Jaguar's new brand identity is so outrageous, it might even work

Jaguar's new brand identity is so outrageous, it might even work

If you are into branding, into cars, automotive history and industry, into business or into them all - you cannot possibly have missed Jaguar's recent launch of their new identity, "Copy Nothing".

In the wave of all the quick-reaction posts on this rebranding, I have taken the time to analyse it. Dive deep into it. Understand it.

And that is why I make the case for why it might be the success Jaguar so desperately needs.

For starters: This rebranding goes against every single theory and strategy I have ever been taught on my master's in brand management: It disassociates with its heritage, dismantles its reputation, distances itself from its core audience, and apparently ruins decades worth of brand equity. Even its brand core - the very central identity of Jaguar, is completely forgotten and rewritten. It caused outrage.

Some would say that the old cat has returned to its cave to die. And initially, I would most definitely agree.


According to Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari, the Jaguar E-Type was the most beautiful car ever made. The words are old by now - but still stand strong as ever within the car enthusiast community. (Picture: Jaguar Danmark)

The previous brand core of Jaguar was characterised as a sophisticated and aristocratic british automobiles for the affluent Ladies and Gentlemen. Rich in racing pedigree and a staple brand of the british country roads. The brand occupied a unique position in the market - in that there were no 'direct' competitors. They were in the upper-market luxury segment, competing with the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi - who also offers luxury sedans, coupé's and SUV's. But Jaguar was something for themselves - with a secret sauce smuthered in old-fashioned abandonment of practicality and rationality. What the brand did was to peak the senses with its looks, sounds and feelings – even with a leaping cat on the bonnet, to manifest it's strength and agility. This is what people feel they are now abandoning, disrespecting and carelessly blowing up with the new identity.

So they built nice luxury cars. Why was there a need to rebrand, then?

Jaguar were, in many instances, destined to die. Their brand was not fit for the future, sales have been rapidly declining, and they have lost their ground. But how can that be, that a staple british luxury brand is that close to its demise?

Jaguar has been on a steady decline since the early 10's, where they stopped producing their 'old-fashioned' sedans and coupe's. Models like the XJ and XK were quintessentially British: Affluent, opulent and classic, and for the few. Big engines, low-technology, mature and conservative. A prioritisation. They looked expensive - and they were. A Jaguar was a status symbol of generational wealth. Did their sales stall because they stopped producing these cars? That's not necessarily the reason. They had to go - the world could not sustain any more heavy V8 sedans.

The Jaguar XJ - The epitome of British automotive class - here, driven by Bond-villain Mr. White in the 2006 movie 'Casino Royale' (Picture: James Bond Fandom)

In the 2010's, about in the time after they were acquired by Tata Motors, things started going really south for the british carmaker, who had also started struggling already in the late-years of the Ford ownership. To put it simply: They couldn't keep up with the Germans, in spite of numerous attempts. They started to only live off their loyal 'fanbase' - which is no place for growth. To capture more market shares, they slowly and steadily deviated from their brand core to compete with mainstream brands, while cutting cost. The result: Low quality cars, generic designs, boring technology with a bad mechanical reputation, priced higher than the alternatives. They stuck with their internal brand perception and identity of being an up-market brand for the aficionados and the countrymen, without manifesting it in their product. To put it in plain language: A majority of their cars became absolutely redundant in the market. And they have been ever since.


The electrified 2019 Jaguar I-Pace (Picture: Netcarshow.com)

 It's tough, I know. Jaguar, as a brand, is currently redundant. 

That, my friends, is a loosing recipe. Deviating from the brand core have been the death sentence for many brands over the years. For example, when Burberry went into streetwear and became strongly associated with the Chav-subculture - which required a very focused effort to undo.

Similarly, Jaguar have become a no-one's brand. Those who associated strongly with it in the past, have abandoned it - and they are not attracting a new audience to their bland German-look-alikes. Because there is no identity to associate yourself with. The identity-enhancing effect of  "Oh, you drive a Jaguar?", has vanished. Something must be done.

In my perspective, Jaguar were therefore faced with a choice to either do a:

  1. Heritage-niche-driven brand repositioning: Become the next Morgan or Caterham: Return to the old formula, build on the heritage core, drastically reduce the production output and center around old fashioned driving experiences for the select few, catering solely towards enthusiasts. This would come with the cost of being a low-sales numbers brand, which, in most cases, are seriously unprofitable in the automotive industry.
  2. Hyper-luxury brand repositioning: Like Lotus, who has recently done a similar move, transforming from a light-sportscar brand to a high-luxury SUV-brand, Jaguar could make an upmarket move towards high-end luxury. However, this would clash with the current brand reputation, and likely cause dissonance in consumers' perceptions. This would therefore do more harm than good. Plus, the competition in this space is fierce, with established players such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and even Bentley owning the space.
  3. Differentiated luxury brand repositioning: Rethink and reinvent the entire brand ethos to try and capture market share from the emerging and rapidly growing market of up-market electrified cars by establishing a strong and differentiated identity. Here, they have to expand their outlook to not only compete with the Germans, but to a large extent with the Chinese. There is a clear whitespace in this market, with lower barriers of entry and plenty of room for innovation and capturing a unique position. Yet, there is also a risk of becoming "one among many" in a market that could become rather commoditised. 

