Lincoln putting perfume on its sales

Mon, 18 Aug 2014

Lincoln has a scent. But unlike those from Mustang, Lamborghini or even Shark by Tara, you can't buy it and you have to visit a Lincoln dealership to inhale its notes of jasmine hedione, mate tea leaves and tonka beans. Essence of Lincoln - that's what it's called - is being piped through the ventilation systems at some showrooms to help "create an emotional connection between the luxury brand and its customers," and olfactorily promote the idea of "luxury and warmth." Where it's not run through the ducts, visitors can sample it on scent cards.

Master perfumer Rene Morgenthaler worked with aroma house SensoryMax to design Essence of Lincoln. Also including traces of Earl Grey bergamot and green tea, whenever you encounter it you're meant to enjoy "a feeling of belonging to an exclusive, forward-thinking group that values style and success." And then buy an MKC. There's a press release below with details and an image to explain more, if you're still having a little trouble smelling the orange blossoms.

Lincoln Engages Customers with Original Showroom Scent 'Essence of Lincoln'

- Essence of Lincoln, The Lincoln Motor Company's original showroom scent, reinforces Lincoln brand identity of luxury and warmth
- Designed by aroma marketing leader SensoryMax with guidance from master perfumer Rene Morgenthaler, Essence of Lincoln recently earned 2014 Harold Vogt Scent Marketer of the Year award
- Scent cards available at Lincoln dealerships nationwide; some dealers disperse Essence of Lincoln through showroom ventilation system

The Lincoln Motor Company, hoping to create an emotional connection between the luxury brand and consumers, recently unveiled Essence of Lincoln, an original scent designed to create an upscale, relaxing showroom experience.

Visitors to select Lincoln dealerships across the country will experience Essence of Lincoln, an award-winning scent created by master perfumer Rene Morgenthaler for aroma marketing leader SensoryMax. Morgenthaler helped develop various successful scents, including Polo Extreme by Ralph Lauren, Sheer Obsession by Calvin Klein and Elizabeth Taylor's Passion for Men.

In Essence of Lincoln, Morgenthaler infused top notes of green tea (to encourage a sense of upscale well-being) with undertones of jasmine and tonka (to create a relaxing atmosphere). Together they form a fragrance that exudes luxury and warmth.

"Perfumers are memory makers," Morgenthaler said. "The sense of smell is very closely connected with a person's overall perceptions of an experience."

Because the sense of smell is so closely tied to memory, Essence of Lincoln reinforces Lincoln's brand identity when a consumer encounters it again.

"While every sense plays a part in forming a client's perception of an experience, scent has one of the strongest connections to not only memory, but emotion," said Dennis Carnevale, Lincoln experience training manager. "Essence of Lincoln is a subtle, yet powerful tool for our dealers to use to help clients make an emotional connection to their store and the Lincoln brand."

Essence of Lincoln is made available on scent cards at Lincoln showrooms nationwide. In others, the scent is dispersed through the facility's ventilation system. Pompano Lincoln in Pompano Beach, Florida, has been using Essence of Lincoln in its showroom's ventilation system for almost a year, and customer reaction has been very positive.

"We've gotten a lot of good feedback about it, both from customers and employees," said Tony Guerrera, general sales manager of Pompano Beach Lincoln. "It's a great scent. They really did an excellent job creating it."

By Jonathon Ramsey