Jaguar’s Bold Rebrand & the Backlash: When Upscaling Strategy Requires Comms Courage

15 November 2024 by Matt Trace in General

Jaguar has never been a brand for the faint-hearted, but its latest rebrand has provoked perhaps its biggest test yet. The company has shifted focus toward ultra-luxury, electric-only models, and its latest promo video, featuring a hot-pink performance car, left traditionalists fuming.

The Rebrand Gamble

Jaguar’s leadership is unapologetic: the brand is pivoting to compete with Aston Martin, Porsche, and Bentley in a luxury EV space. This means leaving behind some of the customers who once defined Jaguar’s market.

From a comms perspective, this is a bold but dangerous move. Upscaling a brand means carefully managing both internal alignment (dealers, staff, investors) and external perception (existing customers, aspirational new ones).

Why the Backlash?

Heritage brands carry heavy emotional equity. For many, Jaguar equals British sophistication, racing history, and muted elegance. A neon-bright repositioning feels like betrayal. Yet that’s the point: the company isn’t chasing past buyers, but future ones.

Lessons for Communicators

• Prepare for criticism: If you’re leaving part of your customer base behind, acknowledge it openly.
• Tell a coherent story: Position the change not as rejection of heritage but as evolution.
• Consistency matters: Don’t launch a daring film if the follow-up comms are timid.

Rebrands aren’t about pleasing everyone. They’re about charting a future. For PR professionals, Jaguar’s boldness shows the importance of strategic courage: you can’t step into a new space without stepping on a few toes.