The Danger of Rebranding Without Research and Brand Strategy

Ever seen a brand pour millions into a rebrand and get f*ck-all back? You’ve probably watched it happen – big unveil, new ads, a new logo – and then… nothing. No impact. No connection. No ROI.

That’s either because they didn’t do their research first or didn’t lock down their brand strategy.

Point is: you can’t expect success if you don’t put the work in. And if you can’t (or won’t), bring in someone like co&co to do it properly 😮‍💨. No rebrand just magically works. Too many brands make superficial changes because they think something “looks good,” but looking good doesn’t pay the bills. Strategy does. Research does. Understanding your audience does.

A rebrand without a brand strategy in place is not the way to do it lads 🙅‍♀️.

And worse – it’s dangerous. It alienates loyal customers, confuses your team, and makes you look like you’ve lost the f*cking plot. Which, in Jaguar’s case, is exactly what happened.

Let’s get into it.

You Can’t Just Slap on a Logo and Call It a Rebrand

Too many brands still think “rebrand” means “update the logo and that’s it”. That’s not how brand strategy works. A logo isn’t the be all and end all. And your customers see through it instantly.

Your audience doesn’t give a fu*k about your new visual identity unless it means something. A typeface tweak and a new logo won’t hide the fact that you haven’t done the real work. And by real work, we mean:

• Get clear on your Brand DNA - mission, vision, values, tone of voice, proposition.

• Who are we now?

• Who do we serve?

• What do our audience care about?

• And how does every touchpoint reflect that?

A proper rebrand goes deep. You need to dig into the research and get brutally honest about what really needs to change.

A rebrand isn’t about changing everything. It’s about making the changes that matter. It needs to make sense for your brand: your ethos, culture, audience, tone, product, and team all need to align. It’s not just what you look like, it’s who you are.

Which brings us onto Jaguar.

Exhibit A: Jaguar – The Midlife Crisis of Rebrands

Jaguar has built its entire brand off heritage, power, and a very specific demographic: middle-aged men who want a bit of speed and status, but also the comfort of not driving something too flashy.

Their audience knows exactly what Jaguar is. Or at least, they did.

In a bid to ‘modernise’, they threw the whole thing in the bin – heritage, brand equity, loyal audience – and tried to reinvent themselves as ‘woke’ and electric. The problem was that no one asked for that. And they just absolutely butchered the execution.

What followed was a radical and controversial rebrand that completely missed the mark. They stripped out everything recognisable and replaced it with a bold, but completely soulless new identity that made zero sense for the brand, with the aim of attracting younger, urban, wealthy buyers.

In came a confusing new logo and a tone-deaf ad campaign that alienated the very people who’d been buying their cars for decades – and failed to win over the ones they were chasing. It was a complete departure from everything people liked about Jaguar in the first place.

The worst part is there was no explanation. No bridge from past to future. No actual narrative.

This rebrand, coupled with the pivot to an all-electric vehicle-only lineup, led to a dramatic drop in sales where some European markets saw a nearly 98% collapse in April 2025. The f*ck-up also contributed to significant financial setbacks for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), all because they forgot the first rule of rebranding: brand strategy first.

Your Existing Audience Isn’t Dead (Yet)

Look – we’re not saying don’t evolve. Every brand has to. Your audience changes, the world moves, the expectations shift. You’ve got to stay relevant.

But you can’t just ditch the people who got you where you are.

Jaguar seemed to forget that while they were chasing “cool” and “future-focused” and whatever else the brand deck said, the vast majority were still middle-aged blokes who just wanted a nice car with a bit of power and comfort. You don’t need to alienate your current audience to attract a new one. Smart brands expand their reach by layering, not deleting.

The irony is that Jaguar’s sister brand, Land Rover – owned by the very same JLR Group – has actually nailed it. Same parent company, same overarching strategy, but two completely different executions. One flopped. The other thrived. Here’s proof of what happens when a rebrand is built on solid brand strategy.

