioned, "But the reason for buying a Lincoln should be elegance and composure, and hybrid electric vehicles are to make up for Lincoln's shortcomings."
