• by Karl Greenberg , September 3, 2015

Jaguar has been reinventing itself since Tata acquired the brand in 2008, and more recently, with the F-Type, something of a home run for the brand, and the star of the “British Villains” campaign. What the brand doesn’t have are products for the volume regions of the market, where vehicles like BMW 3-Series, Audi A-4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Lexus IS compete.  

Next year that changes with the introduction of a new compact sports sedan, the XE, and perhaps even more important, given the strength of the segment today, the F-Pace compact SUV. Kim McCullough, VP marketing for Jaguar Land Rover, said at a press event in New York, web-cast worldwide, that it will appeal to a potential 1.2 million additional buyers who hadn't considered Jaguar before. 

Jaguar's general manager of product planning, Rob Filipovic, said the company is also bringing in “a dramatically improved value proposition.” That means, in addition to competitive entry-priced models, lower MSRPs, and increased standard equipment. He said the goal is to make the Jaguar lineup “more accessible by aiming and pricing to the core of the luxury market.” The XE will start at $34,900. The car, he said, “will be key for growth but also the entry point for thousands of new customers.”

Jaguar is also creating a new warranty and extended coverage program called EliteCare: starting with the 2016 model-year lineup every vehicle comes a five year/60,000 mile limited warranty and complimentary scheduled maintenance, plus connectivity services and roadside assistance. “After pricing,” said McCullough, “the top reason consumers reject a luxury vehicle is concern over cost of maintenance and repair, quality, and reliability.” 

She said Jaguar's reputation, however, has lagged reality, and the new program is meant to change that. She said that when Jaguar tested the program, the results included an increase in the number of customers likely to buy Jaguar vehicles. 

While the XE and F-Pace will be part of a new brand campaign next year, per McCullough, the automaker is launching a fall campaign supporting the redesigned, second generation XF, a refresh of the XJ sedan and the new EliteCare program, includes Jaguar's largest TV buy to date, along with digital and print elements. 

Marketing for the XF carries a “Not Business as Usual” mantra, and features a global TV spot, still in the works. The XJ campaign, “Rare and Meant to Be,” is digital and focuses on the car's revamped interior. Meanwhile, EliteCare will be online, as well, with video assets on JaguarUSA.com that show off the full Jaguar lineup. Launching Sept.14, the effort is timed with the reveal of the F-Pace in Frankfurt.

McCullough said the XF campaign, comes from the insight that the majority of owners are executives and entrepreneurs. “They are early adopters of technology and see themselves as cutting edge. The idea is that XF is refined and restrained, dynamic and purposeful.” The TV rotation will be more aggressive than has Jaguar’s media exposure been for past campaigns. 

And Jaguar is supporting the new vehicles on the ground, as well, with a seven-city “Art of Performance” tour starting in November, and concluding in New York next spring. That program also provides an opportunity to attendees to be among the first to drive the XE. And, aligned with the fact that Jaguar has a presence in the next Bond film, “Spectre,” consumers who participate will be in their own action film, via video technology that green-screens into different scenarios. 

McCullough tells Marketing Daily that social media is a key aspect of the campaign, as consumers who read positive peer reviews are 2.5 times as likely to buy. She says that the company has also been able to track social engagement to sales, via DataLogix and Polk. “We started the program to encourage new owners to rate and share their thoughts on their purchase,” she says, adding that Jaguar is expanding the program to key shopping sites starting with AutoTrader.com.