Exhibit B: Land Rover

Land Rover didn’t panic-rebrand – they didn’t need to. What they did do was evolve smartly, making sure every new product and sub-brand aligned perfectly with its audience. Instead of chucking out their heritage, they built on it. The result was a brand that feels modern and relevant without ever losing the thread of what makes Land Rover, Land Rover.

Same parent company. Same future-focused strategy. Totally different result.

They’ve pulled off what most brands can’t: appealing to completely different audiences without losing their identity.

👉 They still sell traditional Defenders to the British Army and farmers.

👉 They also sell new Defenders to lifestyle bloggers, urban explorers, and yummy mummies.

👉 They sell Range Rover Vogues to middle-aged men in the Cotswolds.

👉 And they sell Evoques to wannabe footballers’ wives who live on Instagram.

These audiences could not be further apart. But somehow, it all works. Because Land Rover understands brand architecture, audience segmentation, and most importantly, emotional connection.

They’ve built distinct “brand worlds” around each product family – Defender, Range Rover, and Discovery. Each has its own look, tone, purpose, and vibe.

Unlike Jaguar, they didn’t chase someone else’s brand. They evolved their own.

This is what smart branding should look like: knowing your people, growing your audience, and never losing the plot.

Don’t Confuse Noise With Relevance

You can always pay for attention. But relevance has to be earned.

A bold move backed by strategy earns respect, even when it’s risky. But when you make a big splash without doing the groundwork – without knowing who you are, who you serve, and where you’re heading – it’s not going to land.

Yes the Jaguar rebrand created A LOT of noise. But was it good noise? Absolutely not. It was confusion, backlash, and headlines for all the wrong reasons. They didn’t build relevance, they just created a car crash of a brand moment that alienated their existing audience and failed to win over a new one.

Rebranding without strategy won’t hold up. And when it collapses, it’ll cost you more to fix than if you’d done it properly the first time.

So What Is the Right Way to Rebrand?

Here’s how we do it at co&co. No fluff. No bull. A rebrand is a business reset. And this is why you need a brand strategy in the first place. Here’s what the process looks like 👇

🖤 Start with your brand DNA

This is your mission, vision, values, tone of voice and proposition. You should already know what they are but if you can’t answer these, you’re not ready for a re-brand. This is the core of any brand strategy. Get clear on your brand DNA first.

🖤 Look into your audience

Who are they now? Who are you trying to reach? Who can’t you afford to lose? This is where most brands blow it – they try to reach “everyone” and end up with no one. If your brand isn’t positioned clearly, your rebrand won’t work for you. You need to know how to resonate with your audience (existing ones and new).


🖤 Visual Identity and Messaging:

A rebrand takes more than selecting a new colour palette, logo or strapline. It’s about how you show up – visually, verbally, emotionally. If you’re thinking of changing something, ask why. Is it broken, or are you just bored? Familiarity is brand equity. Don’t bin it unless there’s a real reason. Your look and voice should reflect your strategy – not cover up the lack of one.

🖤 Be brutally honest

Do you actually need a rebrand? Or are you just bored? Maybe your product is the issue. Maybe your content’s sh*t. Don’t blow it all up if you’ve just noticed you need to fix a few cracks.

🖤 Build a bridge, not a cliff edge

If you’re evolving, show people the journey. Bring them with you. Don’t shove them off and hope new ones show up.

🖤 Make the strategy visible

A good rebrand doesn’t just look different. It feels different. Every visual, every word, every customer touchpoint has to drip with clarity and confidence.

Final Word: Don’t Be Jaguar

If you’re thinking about a rebrand, don’t be the brand that spends millions on a new logo and nothing on meaning. Don’t be the brand that confuses change for progress. And don’t be the brand that forgets the people who’ve kept you alive all these years.

Want to do it right? Get a proper brand strategy in place. Then build something that actually f*cking lasts.

You know where we are if you need us. Want to work together?