Jaguar's Bold Rebrand: A Critical Analysis of its Electric Evolution

In a move that has sparked considerable debate across the automotive industry, Jaguar recently unveiled a dramatic rebranding initiative that signals its transition to an all-electric future. While the intention behind this transformation is clear, the execution has left many questioning whether the iconic British automaker may have steered off course in its pursuit of modernization.

 The Backlash: Why Folks Think the Rebrand Missed the Mark

The most immediate criticism of Jaguar's rebranding effort centers on a peculiar omission: cars themselves. The promotional campaign, featuring models in vibrant outfits and abstract visuals, notably lacks any representation of Jaguar's automotive heritage or future vehicles. This absence prompted Tesla CEO Elon Musk to pointedly ask, "Do you sell cars?"—a sentiment that resonated with many observers.

The disconnect between the brand's heritage and its new identity has led to concerns about alienating its existing customer base. Industry estimates suggest that only 10-15% of current Jaguar owners might remain loyal to the brand post-rebrand, highlighting the risks of such a dramatic departure from tradition.

Understanding the Vision: The Strategy Behind the Change

Despite the criticism, Jaguar's rebranding effort seems rooted in a clear strategic vision. The company is preparing for a complete transition to electric vehicles by 2026, with plans to launch three new electric models. This ambitious transformation isn't just about changing powertrains—it represents a fundamental shift in how Jaguar positions itself in the luxury market.

The new branding, centered around the concept of "Exuberant Modernism," aims to attract a younger, more diverse, and so-called “design-centric” audience, though that itself can be rather subjective. The company is deliberately creating what it calls a "fire break" between its traditional identity and its electric future, signaling a clean break from its past.

Beyond the Logo: Changes in Jaguar's Core Proposition

A rebrand is only as good as the value proposition, so let’s examine what that looks like. The rebrand reflects deeper changes in Jaguar's product strategy and market positioning. The company is moving upmarket, targeting the ultra-luxury segment with its upcoming electric vehicles. These new models will feature:

- A dedicated electric vehicle platform (JEA - Jaguar Electronic Architecture)
- Advanced battery systems offering ranges potentially exceeding 700 km
- Cutting-edge technology integration
- A minimalist design philosophy emphasizing modern luxury

 However, they aren’t really launching their new EV line-up yet till mid 2026; in fact they are phasing out their existing EV models.

Competitive Analysis: How Does the Current Jaguar Stack Up?

Looking at Jaguar's current electric offering, the I-PACE, provides insights into the challenges ahead. While competent, the I-PACE's 246-mile range currently falls short of key competitors:

- BMW iX: 324 miles
- Hyundai Ioniq 5: 303 miles
- Audi Q8 e-tron: 265 miles

Pricing also reveals a competitive challenge. The I-PACE starts at $73,375, positioning it above the Tesla Model Y ($52,990) and Mercedes-Benz EQB ($54,500), but below the BMW iX ($84,100) and Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo ($95,000).

Perhaps the rebrand is more to take the attention away from their current lack of a clear value proposition OR is it more a clever way to remind everyone that they still exist?

What Could Have Been Done Better?

While Jaguar's ambition to reinvent itself for an electric future is commendable, several aspects of the rebrand could have been handled more effectively:

1. Balance Heritage with Innovation: Rather than completely divorcing itself from its past, Jaguar could have demonstrated how its legacy of performance and luxury evolves in an electric era.

2. Benefit-Centric Communication: The rebrand could have maintained a stronger focus on vehicles while still embracing modern design elements and diversity.

3. Clear Value Proposition: The campaign could have better articulated how Jaguar's new direction translates into tangible benefits for luxury car buyers.

4. Gradual Transition: A more evolutionary approach might have helped maintain existing customer loyalty while attracting new audiences. Personally, I’m not a car person but the first impression looking at their campaign reminds me of a Gucci or Balenciaga Ad, so I’m not sure just how creative or original that really is in essence.

5. Don’t Rebrand – Yet: Maybe a more obvious approach would just be to not have the rebrand yet till their new EV line-up is ready. 1.5 years is a long time to try and sustain the hype and buzz.

