Image your neighbourhood British pub. It’s centuries outdated and feels prefer it. The polished wooden interiors with overstuffed leather-based seating. The dim mild from charmingly vintage lighting fixtures. The boring however supple carpet. There are not any surprises right here — respectable beer, not-so-decent meals. Most significantly: Unassuming, no-frills patrons. The pub is a reassuring, mounted level in an unsure universe.
However gross sales are withering, and the outdated regulars are dying off. Sooner or later, after months of renovations, the place reopens. It’s in the identical location, has the identical title. Nevertheless it’s unrecognisable: A cocktail bar with snazzy lighting and Instagram-worthy nooks. Gone are the Sunday roast, shepherd’s pie and fish & chips. There’s international delicacies now, all of it created from domestically sourced substances. And a separate vegan menu. The joint desires to be extra inclusive, and there are delight flags on the storefront home windows. They’re angling for a complete new clientele, one who would by no means take into account stopping by right here earlier.
Will the gambit work?
Jaguar has had an eventful company historical past. From making essentially the most lovely post-war automotive (The E-Kind), to being absorbed, nationalised, spun off and forged away, it has endured apathy, neglect and borderline abuse. (Taking a look at you now, Ford). The 2008 Tata Motors acquisition was promising, however even right here Jaguar was rapidly overshadowed by its extra profitable SUV cousin, Land Rover. This wasn’t Tata’s fault, only a signal of the instances: The market wished massive SUVs, not low tremendous saloons or little sports activities vehicles.
It wasn’t all gloom and doom, although. There was a promising design revival led by Ian Callum, and gross sales peaked in 2018 at 1,80,000 models. Jaguar beat most opponents to launch the primary mainstream conceived-electric luxurious automotive: the I-Tempo. It even gained the 2019 World Automobile of the Yr award. So naturally, Jaguar let it wither on the vine. No updates, no assist and large element shortages (pre-Covid!).
Prior to now, patrons put up with Jaguar’s infamous reliability for its picture — the cheeky, broke inheritor whose appeal at all times lets him get away with being a cad. You’d be forgiving too, in the event you noticed one in every of these beauties in British racing inexperienced on the showroom ground. And the roar from the engine would dispel any doubts that remained.
In 2021, after years of losses, Jaguar introduced plans to go all electrical in 4 years. The plug was pulled on the subsequent technology of its flagship: The XJ. All IC engine improvement was suspended. This was most likely for the most effective. The outdated, fire-breathing supercharged V6s and V8s had given technique to the anaemic Ingenium household of engines. Jaguar had devolved from Bentley-lite to a shoddy Audi-BMW-Merc clone.
Possibly going electrical might reserve it. However electrical vehicles have an inherent drawback: They lack soul. Designed to be as aerodynamic as attainable, all EVs begin to look alike — ungainly blobs with ugly wheels. The load of the batteries makes sharp dealing with near-impossible. Solely Porsche has come near cracking that puzzle. And no engine means no roar. What does a silent Jag even stand for?
On this context, Jaguar’s controversial rebrand is sensible. Like our pub, it could now not survive on its dwindling erstwhile patrons. It has missed the beginning gun on luxurious or tech as a differentiator. It can not beat the Chinese language on value. And so, like every good luxurious model, it has determined to embrace picture as identification. Jaguar will likely be an inclusive, fashion-forward, planet-positive marque. Will probably be aspirational, and communicate to a far youthful viewers, embracing individuality and acceptance.
It’s fascinating that, till just lately, this place was occupied by Tesla. With Elon Musk’s current rightward drift, an area has opened up precisely the place Jaguar is positioning itself. That is solely unintentional, as Jaguar’s language and tagline had been determined fairly some time again, pre-dating Musk’s ideological fluidity. For as soon as, Jaguar has lucked out.
It isn’t going to be a simple path although. The liberal group is accepting, inclusive and trusting, to the purpose of naivete. It has endured years of poorly designed and shoddily constructed Teslas. It doesn’t, nevertheless, like being patronised. If there’s even a whiff of the performative, Jaguar will likely be cancelled instantly. And because it has deserted its outdated identification, there’s no going again there both.
Right here’s the underside line, Jaguar: The colorful adverts with dated photographs and iffy emblem adjustments aren’t going to suffice. Don’t deal with this as a fast photo-op at your native Pleasure Parade. Be an precise ally. Because you’ve chosen your lane, persist with it now. Embrace these values even when it means giving up massive chunks of your outdated demographic. Above all, be taught to hear. Absolutely, you recognize what it feels wish to not be heard in your individual dwelling.
The author is a Bangalore-based entrepreneur who additionally writes about enterprise, finance and startups
