Jaguar probably doesn’t care about the branding backlash, it might even welcome it

But I suspect Jaguar doesn’t care.

It’s clear the team wasn’t oblivious to the controversy such a stark change could provoke, but what will matter to it is how it resonates with the new target audience in emerging markets, not what the UK LinkedIn community thinks of it.

In fact, I’d argue that the debate is welcomed – and may be a conscious decision ahead of any global product reveals. It's 2.2m YouTube views more than a lot of product launches [at time of publishing].

Luxury is turning a corner

Many are failing to consider in their critique of the new brand, that the luxury landscape is changing – and not in the way brands (or their traditional customers) would hope.

Bain & Company’s annual luxury report, released last week, revealed this is the first year since the 2009 Great Recession that the market for personal luxury goods is set to slow, with 50 million consumers abandoning their luxury purchases. At the same time in China, 79% of luxury consumers are reportedly under the age of 40, significantly younger than luxury buyers in the US and UK.

As brand builders, we always encourage clients to define a clear identity, positioning and tone of voice. But, when change is needed, heritage brands notoriously struggle to shake things up. Balancing heritage, equity and newness is no easy feat, but when looking to expand reach to a younger consumer in the changing face of luxury – maybe it needs to make the bold choice, even if it ruffles a few feathers.

Jaguar Land Rover has done it before.

Look to the Land Rover Defender released in 2019 that caused a similar uproar among car fanatics. It didn’t appeal to its traditional British countryside and farming audiences, but that market was always going to be too niche commercially. The results speak for themselves and Land Rover is driving JLR’s recent success under Adrian Mardell.

Driving out the old

While the new Jaguar brand may have let its design heritage rest, its bold new brand is definitely a return to the historic attitude of founder Sir William Lyons – “copy of nothing”.

It’s not trying to appeal to old Jaguar buyers. Much like for the Defender, that market was always too small, local and unprofitable. It’s vying for the global stage.

When people talk about Jaguar’s heritage, the Jaguar E-Type will always be top of the list. One of the most instantly recognizable cars ever made, driven by icons including Frank Sinatra and Brigitte Bardot in the 60s and labeled “the most beautiful car ever made” by Enzo Ferrari, solidifying its status as one of the most luxurious modes of transport at the time.

But despite this incredible heritage, Jaguar has always struggled to live up to its glamorous heyday. Despite some good products, the brand has been failing for decades. It has always been the poor relative to Range Rover and Land Rover in the JLR family, which, as a whole, delivered strong financial results this year. Maybe it lost ground in the race to electric mobility by not following up on the excellent 2018 I PACE quickly enough.

Sometimes, leaning on your heritage can be the answer, and from the response, it seems that is the approach many expected. But Jaguar has been trying to live off its past for too long, and the financials prove that that is not enough anymore.

Luxury brands often lean into heritage and unique stories from the past. Jaguar has decided this isn’t working. Heritage doesn’t always hold the same weight in emerging markets across the world, and when trying to compete with new electric luxury brands in China, Jaguar needs to ensure it’s well-placed to cut through. Just look to Audi, which recently introduced a new EV brand in China, without its iconic four-ring logo to target a younger, tech-savvy consumer.

The proof of all of this will be in the product design. Are the new – very expensive – products as exuberant and visually striking as the JLR Design Team claims? Can it attract the attention of this new young high net worth customer?

All eyes will be on Miami Art Week on December 2, when Jaguar showcases its new concept car in what might turn out to be the biggest branding win of 2024.

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