"Your brand is the single most important investment you can make in your business."
- Steve Forbes

Imagine for a second you’re the CEO of an iconic, 90 year old British car maker, (Jaguar to be precise).

Your brand has been the stuff of legends. You are rightfully proud to be captain at the helm of a legacy brand as strong as this.

Your cars have long been regarded as status symbols of the British elite (Prince Harry drove his new wife Meaghan to their wedding reception in a Concept E) and pop culture (James Bond's getaway car of choice).

In every way your Jaguar brand is synonymous for the finer things in life.

Except, as of late, sales haven’t exactly been stellar.

The meteoric rise of EV (electric vehicles) is fast sidelining the legacy brands whose lack luster marketing has not kept up with the times.

Finally, you decide the time is now (a bold move that admittedly is about 5 years too late, but at least you're doing something now.)

So you challenge your marketing agency to achieve three major goals with a strategic rebrand:

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1. Modernize us: make Jaguar part of the conversation again

2. Elevate us: the rebrand must also turn us into a super luxury brand (not just a luxury brand). Our competitors need to be Bentley and Aston Martin, not Mercedes, Porsche Audi and BMW

3. Grow us: sell more cars. A lot more, especially EV.

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Last week, as you may have already heard, Jaguar indeed launched their rebrand.
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​I hope you are sitting down. ​
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Let’s give you a peek into their brand strategy by showing you the evolution of their logo.
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Here is their legacy logo.

Below is their rebranded logo (notice that the Jaguar is jumping into the future (right) instead of facing backward (the past). This is a subtle nuance (and good move) that has a psychological impact on buyers - but we'll leave that analysis for another day).

And ta-da! Here's what they have just rebranded their word mark logo to.

Confused? Shocked?
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Oh we’re just getting started. Buckle your seatbelt.

Watch their first advertisement – that doesn’t even advertise a car.

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As one viewer said - the only thing brave about this ad is to leave the comments section turned on...
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To me their rebrand looks like it was vomited out of a starburst packet.

Jaguar’s rebrand is an example of one of the most polarizing I have seen.

Where is the product they are advertising?

Who are these strange people promoting it?

How exactly is this strategy going to set revenue on fire?

In my opinion this is a strategic miscalculation that's Grand Canyon sized.

Jaguar has both alienated and abandoned their original "old money" audience who first made them great, and they've dived head first into the messy wash of politically correct advertising, hoping this will win them cool points and brownie points.

But now I'll try and be positive.

I love that they’re trying to be bold and imaginative.

I love that they’re trying to reinvent themselves for modern times - at least they are not sitting there doing nothing, watching the world change without them.

But the execution is so bad, and the underlying strategy so flawed.

In its efforts to modernize itself, the company has forgotten its soul in the process.

A rebrand can—and must—do more than just get people talking – whether good or bad.

Done right, it drives sales, captures market share, and sets a business up for its next big chapter.

Here’s how you can make your next rebrand a true game-changer: and avoid Jaguar’s pitfalls

1. Strategy First, Not Cool Art or a Lame Lipstick Rebrand

Great branding involves great creativity + great strategy.
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Creativity without strategy is just art. But with the right strategy it's pure marketing alchemy.
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It's your chance to reposition, revitalize, and reimagine your company’s much bigger future.

Start by asking: what’s the real goal of rebranding here? ​
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​Are we modernizing to stay relevant?

Breaking into new markets?

Getting ready for a bigger future, perhaps going national or global?

Whatever it is, let strategy drive the creative—not the other way around.

2. Elevate Perception, Elevate Profits

A great rebrand elevates how people see your business, which has a domino effect on everything else.

Think about repositioning products, redefining services, and ultimately raising your perceived value.

This is called an “upmarket move.” It's what catapults a company from working with customers with a commodity mindset into working with more affluent and more appreciative clients who will pay more.

3. Defend Your Turf and Maximize Your Company’s Value

A strong rebrand doesn’t just set you apart—it cements your position in a market leader. With the right execution, you keep competitors scrambling to catch up while you focus on long-term growth and innovation.

Jaguar’s attempt is definitely bold, but if the ultimate goal was to revive flagging sales, the connection got lost somewhere between the big idea and the showroom floor.

Your rebrand can (and must) do better.

Be strategic, be clear, and don’t lose sight of the ultimate aim: positioning your brand so far above the competition that you become the obvious, the only choice.

Now, isn’t it time to rev up your own transformation?

On a Personal Note

We're having Thanksgiving at home this year. When I say "home" that's a bit generous. I mean our shoebox-sized New York apartment where I'll have to perform culinary magic with bench space 1/10th of what I'm used to, in a non-trusted oven.
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My favorite Thanksgiving dishes are of course turkey (brined for two days using nothing but seasalt, a pinch of sugar and onion seasoning), a roasted vegetable dish with goat cheese (that's the New Zealander coming out in me), and of course pumpkin pie.

I am getting ready to put on the elastic pants!
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​I am grateful for you - riding shotgun with me along this crazy journey of life while we're building great businesses along the way.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family and loved ones.

Until next week.

Julie Guest
Chief Strategist & Brand Architect​
​Bolder&Louder - Extraordinary Advertising​
​Lunch Break Books​
​Premier Physician Marketing​

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Simple, Easy Way to Create a 12-Month Marketing Plan

"Business strategy is the battle plan for a better future."

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Creating a marketing plan for your business is a bit like going to the gym.

One option is you can show up to the gym and wing your workout. By that, I mean you do cardio, you lift weights – and you hope (as I initially did) - that somehow, it will magically deliver the perfect body.

And why shouldn't it? You're showing up, after all. You're putting the hard work in ...

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PODCAST EPISODE # 148

Ever been captivated by a story so compelling you just had to buy the product? Let me introduce you to Mr. Umberto, an Italian leather artisan with a knack for storytelling that transformed his small shop into a destination. I’ll break down the technique he used—story-selling—that let him command premium prices in a market crowded with luxury brands. If you’re looking to use the art of storytelling to elevate your brand’s value and command higher prices, tune in for insights on how this powerful strategy works, and why it’s one of the best tools in your marketing toolkit.

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