In case you missed it: They chose the latter.


A masterclass in brand-core reinforcement

Take Rolls Royce as a prime example - a masterclass in preparing a heritage brand for the future. Capitalise on your brand core - for RR, it is being the best automobile in the world; extreme comfort; silence; conservative design with strong heritage cues.

They were able to do this, because since their successful rebranding in the early 2000's, they have returned to their core - but it took 20 years with heavy investment from the BMW Group. And from that point and until today, they never deviated from their brand core. They only did stuff that strengthened it.

But Jaguar did. They abandoned their heritage a long time ago. And in the general population, their products stand more for boring diesel sedans and soulless, electric wannabe-SUV's – with a bad mechanical reputation to top it off. To all the enthusiasts out there - it hurts my heart to say it: A Jaguar has not been a driver's car for ages.


This is why I believe in the rebranding

At the first line of sight, this is probably the most outrageous attempt of survival, and to the entire branding and automotive community, the Jaguar brand is doomed and will return to their origins 'in about five years'. I don't think they will. Because the people at Jaguar know stuff, we don't.

As an example, BMW has changed a lot over the past 10-15 years from what they initially were - in which they constantly manage to disappoint their core fans. However, from a business standpoint, this makes absolute sense. This was because of a core discovery: Over 70% of their 1-series customers had not the slightest idea, that their cars were rear-wheel-drive. A core element of the BMW identity is lost on over two thirds of their effective audience. So why spend money prioritising impractical enthusiast-driven elements, most customers don't care about? The same is most likely true for Jaguar. Their current customer base is not, who we think they are.

Even though Jaguar is abandoning their past, they are not building something from the ground up. Their brand name survives - with another ethos, and a soft, round-edged sans-serif font. But we have to remember, that in the past 10-15 years, they have torn down the grand-old brand from the bottom up without realising it, before it was too late: They have not delivered on their brand promise for at least the past 10 years. They know that. They have been bland and careless. And the consumers know it, too.

So, in an age of increasing automotive conformity and lack of passion, attacked by subsidised, super-innovative and cheap new entrants from China, it is time for differentiation. A brand cannot survive on classic sedans. It is time for Jaguar to stand out, take a stance, and revitalise themselves to prepare for their meeting with the future. 

And if we look back to the 50's, 60's and 70's - was Jaguar actually not like this? They probably were. Ahead of their time. Bold. Fearless. Unique. Different.

This is the part of their brand heritage they have returned to.


Jaguars revitalised brand core:

  • Brand core: Exuberant modernism. Bold, dramatic and fearless. It embraces bold designs, unexpected and original thinking, creating a brand character that will command attention through fearless creativity.
  • Brand ethos: Copy Nothing


Although it faces a lot of criticism, the new sans serif logotype brings Jaguar into the 2020's. (Picture: Jaguar Media Centre)

In turn, their new brand identity is a (albeit extremely) creative interpretation of their core brand. To copy nothing.

And to that, I conclude - that I believe, the rebranding will work. And I have several reasons to make my argument - so here's 5:  

  1. In the past at least 10 years, Jaguar has not catered to their core audience, and they have not utilised their core brand attributes. Their cars were soulless, apathetic tries at being a competitor to the Germans. Effectively, due to their neglect of manifesting their heritage brand attributes in the products, they were currently standing with a blank canvas, allowing them to shape their brand in the exact direction they want, utilising their rich history to their liking. This provides plentiful of opportunity to be creative.  
  2. The automotive industry is changing hastily - and brands that cling on to their past, have to take that particular stance with umistakable force - like Morgan still building their frame from wood, or Porsche sticking to the flat-6 engine with the 911. Any deviation, and they become obsolete due to the hasty innovation and consumer judgement. You cannot be 'almost something' - you have to really claim your space, if you are a dedicated heritage brand. And that, in almost all circumstances for automotive brands, will result in very low sales to the very few enthusiasts, who actually care about how cars were like in the olden days. There is just the thing: Jaguar do not want to be a heritage brand with low production outputs - that is not what they are destined for. The JLR group have sales ambitions of their brand portfolio and shareholders to satisfy. Hence, Jaguar must prepare themselves to become part of a future of automotive brands, that have ditched their past brand attributes in favor of a new position. They must reclaim their position - and innovation, change and being bold is the new permission to win in a market that becomes increasingly technologically commoditized (with the electric engine winning over ICE), therefore dominated by the desire for identity and differentiation.  
  3. The general perception on 'the automobile' is changing: As a car enthusiast, this hurts my feelings. But nonetheless, it is the truth. Increasingly, cars are seen as a piece of technology, rather than a mechanical object. And in the electrified reality, standing out becomes more and more difficult, because the internal combustion engine and its unique characteristics no longer is a source of differentiation. Differentiation for luxury automotive brands must come from something else than mechanical sounds and physical tactility. The permission to play has changed. It must come from identity - a possession, supporting one's idea of their extended self. Cars are no longer only "manly" and "aggressive" - they are vehicles of diverse identity, individual interpretation, self-reflection and expression. You must find other ways of communicating power and sexiness, when "4.2 Litre" is replaced with "100kW".
  4. You have to make a strong initial effect to create market resonance. With dozens of new automotive brands entering the market every year, you have to be loud. To dare to be something. Now, Jaguar is more than they have been for decades. They are a brand on everyone's lips. They're different - but absolutely present. And everyone waits in anticipation on what they will eventually present and become.
  5. My hypothesis: A subtle revitalisation of their old brand would not have helped them - and half-hearted attempts have been plentiful in the industry - take Alfa Romeo as an example, who tries on and on again to return to their core - an enthusiast's everyday car. They don't succeed - because they end making a product that does not live up to the brand promise, that is more expensive than the competitor. It is obviously evident, that Jaguar are distancing themselves from what they had become - a boring, resigned, no-good-yet-expensive substitute for a Mercedes-Benz.

