When Branding Misses the Mark: What Small Businesses Can Learn from Jaguar

When Branding Misses the Mark: What Small Businesses Can Learn from Jaguar

In late 2024, Jaguar launched a new rebrand designed to reposition the company as a modern, progressive luxury brand. But the reaction wasn’t what they’d hoped for.

Gone were the cars. In their place, an abstract film focused on identity, diversity, and creative self-expression. The backlash was immediate. The campaign was labelled ‘woke’ by critics, while loyal customers voiced confusion and frustration at a brand they no longer recognised. What was intended to be a forward-thinking repositioning ended up sidelining the audience that had defined Jaguar for decades.

Months later, Jaguar dropped its global creative agency. The damage? Strategic, reputational, and entirely avoidable.

The warning signs were there.

When brands try too hard to impress a new audience without respecting the one they already have, they risk losing both. Jaguar didn’t just change its creative direction, it abandoned what made the brand meaningful: legacy, performance, and presence.

This wasn’t just a creative risk, it was a breakdown in brand alignment. And it’s a misstep that smaller businesses can’t afford to make.

What can you learn from it?

A rebrand should be a progression, not a personality transplant. When your visual identity and messaging stray too far from what your customers trust, the connection breaks.

Being current is important. But being clear is essential. And no amount of polish can fix messaging that forgets who it’s speaking to.

Farsight’s take: Good marketing climbs. It doesn’t fall.

Every brand faces the challenge of staying relevant. But there’s a difference between climbing with purpose and leaping off the edge.

In our view, Jaguar’s campaign went too far. The intent may have been bold, but the execution lost its footing. It ignored the customers who built the brand in favour of chasing something abstract. And now we’re watching the repair job unfold. Will they walk back the strategy? Apologise to their loyal base? Or attempt to redirect without losing face?

Brands need to evolve. That’s not in question. Evolution should be measured, planned and strategic. It should move the brand up, not over.

At Farsight, we help businesses navigate that climb with clarity. No leaps. No stunts. Just the right steps to grow, connect, and stay aligned with the people who matter most.

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