Byron Sharp, author of How Brands Grow, highlights the power of memory structures. Jaguar’s heritage—Le Mans wins, the E-Type, and the “Jaaaag” factor—are its mental assets.
Sharp argues that one of the sole aims of advertising is to refresh mental availability. Doing so keeps the awareness high and boosts purchases.
Huge brands like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Apple, and Audi incorporate distinctive brand elements into every one of their ads. This repeat exposure builds mental availability in the customer’s mind.
In his book, Sharp notes how ads that successfully link to existing brand assets are 60% more effective at driving sales than generic ads with weak brand associations.
In other words, Coca-Cola sells more by creating familiar, albeit perhaps dull, ads of young friends drinking Coke on a hot day than they would by creating an ad that’s distinctive yet unfamiliar.
Jaguar ditching all their recognized assets for abstract visuals risks losing everything that makes the brand memorable.
Lessons from Australian Wine
Bryon Sharp shares an example of france telegram data Queen Adelaide, a well-known wine brand in Australia that had lost market relevance and shelf space.
Seppelt, the company behind Queen Adelaide, saw an opportunity to relaunch the brand rather than create a new one. Unlike Jaguar, Queen Adelaide focused on maintaining familiarity. They retained the recognizable name and design elements to trigger existing memory structures in consumers’ minds.
Within a short period, Queen Adelaide became the largest-selling chardonnay in Australia. Sales surged due to the brand’s ability to reconnect with its established mental availability.
The example underscores that doubling down on mental availability can drive sales for a struggling brand.
The Sensible Option for Jaguar
The safe and sensible option for the iconic brand would have been to marry the old and the new.
Take the assets that Jaguar fans are familiar with and build on them to highlight their new electronic era.
They could have reinvented the logo but kept clearer nods to Jaguar’s heritage. Mental availability thrives on familiarity, and Jaguar’s rebrand leaves them as weak as a new brand entering an extremely competitive market.
By adding to the strong brand, Jaguar could have retained the strong associations millions around the world had with the brand rather than severing them.
But that’s the safe option. While it’s undoubtedly less risky and far less likely to lead to a catastrophic drop in sales, it also has less potential for upside.
The Big Question
Is Jaguar’s rebrand a clever move to secure 9 strategies for health in business its place in the EV market, or will it end up as another Tropicana-like disaster?
Mark Ritson argues they should’ve modernized with their heritage, not erased it. Rory Sutherland? He’s keeping an open mind.
What’s certain is this: Jaguar has risked united kingdom cell number billions in mental availability. If they can’t build new associations fast enough, this bold bet might cost more than they can afford.
This blog is part of Phill Agnew’s Marketing Cheat Sheet series where he reveals the scientifically proven tips to help you improve your marketing. To learn more, listen to his podcast Nudge, a proud member of the Hubspot Podcast Network.