6. Use Creative Territory Testing: It’s not explicitly known if they have done this but in major rebrands, companies often validate their creative direction through targeted consumer testing, gauging emotional resonance and initial responses from their desired audience segments.

 Looking Forward

Jaguar's rebrand represents one of the most ambitious transformations in automotive history. While the execution has faced criticism, the underlying thinking —positioning Jaguar as a leader in ultra-luxury electric vehicles—shows promise for some. The true test will come with the launch of its new electric models in 2026, if people are willing to wait that long and if technology hasn’t surpassed what they are doing by then.

 For a brand with such rich heritage, the path to modernization doesn't necessarily require abandoning its past. Instead, success may lie in showing how Jaguar's legendary commitment to performance, luxury, and design can evolve to meet the demands of an electric future while maintaining the essential character that has made the brand special for generations.

The automotive industry is watching closely as Jaguar attempts this bold transformation. Whether this rebrand will be remembered as a misstep or a visionary move largely depends on the execution of its promised electric vehicles and their ability to deliver on the brand's new promise of "exuberant modernism" while maintaining the excellence expected of a luxury automaker.

Mad About Marketing Consulting

Advisor for C-Suites to work with you and your teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.


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From Brand Love to Brand Relevance: A New Paradigm in Brand Building

In the evolving landscape of brand marketing, we often hear about the pursuit of "brand love" – that magical connection where consumers don't just buy your product but fall in love with your brand. But what if we're asking the wrong question? What if the goal isn't to be loved, but to be genuinely understood and valued?

 
The Paradigm Shift: From Love to Relevance

The truth is, your brand isn't about making customers love you. It's about understanding what they need from you and delivering it consistently. Success isn't measured by how many hearts your brand can capture, but by being top-of-mind when your customers have a need, want, or aspiration.

 This shift from pursuing brand love to building brand relevance isn't just semantic – it's strategic. Here's why it matters and how to make this transition effectively.

 
The Three Pillars of Brand Relevance

1. Define Your Value Proposition

Start with your "Why, What, and How." This isn't just about crafting a clever mission statement – it's about crystallizing the value you bring to your target customers. What problems are you solving? Why should they choose you? Your value proposition should answer these questions clearly and convincingly.

 2. Embrace Your Specific Audience

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is trying to be everything to everyone. Remember: You can't – and shouldn't – try to appeal to everyone. Your brand's strength isn't measured by universal appeal but by its resonance with those who matter most to your business. Are you building a brand that demands attention, or one that earns it through consistent value delivery?

 3. Foster Organic Brand Presence

Think about brands like Panadol, Pampers, or Coca-Cola. When people have a headache, need diapers, or want a cola, these brands come to mind automatically. Why? Because they've established themselves not just through advertising, but through consistent delivery of value. It's what customers say about you when you're not advertising that truly defines your brand.

 The Integration Imperative

When leaders ask me about improving brand perception and scores, they're often asking the wrong question. Instead, ask: "What broke down for our customers?" Because brand relevance requires holistic integration across:

- Sales interactions

- Customer service

- Employee behavior

- Leadership visibility

- Digital presence

 When any of these touchpoints fails, customer trust erodes. Why? Because you're no longer doing right by them. You're not giving them what they want or need. They feel betrayed.

 Building Sustainable Brand Value

1. Maintain Unwavering Consistency

- Across all channels

- Through time

- In messaging and delivery

 2. Align with Your Target Audience

- Speak their language

- Address their specific needs

- Show up where – and when – they need you

Think of it as a relationship where loyalty is as good as your ability to serve their needs.

 3. Demonstrate Value Continuously

Don't fall into the "too big to fail" mindset. Instead:

- Prove your worth through actions

- Deliver meaningful solutions

- Create tangible impact

Remember: It's a perpetual courtship.

