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January 17, 2006
Product Naming: Lincoln Embraces Alphabetical Nomenclature
This fall, the beleaguered Lincoln car brand will discontinue their traditional car brand names in favor of alphabetical naming, following the lead of its closest American rival Cadillac, which slipped into an alphabetical naming convention close to a decade ago (much to the dismay of those of us who miss the Seville and the Coupe de Ville).
The change will be initiated by introducing the new Aviator, which has been renamed Lincoln MKX. Other car brands, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus have found that using an alphanumeric naming convention focuses the customer's attention on the brand and not the particular model, in other words, Lincoln doesn't want people driving Town Cars and Aviators anymore, they want them driving Lincolns.
For many car lovers, the demise of well-loved car brand names like Town Car and Navigator credits a nostalgic longing. But Lincoln is facing drooping sales precisely because the brand is seen as outdated. I think if you want to appeal to the entire spectrum of luxury car buyers, young and old, an alphabetical or alphanumeric nomenclature makes sense for Lincoln.
Technorati Tags: Lincoln, Lincoln Aviator, Lincoln MKX, Alphanumeric Nomenclature
Posted by William Lozito at January 17, 2006 9:57 AM
Posted to Automotive
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