If you’re still asking yourself if you should invest in your brand today, you’re asking the wrong question, and you’ve no clue how many opportunities you’ve lost.
The question you should ask is:
Why the hell am I not investing in branding my company to shape what people think of it?
I mean… why not?
I won’t go into the benefits of branding. I’ve covered them in my previous blogs.
For starters, you can read this one.
In this writing, I want to talk about the importance of Branding, NOT Blanding, and why staying aligned with your brand image and heritage matters. Making it bland by over-simplifying isn’t the answer.
And I think you would be able to guess where this is leading…
Jaguar! One of the greatest branding blunders? Or a genius approach to revive a dying brand?
I’m sure by now you would have seen the big hoo-ha. The internet went nuts. Even Elon Musk chimed in.
But in case you haven’t, this is Jaguar’s new image. No car, just this. 👇
In my opinion, it was outrageous.
It was also done in-house. I don’t believe any branding agency would have the courage to pull off such a stunt.
Every company needs a rebrand from time to time. There’s no magic interval for it, but usually, it’s every 5-10 years.
Why?
Because over the years, corporate strategy changes, market changes, audience changes, and the list goes on.
But erasing a 100-year legacy is a very bold move. It has also put the brand in a do-or-die situation.
Why not ride on the brand’s rich heritage that the company has built for a century?
Rebranding doesn’t mean blanding
In this case, what makes Jaguar, Jaguar?
It’s their iconic elegance and sleek design of the cars. Signature designs that no other automobile maker has in the market.
The company erased all the elegance and sophistication with a bland logo, trendy vibrant colours and childish typeface.
A quick search online surfaced some nice-looking ones that would have leveraged the brand’s rich heritage and strong legacy whilst remaining aligned.
Sourced from: humain_co and greggamino
They needed to pivot to revive the company. I get it.
But the issue wasn’t with its brand identity. It was the notorious reliability of its engines. Do a quick online search and you’ll find a myriad of issues customers complain about. It was the company’s core product.
It may be extreme to say this 🤷🏻♂️, but putting icing with sprinkles on top of rubbish is still rubbish.
I reckon it was a good strategy from top management to go 100% electric by 2025. The brand was dying because its customer base was tired of their cars breaking down.
So build the greatest electrified engine, up the ante on reliability and they’ll be back in the game! (easier said than done 😝 but you get the idea)
But, seriously, build outstanding cars because it is the brand’s core product. It’s a product-driven brand!
What we see is a result of misalignment for the brand.
What is Brand Alignment?
Brand alignment is the process of ensuring that every element of your business—from your products and messaging to customer interactions – remains consistent with your brand’s core values, mission, and personality. It’s about weaving a cohesive story that resonates with your target audience and sets you apart from competitors.
Your brand heritage adds depth to this story. It’s the history, ethos, and values that underpin your business. Think of it as your brand’s DNA – it makes you distinct and memorable.
I plucked this off Jaguar’s website:
When the British icon unveiled its new identity, it seems like they’re now ready to be a fashion brand for the woke community 🌈.
Why Brand Alignment Matters?
Alignment is crucial because it builds trust and loyalty. It’ll also make what you offer stand out in a saturated market. It helps you rise above the noise.
Most of all, it ensures longevity because trends come and go but heritage endures. By staying rooted in your brand’s history, you can adapt to market changes without losing your essence.
Businesses that stray too far risk alienating loyal customers and losing relevance.
Drifting from your brand image and heritage leads to confusion, disengagement, and loss of trust.
Customers who once resonated with your business might no longer recognize it. Competitors with clearer messaging can swoop in to fill the gap.
Branding isn’t about chasing trends or blending in; it’s about standing tall as a distinctive and trustworthy presence in the market.
Was it a genius marketing strategy?
Time will tell.
One thing’s for sure, the brand has generated a lot of attention and conversation. Good or bad, being talked about is better than not being talked about.
According to Google Trends, a value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means that there was not enough data for this term.
When it gained the score of 89 in October 2016, Jaguar F-Pace went on sale. It was the brand’s first SUV car in the market. People were excited for it.
Then the trend died. Without sufficient data, I’m guessing it’s due to its engine reliability.
Then on March 2018, it once again started to receive a score of 82. This time, it can be attributed to Jaguar’s announcement of its self-drive car.
Then the popularity of the brand declined over the years.
At the time of this writing, it has reached a score of 100!
If Jaguar is measuring its marketing success based on the buzz it has created, it was a resounding success! The brand has probably been talked about more in 30 days than its entire lifetime. (This has got to be it, right?!)
Conveniently, the new car design was also leaked ahead of its scheduled unveiling. More buzz!!
Sourced from Jaguar
The brand is targeting the younger, wealthier, more diverse, design-minded, progressive, and non-automotive influencer audience.
Will this rebrand save them from ruins?
Will its core product appeal to who it wants to target?
Only time will tell.