 4. Recognize and Reward Loyalty

Too many companies focus on acquiring new customers at the expense of existing ones. Build sustainable value by:

- Rewarding continued engagement

- Building long-term relationships

- Creating organic advocate communities

 The Bottom Line

The question isn't whether your brand is loved – it's whether your brand is relevant. In today's market, relevance beats romance every time. Your brand's strength lies not in universal appeal but in its ability to consistently deliver value to those who matter most.

Are you building a brand that demands attention, or one that earns it through consistent value delivery? The answer to this question might just be the key to your brand's future success.

Mad About Marketing Consulting

Advisor for C-Suites to work with you and your teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.

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Are You Selling a Product or a Solution?

Brand purpose and value creation are two things that go hand in hand for a successful and sustainable business. A business does not sustain for long, based purely on the sole purpose of making money, instead of solving problems.

The former can capture a market quickly in the short term to capitalize on a specific trend or lowballing the competition with an attractive pricing or promotional incentive, but the latter will help the business with real customer value creation.

This is easier said than done of course, similar to carving out your brand purpose and why customers should care about you. Actually, they don’t and they don’t have to. They care about themselves and the value you bring to them, which in turn is also why your brand purpose is relevant to their needs and/or wants.

Many brands simply talk too much about themselves and how good they are. This is passe and no one cares, really. Your customers want to know why you are good for them. Period.

Many brands are also simply selling a product and it’s obvious when they just call out the product’s features but not their intrinsic benefits for their customers and how it solves their problems.

E.g. - if you are a tire company:

  • if you’re selling a product, you might say things like - we sell tires for your cars. Our tires are made of quality rubber made to last. Buy now for xx% discount for a limited time period.

  • If you’re selling a solution, you might say things like - we are the reason mummy and daddy can drive home safe during wet weather or we can save you up to xx% in annual cost since our wheels are made to last.

The above is just a generic example with the second point highlighting potential customer pain points around:

  • concerns with road safety and enhanced protection against wet weather road conditions where cars are more likely to skid and get into accidents

  • concerns with costs in maintaining their cars and saving them the hassle of having to swap out their tires too often

There could be more pain points thus it’s critical to first understand the problem you are trying to solve for on behalf of your target customers. Selling a product means they are solving your problem instead by lining your coffers but you are simply enticing them for the short term to get a quick purchase. It doesn’t always work for the discerning customer and your competition can easily out-do you with a better discount.

When you move on to think about value creation and solution selling, it changes the narrative and you become 100% focused on addressing your customers’ needs. You start thinking broader as well what else you can add to your slew of products and services that can more holistically address their pain points.

It’s not as simply as bundling a bunch of products and calling it a fancy name as that is ultimately still product pushing; worse, it’s pushing a bunch of products now that might not even be what they want or need.

It involves insights from customers and non customers. It includes consumer trends, their purchasing behaviour, feedback and proactive research to really tease out useful insights. It’s not a bunch of your internal stakeholders sitting down and narrating what they think. It requires empathy as well as a genuine interest in consumer behaviour.

So, are you selling a product or a solution?

About the Author

Mad About Marketing Consulting

Ally and Advisor for CMOs, Heads of Marketing and C-Suites to work with you and your marketing teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.

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The Case of the Misunderstood MarTech and more…

Has marketing technology, content marketing and need for customer driven insights changed all that much in the last 4 years since I first wrote this post in 2020?

In 2020, I observed that companies were moving into Adobe experience management as their go-to content management platform. Come 2024, I am still experiencing some late bloomer companies especially in the content marketing game, now only moving into Adobe experience management or AEM for their content management platform in a bid to get ahead of the game in personalization of the customer experience and engagement.

They will soon be in for a surprise as AEM alone will not differentiate them from their competitors who are doing the exact same thing or have done the exact same thing as it’s after all a technology and a platform. It is merely an enabler but not the solution itself.

It doesn’t negate the need and the fact that it still boils down to having insightful and forward looking content that is useful to their customers. It certainly doesn’t negate the need for them to first have a close connection with their new and existing customers in order to know what kind of content matters to them above all the noise in the market. It certainly doesn’t remove the fact that you need a robust content pipeline to feed the hungry beast of a machine to fully maximize its capabilities especially in organic SEO and to supplement your SEM strategy.

