When your rebranding strategy makes – or breaks – a legacy brand

How Jaguar’s 97.5% sales collapse became a masterclass in failed rebranding strategy – and what your brand can learn from it.

The cautionary numbers

In April 2025, Jaguar registered just 49 cars across the whole of Europe, down from 1,961 a year earlier. That’s a 97.5% plunge, one of the steepest single-month falls ever recorded for a premium brand. By contrast, rivals BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi shifted 50–75k vehicles each, holding share even in a softened market.

What went wrong for Jaguar?

Jaguar’s misstep	Why it hurt
“Copy nothing” identity launch removed the iconic leaper badge and showcased no actual cars	Fans felt the brand they loved had been stripped of its soul; social media backlash followed within hours.
Product blackout: every combustion model was dropped before EV replacements were ready	Dealers had empty showrooms; loyal customers defected to brands that could deliver today
All-or-nothing timing: a single, big-bang relaunch slated for 2025/26	The two-year revenue vacuum eroded dealer confidence and visibility

Read more: When rebrands go wrong: common mistakes and lessons to learn

What this teaches us about rebranding strategy

These aren’t just mistakes – they’re warnings for anyone crafting a rebranding strategy. Here’s what to take away…

Five brand strategy lessons

1. Evolution, not revolution: A fresh logo can be powerful, but drop every familiar cue overnight, and you risk “faceless new brand” syndrome. Keep at least one touchstone – be it a design motif, signature product line, or tone-of-voice – so existing fans still recognise you. Brand equity lives inside recognisable assets and emotional shortcuts. Remove them all at once, and even the boldest vision can stall.

   
   

💡 Change 10% at a time; let audiences evolve with you.

2. Product and story must launch together: A beautiful film is meaningless if customers can’t buy into the promise the next morning. Brand roll-outs must sync with deliverables – even if that means phasing the identity reveal.

💡 Ensure every new asset answers “Who are we, and why now?”

3. Mind the silent middle: Jaguar assumed its luxury buyers would wait. They didn’t. In B2B or B2C, even a brief gap creates space for competitors. Maintain continuity items, limited editions or “heritage” capsules while the future gets ready.

4. Test the temperature – then adjust: Early social listening could have flagged the backlash around dropping the leaper badge. Build in live feedback loops during every brand shift so you can pivot fast, not post-mortem.

5. Dealers, distributors, partners = frontline brand guardians: Empty showrooms shouted louder than any ad. Partners aren’t just sales enablers – they’re storytellers too. Treat them as a core audience: equip them with inventory, messaging and morale.

   
   

   💡 Prototype in public, test with superfans, iterate fast.

   
   

✅ Rebranding done right

1. Duolingo refreshed its owl gradually, adding motion and personality while staying recognisable.

2. Lego modernised its wordmark, but kept the iconic brick silhouette. Sales kept soaring.

3. Airbnb launched its Bélo symbol alongside user-generated content, instantly flooding social feeds with context and enthusiasm.

All three share what Jaguar missed: continuity and participation.

→ Build your brand foundation with our Brand Positioning Cheat Sheet template – a simple, quick and powerful way to craft a clear positioning statement and claim a space that’s unmistakably yours.

Key takeaways for marketers

1. Continuity buys time: Keep a hero product or visual anchor alive while new offerings ramp up.

2. Inventory is marketing: An empty shelf shouts louder than any billboard.

3. Minimal isn’t a strategy; it’s a style: Strip back only after you’ve secured emotional buy-in.

4. Measure by momentum, not memes: Virality means nothing if your sales graphs flatline.

Your next move

If you’re planning a repositioning – whether a minor refresh or a full pivot – ask:

1. What elements are non-negotiable for existing fans?

2. Will customers see and touch the new promise on day one?

3. Do partners have the tools (and inventory) to tell the story?

4. How will we track sentiment in real-time and adjust?

   
   

A rebrand isn’t a paint job. It’s open-heart surgery on perception, trust, and revenue. Handle it with surgical precision – not a sledgehammer.

👉🏼 Read more: How B2B Marketing leaders are building their brands with video

Final thought

Jaguar may yet roar back when its new EV lineup hits the roads – but the brand equity lost in the meantime is a cost few businesses can afford. Reinvention matters – but only when it’s choreographed to protect the very value you’re trying to amplify.

At Threerooms, we guide ambitious brands through meaningful evolution – preserving what makes them special while shaping what comes next.

Ready to evolve your brand with confidence? Let’s shape a rebranding strategy that honours your legacy and fuels your future. Let’s talk.

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Threerooms, a multi-award-winning branding agency, has dedicated over 20 years to optimising brands and helping businesses stand out and succeed. Whether crafting new brands or refining established ones, our team is committed to delivering brand transformation tailored to help you reach your goals.

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