And remember - we have yet to see their electrified portfolio. We may be surprised as to how they have approached the design exercise by incorporating unique cues to Jaguar's past, such as a sleek and slender side profile, double-round headlights, and a polished hood-ornament.

This is just the beginning

It was about time that Jaguar did something to save themselves. Social Media have been nothing but cries as to how they have made a huge mistake. How they have "F**ed up" and  "thrown the baby out with the bathwater" and "disregarded seven decades of heritage". Many argue, that they will eventually revert and bring back the serif on their typeface - just like Burberry, and a vast array of other heritage fashion brands did. They will regret it and go back to what they were - boring. But this is different  - because even though it is under the umbrella of lifestyle brands, the automotive industry is a distinct case altogether - it is technology, innovation and change of market dynamics at extreme scale. You cannot just go back and forth with next season's collection. You have to stick with your decision.

This presentation of the new brand was, however, just the beginning. In front of Jaguar lies years of work in manifesting the new brand identity in their products, and, in turn, in the minds of the consumers. Jaguar must stick to their plan - and demonstrate the brand in every single touch point - that be everthing from their communications, their showrooms and, of course, to their cars. This is too big of a decision to revert. They went bold - and now they must walk the talk and execute on their promise. Their cars and the brand experience should be out of the ordinary and undoubtedly express "exuberant modernism". I'm excited to see what that looks like.


This is what we have been given so far - a sneak peek at their future. (Picture: Jaguar Media Centre)

Once the dust settles, I don't doubt that the broad market of affluent young people will embrace the new brand identity - given that Jaguar keeps their promise and make their products to be a material manifestation of it. The rest – well, that is simply a matter of personal taste. Were they late to the game of ditching the serif on the font? Yes. Is it a drastic and somewhat extreme move? Most definitely. Was it needed to try and survive? Absolutely.

So, in my humble opinion, it is time for them to reclaim a strong position. It is time for them to ditch their dull 2010's past - it is time for them to copy nothing.

I salute the courage, boldness and proactivity, JLR . Go big, or go home.

A final comment

Jaguar is more than well aware that many enthusiasts, loving their vintage, old-fashioned models, will just buy a 23-year-old XJ with a supercharged 4.2 litre V8-engine instead. Or, if financial success shines on us, an old, well-kept 60's E-Type. That doesn't hurt the JLR Group - we're just not in their audience anymore.


Liza Dava

Senior Manager at Kvadrant Consulting | Commercial Excellence

1mo

I buy it! :D Thanks for a super good read!!

Hannibal Herforth

GTM, Data Science & Strategy | Kvadrant

1mo

Thank you for an interesting read - it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Admittedly, I’m more bullish now than I were before reading your article.

Thank you for a great read and for presenting well-reasoned arguments. I look forward to following the Jaguar makeover which promises to be an exciting journey.

The problem is younger consumers lease not buy and the cost depends on residuals, alienating a huge proportion of the secondary buying market means poor residuals, that means expensive leases, that means poor sales. VW tried ultra luxury with the Phaeton which was a brilliant car with terrible residuals and as a result failed. I have a feeling that’s the Achilles heel in the Jaguar approach.

Jan Romme

Head of Digital | 20+ years of digital growth | Digital Strategy | eCommerce | Marketing | Leadership | Omnichannel | B2C | B2B | Digital Transformation

1mo

Spændende artikel, men om det lykkes eller de bliver BUD Light 2.0, må tiden vise. En ting må man dog give dem, at de har fået voldsomt meget omtale og opmærksomhed uden at have lanceret deres nye bil(er) endnu. Lanceringen vil tilsvarende få meget mere opmærksomhed end hvis de ikke havde rebrandet. Godt gået! Men om det så resonerer med deres målgruppe af “hvide rige midaldrende mænd” eller om en ny målgrupper tager brandet til sig bliver spændende at følge.

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