That unfortunately is still a missing piece in lots of companies. Why is it so hard to get that thought provoking viewpoint? Why do so many so-called subject matter experts still behave and think they know it all when the truth is, they are merely regurgitating facts and what others are already saying or just passing the content strategy buck to their agencies? Why are companies who claimed to know their customers, not asking them the right questions in order to help them get the right answers?

Another common mistake is when companies don’t really know the full potential of a particular technology, including MarTech or marketing technology that they have and what they are investing in next.

What then happens is they start shopping for the next latest technology without first reviewing and fully understanding what they already have, how it’s being used, who has been using it and how it else it should actually be used. Often times, you’ll find the technology is perfectly fit for purpose but being used either by the wrong people or the wrong way. In addition, the existing organizational structure and culture might also not provide an ideal process of supporting its use.

But instead of changing that first, they start looking at the next big thing, adding to the mess of integration, implementation, adoption and usage problems that their employees and sometimes customers need to deal with. This leads to stack bloat.

4 years on and stack bloat is still a problem; in fact it has worsen and will continue to as even more MarTech tools get added to the market.

Therefore, instead of blindly investing in all sorts of MarTech tools and platforms, companies should also make sure they have the right objectives, people, processes and plans in place to fully maximize the capabilities of the MarTech. Else, they will end up with yet another white elephant and a misconception that it wasn’t a good enough technology. A case of the blind leading the blind is anything but fine.

Same goes for having the right expertise in who they hire to be thought leaders, spokespeople and making an effort to invest in getting consistent feedback and sentiments from both customers and prospects alike. This is to avoid an echo chamber situation, which is common in hierarchical organizations.

Ultimately, companies who wish to embark on their MarTech journey especially to better support their content marketing efforts need to look at it holistically and not cut corners on doing the needful. Start with your customers, then be clear with your objectives and then plan with a view to buffer for the what, who, where and how in terms of tools, processes and people in your organization.

About the Author

Mad About Marketing Consulting 

Ally for CMOs, Heads of Marketing and C-Suites to work with you and your marketing teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.

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Companies - Stop Launching Mediocre Products, Please.

Just as marketing is sometimes guilty of not going deep enough into the hoods of the true value proposition of what they are promoting on behalf of the company, business is just as guilty of launching mediocre products.

What is considered as a mediocre product? Is there such a thing as a bad product if it can sell?

In my experience, a mediocre product is one that is positioned largely on the following:

  • being first to market as its pure competitive advantage and nothing else

  • offering an incentive or price based positioning that can be easily displaced by its competitor who is willing to go lower or offer better

  • not making a real effort to tailor the products/services based on the needs of your target customers. Instead, you rely on marketing to position it and pretend that it is tailored for their needs when in fact, it is just a generic product/service that is catered for everyone

Based on above, it is telling that if a company focuses purely on quick wins and conversions, they are not looking to build a sustainable solution based product that addresses their customers’ actual needs. They are in it purely to make a quick buck from willing customers and what they usually end up with is a bunch of products/services that they have to keep topping up with more and more incentives/discounts/promotions/fancier taglines or creatives just to outdo their competition. I.e., they realize they don’t really have a truly unique selling point as they didn’t put in enough effort and thinking into developing something that cannot be easily replaced. Such approach will only work if you are the only seller or if the product and service is really hard to develop, thus you are confident most of your competitors are not able to achieve it..

Take for example, if you decide that there is a need currently in the market by for student aftercare services to support working parents who don’t have supportive company policies and flexible working arrangements. If you are offering a mediocre service, you will simply offer say - Free aftercare service for the first 3 months of signing up and 30% off if you sign up now for the next 3 months.

If you want to look at a more sustainable approach to avoid situations where a competitor offers say free aftercare for the first 4 months and 40% off if you sign up now, you will make an effort to find out more the other pain points associated with working parents and their children and try to bundle it into a more holistic “working parents aftercare services package” centered around - aftercare services, guided special out of school curriculum based on their children’s interests, customizable late afternoon snack option to cater for dietary preferences, access to resources for working parents and their children to adjust to such situations etc. Of these, some might be easily replicated but some like the out of school curriculum is not, as that’s unique to your company’s methodology and pedagogy.

