Podcast Summary

Podcast: We Fixed It. You're Welcome.
Episode: REPLAY: Jaguar’s EV Rebrand — How to Fix a Luxury Icon
Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Aaron (A), Gamut Podcast Network
Panelists: Melissa (C), Kadira (D), Special Guest - Beatrice Goodconnect (B)
Theme: What went wrong with Jaguar’s all-electric rebrand, and how to "fix" a legendary brand facing identity crisis and backlash.

Main Theme & Purpose

The panel dissects Jaguar’s recent, highly criticized shift to a fully electric, rebranded identity. The team explores where Jaguar went wrong—examining campaign, product, operations, and cultural cues—then workshopped practical, brand-conscious solutions. The episode centers on the tension between innovation and heritage, and offers a playbook for luxury brands navigating seismic transformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: The Fall and Stumble of Jaguar’s Rebrand

• History Check: Jaguar evolved from the 1922 Swallow Sidecar Company, establishing itself by 1961 as a British luxury icon with the E-Type—“the most beautiful car ever made” (Enzo Ferrari).
• Ownership Timeline: Ford (1989), then Tata Motors (2008, forming JLR).
• EV Leap: In 2018, Jaguar tested electric with the I-Pace—a commercial flop. By late 2024, a sweeping EV rebrand launched—“surreal visuals, spoken word poetry… but no car”—triggering backlash for being “confusing, out of touch and overly woke” [02:05–04:36].
• Leadership Fallout: CEO resigns (July 31, 2025) mid-controversy.

2. What Went Wrong?

• Authenticity Failure:

  • Kadira: “When you make a sharp pivot... it will make all the difference between well received or receiving backlash. These things have to already be a part of who you are as a company.” [04:50]
  • Sudden shifts jar loyal buyers; new campaigns discarded Jaguar’s visible identity.

• Alienating Loyalists:

  • Beatrice: “They hella alienated their audience. It’s like going for the same ice cream at the supermarket and suddenly it’s unrecognizable even though it’s there.” [09:18]
  • Legacy buyers lost, new buyers unconvinced.

• Lack of Product Focus: Missteps compounded by marketing “teasers” that ignored showing the car, further eroding trust and creating “credibility gap.” (Melissa [13:56])

3. Heritage vs. Futurism: The Missed Opportunity

• Panel Consensus: Jaguar abandoned its racing, British-luxury DNA in favor of generalized futurism, losing emotional resonance.
  • “You’re not going to out-Tesla Tesla. Jaguar already has a defined brand—why abandon it?” (Melissa [07:26])
• Evolution, Not Erasure:
  • Kadira: “Wouldn’t it have been cool for them to position this as progress and our evolution? Show you’re not abandoning who you are… but evolving.” [11:34]
  • Peer example: VW’s evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, electric Beetle relaunch [17:24].

4. Rebrand Execution & Internal Strategy

• Panel Analysis:
  • Too much focus on marketing, too little on “product-market fit” and consistent execution.
  • Internal inclusivity missed: Engaging employees/customers to narrate the transformation could have fostered authenticity and human connection. (Kadira [18:36], Beatrice [21:01])
  • The cost of flashy campaigns redirected vital R&D and operational resources. (Melissa [13:56])
• Cultural Reset: Board and C-suite culture (“diversity of thought”) questioned. Who actually influenced the rebrand? Structural, not just personnel, changes needed ([30:02–34:54]).

5. Strategic Recommendations for Recovery

• Don’t Overcorrect/Alienate: Offer EVs as an addition—not a replacement—for legacy products ([13:56–16:25]).
• Make it Human and Emotional:
  • Share struggles and engineering “messiness.”
  • Reconnect with owners, “let the brand be vulnerable” (Aaron [22:53]; collective agreement).
• Capitalize on British Heritage:
  • “Be luxury, be British, be iconic, be different.” (Melissa [22:53])
  • Leverage partnerships (James Bond, luxury British brands) and exclusivity—Jaguar clubhouses at charging stations, lifestyle integrations ([42:34–45:10]).
  • “You want in? The price of entry is a Jaguar.” (Aaron [44:55])
• Customer Experience: Enhance feeling of belonging—ownership as status and aspiration ([22:53]).
• Rebrand, Don’t Repaint:
  • Beatrice: “A rebrand should not be the solution. ...it’s like putting lipstick on a pig. That needs to stop.” [34:54]
  • Realign on original company values, make them actionable [36:25–36:43].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Panelist, Kadira ([04:50]):

  “What happened here is a really good reminder that the buyer is smart. These things have to already be a part of who you are as a company, because when you make a sharp pivot… it will make all the difference between well received or receiving backlash.”

• Beatrice ([09:18]):

  “They hella alienated their audience… You’re just looking everywhere. You’re like, where’s this one that I know?”

• Melissa ([13:56]):

  “Are you spending money on flash vs. outcome?”

• Kadira ([11:34]):

  “Wouldn’t it have been cool for them to position this as progress and our evolution? … You’re showing your audience we’re not abandoning who we are. We’re evolving.”

• Aaron ([22:53]):

  “Jaguars are sexy. So why aren’t you leaning in to those types of things that differentiate you as a brand and make it your asset?... Make it emotional.”

• Panel brainstorm ([44:42]):

  “Live like a Brit. … There’s a lineage. All the James Bond actors. … It’s not just a car, you’re joining a cultural mindset.”

• Beatrice ([45:39]):

  “Who would they make an exceptional partner with? Nespresso. Oh, George Clooney.”

• Beatrice ([34:54]):

  “If the inside of the business is still the same, it’s like putting lipstick on a pig…that needs to stop.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–04:36 | Jaguar’s history, failed EV rebrand, backlash & CEO exit | | 04:50–11:34 | Panel analysis: authenticity, brand misalignment | | 13:56–18:22 | Heritage vs. Futurism: lessons from VW, competitor context | | 18:36–22:53 | Internal audiences, operational and cultural gaps | | 22:53–30:00 | Emotional storytelling, failed “sexy” factor, customer experience | | 30:02–34:54 | Boardroom culture, decision-making, structural issues | | 34:54–37:54 | Rebrand caution: internal alignment and involving all teams | | 39:52–46:02 | Panel “fixes” for Jaguar: reconnect, humanize, rebuild trust | | 44:42–45:39 | "Live like a Brit"/James Bond campaign brainstorm | | 46:14–End | Guest plug, closing remarks |

Actionable Takeaways & Fixes

• Restore Product, Not Just Perception:
  Show the car. Let innovation enhance, not erase, beloved features.
• Engage Loyalists, Broadly & Deeply:
  Open dialogue; authentically involve legacy buyers, employees, and customers.
• Reinvigorate Heritage:
  Lean hard on British luxury, exclusivity, and storytelling. Strategic partnerships (e.g., James Bond, Nespresso).
• Promote Evolution, Not Overhaul:
  Signal progress while making clear Jaguar DNA survives.
• Rebuild Internally First:
  Align operations, R&D, and marketing. Don’t just swap C-suite—change structures and processes.
• Make the Rebrand a Journey:
  Be transparent about struggles; create a shared, “messy” brand experience that’s emotional and memorable.
• Ditch Flash for Substance:
  Direct resources to innovation, not just attention-getting stunts.

Closing Thoughts

Panelists agree: Jaguar’s path is fixable—but it demands humility, a return to brand roots, authentic storytelling and a realignment of every internal and external stakeholder. As Aaron sums up, “Let’s have the new CEO… say, look, we got off track… and recalibrate. Do the messy stuff. Let us all in on that.” [43:39]