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Lincoln putting perfume on its sales

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.

Is Lincoln MKC cutting into Cadillac SRX sales?

The two big American luxury brands of Cadillac and Lincoln are on surprisingly similar paths at the moment with both divisions hoping to redefine themselves and grow popularity. They're still early in the process with no clear winner yet, but things might actually be looking up for Lincoln's latest model, according to a monthly sales analysis from The Motley Fool. It seems, at least early on, that the new MKC crossover might be taking a bite out of the Cadillac SRX's growth.
The MKC launched just a few months ago and has been getting a big marketing push from a series of oft-mocked ads starring the smooth-talking Matthew McConaughey. The luxury CUV has been the popular, new kid on the block with growing sales since its introduction. While smaller than the SRX, the Lincoln starts at a lower price and offers better fuel economy.
Through June, the SRX performed well with sales up over 20 percent on average through June, according to The Motley Fool. However, July and August saw things plummet with year-over-year drops of 7 percent and 37 percent, respectively. It still far outsold the MKC in terms of actual units in a given month, but the Caddy's continued growth has appeared to stagnate.

2013 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost

A Bench-Warmer In Waiting
I hail from Cleveland, and that means I'm familiar with sports franchises that are always falling short of championships. The Indians, the Browns, the Cavs - they've all come close, but being a resident of C-Town means learning to appreciate the effort more than a reward that never seems to come. So I can appreciate the situation in which Lincoln finds itself today, one where the past is full of repeated attempts to be competitive, and looming on the future's horizon is the next hope on which everything hinges.
That next hope for Lincoln is not the car you see here, but rather the smaller, all-new 2013 MKZ sedan. Like LeBron James entering Gund Arena for the first time, the MKZ will enter dealerships this fall as the brand's chosen savior, markedly more stylish, advanced and desirable than anything offered by Lincoln in recent memory. And that would make this car, the 2013 Lincoln MKS EcoBoost, one of the other 20 guys whose names I can't remember who played alongside LeBron during his rookie season.