It might take more effort and cost more but at least you won’t be caught in a pricing and promotional warfare with your competitors by tapping on your true strengths and unique capabilities. You might even be able to charge more or give less of a discount as you are selling the whole solution that addresses their pain points instead of a single, purely price/discount as-a-value based service/product that is more like a band aid that can be easily torn off and replaced.

The above is just a simple example of looking at why as marketers, we should pride ourselves as being valued business partners to bring the perspective of the customer to the table. Don’t be afraid to ask them hard questions, putting on the customer’s lens to ensure the outcome is a sustainable one, unless it’s part of the strategy to build something that is more seasonal or once-off to capitalize on a specific consumer trend.

About the Author

Mad About Marketing Consulting 

Ally for CMOs, Heads of Marketing and C-Suites to work with you and your marketing teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.

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Identifying an Addressable Need

I recently came across an analysis by someone showcasing the success of the oat milk brand called Oatly and how they created a need that led to their success.

I have a slightly different take on Oatly’s success in that they didn’t create a need but rather, they identified an addressable need in the consumer market, developed their product to suit the addressable market and designed their packaging and campaign that speaks to the addressable market.

Why is it addressable and why is it not a need creation in their case?

First of all, looking at the fundamental principles of the hierarchy of needs, oat milk in itself is not new. Oatly was not the one who first came out with Oat milk as an alternative to other plant milk varieties that are not from nuts, legumes or fruits. People don’t need Oatly as yet another oat milk alternative. Even for the use in beverages, especially coffee drinks for example, Oatly is not the first entrant in this market.

If you look at the consumer and fast moving consumer good space. there aren’t that many products that are really needs based in this modern day and age. Ask yourself in all seriously as a consumer, do you really need to have say a burger or a pizza or that soft drink? For such cases, what brands and companies are creating is a want and not so much a need, which makes it a lot harder of course.

How we can take a step further however to see if these wants actually can be addressed at a deeper layer, going into the consumer psyche and how we think, behave and act, perhaps there is an addressable need tagged to that specific want. For example, consumer A, let’s call him Billy, wants to eat pizza because it makes him feel good and why does it make him feel good? It reminded him of his grandma who used to make really nice pizzas for him when she’s still around. It makes him feel safe, warm and loved whenever he thinks about pizza now. The feeling of loved, security and safety is a need and not a want as we all know.

This is where the fundamental need that can be addressed by a company who wants to give their consumers the same warm, fuzzy, safe and feelings of love with their pizzas is more likely to win over consumers and build a sustainable brand versus a company that just serves pizzas to make money from pizza lovers.

In Oatly’s case, they identified an addressable want by consumers who are avid coffee drinkers who might fall into a few categories:

1) those who are lactose intolerant or vegan or just prefer not to take dairy with their coffee but yet prefer not to have black coffee

2) those who in 1) but are allergic to nuts or don’t like the taste and thus have been relying on other plant milks like soy or coconut

3) those falling into 1) and 2) but who don’t quite like the tastes of other current plant milk types available

Looking at the wants and preferences of the consumers, we can also look at what are the underlying needs of the consumers who don’t take dairy and prefer plant milk in general that are being addressed. For example, it might be a feeling of being healthier, which is more basic survival or a feeling that they are doing their part in supporting the rights of animals, which is more altruistic or self actualization.

I find that doing an extensive mapping by going back to basics of what your target consumers want and need helps to better identify what is that addressable need that you as a brand or company can cater for ultimately to form your proposition.

Going back to Oatly’s case, after they have identified the preliminary wants and needs, they would be looking at pain points their consumers are facing based on how, where and when they are consuming plant milk. In this case, oat milk is not new to the market, including in the coffee shops but it is just beginning to make some headwinds. Almond was the first to lay claim and make their presence felt after soy was dominating for a while as the alternative milk for barista brewed coffees. Oatly would have studied this for a while and gotten some feedback from prospective customers who are avid drinkers of coffee paired with plant milk, once they decided this would be a good place to target in terms of their distribution network.

