Know Your Audience

I may be late to the party, but I can't stop thinking about that damn car company!

The Jaguar rebrand showed us just how important it is for firms to recognize their target audience and why messaging matters.I want to break it down using some simple Marketing 101 principles: why it was a...risky...move, and how I think Jaguar could have benefitted from a different angle.

Let’s start with the idea of the target audience. Your target audience is your core. They’re the people who keep coming back to your brand again and again—whether for customer service, price, quality, or something else. Your target audience consists of those most likely to be interested in what your company offers.

Understanding this group is crucial for any brand. So, when you think of Jaguar, what comes to mind? For me, it’s Bond—James Bond. It may not be an Aston Martin, but Jaguar exudes that classic British upper-class lifestyle. It’s posh. It’s classic. It’s timeless.

So why throw that out the window?

The reality is that Jaguar was falling behind its competitors, particularly with the rise of EVs and luxury SUVs. Simply put, no one was willing to pay a premium for a luxury two-seater that’s notoriously less reliable than its German counterparts. Jaguar’s response? A switch to an all-EV lineup.

It’s so bad that Jaguar isn’t producing a new car until at least 2026. You can’t even buy one in England—their home country—right now.

This is why Jaguar chose to go bold. Say what you will about their advertisement, but it generated a lot of buzz. They say any publicity is good publicity, right? However, that might not be the case for Jaguar.

Consumer behavior has shifted dramatically in recent years, and I’m not sure brands are keeping up. If Jaguar had taken this approach 8-10 years ago, it might have actually worked. Back then, the culture was much more supportive of avant-garde, bold styles. Breaking the mold was in!

But consumers today want something different.

After a decade of brands going minimalist, avant-garde, and drifting away from their classic positioning, consumers are tired. The trend is dead. Today’s consumers—especially younger cohorts—are yearning for something authentic. They want their brands, products, and services to stand for something, to mean something. Simply put, they want brands with character.

Jaguar offered a timeless silhouette—a feeling and aura you don’t get in many places. That had gravitas. It appealed to a niche audience that appreciated its classic identity. By abandoning that, Jaguar missed an opportunity to generate better buzz by doubling down on its timeless appeal.

Imagine if Jaguar had announced its switch to EVs with a new model that kept that vintage design, painted in classic British racing green. Doesn’t that sound cool? I think it sounds cool.

Knowing your audience and understanding how consumer sentiment shifts is critical for marketers. You have to stay in touch with cultural shifts and position your brand to move with them. Jaguar failed on both fronts with their rebrand, and it’s turning into a major blunder.

The takeaway? Learn where your audience is, and message to them that your brand is for them. Inclusivity is great, but you need to know who is driving your business and craft your messaging around that core before building out further.