They would need to consider not just the taste of their product when brewed with coffee but the price point as well both on the consumer side and the business side, meaning the cafe owners who will be buying the stocks from them before they developed their barista edition oat milk. If there are already a few other plant milk or early entrant oat milk varieties being supplied, what would be that key differentiator so Oatly can win? They would need to think about product variations to cater for standalone oat milk drinkers versus coffee drinkers who choose plant milk over dairy.

At this point, it wouldn’t just be the packaging. It would be taste, quality, price and ability to retain their flavour or even their flexibility in order quantities, inventory management and payment management, especially for smaller cafes.

This article is just a high level of how I personally like to work with brands as a marketer, on their positioning and campaigns. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive list as there is much more to think about. But for starters, as marketers, we should always go back to the fundamental principles of the consumer psyche, marketing principles, proposition and business viability when working on our campaigns.

About the Author

Mad About Marketing Consulting 

Ally for CMOs, Heads of Marketing and C-Suites to work with you and your marketing teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.

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Marketing is not just a change of underwear

Someone once asked me what I do as “a marketing person” in a bank. Too fatigued at that time to give a lengthy explanation, I simply said, “I take a bunch of old products, repackaged them a bit in terms of visuals and tagline, and make them look new”.  The person laughed and acknowledged it’s the same for his “marketing people” as well.

The above is partially true for most product marketing efforts and how it’s often applied across industries basically.

For example, Person A  wakes up one day and realises he’s been losing out to the hotter guys in the dating scene. He took one look at his wardrobe and his grimy face in the mirror, and decided to go for a makeover with a visit to the hair salon and hip downtown mall. With his trendy new look, he does attract some girls but then these girls just somehow don’t become lasting relationships, much to his exasperation.

Talking to some of his previous relationships, close friends and family members, he finally has an epiphany. He realises that due to his tendency to blow up at the slightest displeasure and having too big an ego to apologise thereafter, many of his relationships have failed to progress into something more serious. This means that regardless of how well-dressed he looks, as long as he doesn’t make an effort to change for the better, he will still likely to be a single, lonely and forlorn bachelor ten years down the road. He will date, yes but he cannot be in a relationship for long. In this situation, Person A can choose to go either way - 1) ignore the gaps and continue with just a physical makeover for short term gains or 2) to really spend time to overcome the gaps for longer term gains.

The above is a very simple way of demonstrating the difference between two different business scenarios - 1) a business that simply sells products by repackaging and/or redesigning on the surface or by throwing freebies to attract customers only to have them churn after a year or two or 2) a business who actually makes an effort to transform the mechanics and/or features of their product or service offering in order to keep up with changing customer needs/demands in order to build longer lasting relationships with them.

Based on the same example, if the business realises what is the real problem with its products and make an effort to actually improve them to better cater to the needs of the same customer base, they will find it easier to start building relationships with them. To put it blindly, it’s not as simple as just changing your underwear.

This improvement actually moves the business from selling just a product to selling a solution that resolves a problem or need for their customers  – ahead or on par with its competitors.

Again, as organisations move towards solution-selling, they also increasingly realise how daunting a move this is and that it goes beyond just making changes to its products but the way it operates too. Story for another post.

That said, this doesn’t dispel the need for marketing and promotions. It simply means that businesses should move first from product to solution-selling before it goes out to buy a whole new wardrobe.

Meanwhile, before organisations make this move, most marketers can only continue to “make a bunch of old products look new”. As a self respecting marketer, we should also seek to influence the business positively to move towards solution selling by making consistent effort to engage them in our planning and vice versa. Marketing doesn’t exist on its own but more as an enabler of the business to be that voice to bring their proposition to life.

About the Author

Mad About Marketing Consulting 

Ally for CMOs, Heads of Marketing and C-Suites to work with you and your marketing teams to maximize your marketing potential with strategic transformation for better business and marketing outcomes.

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