As for the XJ, I think the full size luxury sedan segment is one that has shrunken enormously. These days, full size luxury SUVs are more in vogue!

 

I have noticed for a long time, that Jaguar doesn't do ANY sales marketing in the NY/NJ/CT. tristate area. No TV commercials and nothing in newspapers by local Jag dealerships. Are they stupid or just cheap .
Mercedes and BMW flood the airwaves with TV commercials along with print media for car sales offers etc ....
Jaguar I believe still has the stigma of being an old man's car.
BMW and Mercedes target a young successful clientele through the various ads. If Jag played it right, they could utilize a James Bond Type theme to promote the Jag product. After all, James Bond is synonymous with being Cool & Sexy !

 

Jaguar has been targeting the cable sports channels, not the major networks or local papers.

 

Jaguar is doing limited marketing on select media .
Why ...?
Why not bombard all the channels with Jag commercials, just like Mercedes and BMW doex. I don't get it.

 

if i had to guess ... money

 

+1. Mercedes sells 10 time the number that Jag sells in the US. Jag can only afford to spend a tenth as much on marketing. They therefore need to remain far more razor sharp in their market targeting approach.

 

From what little I have seen - pun intended - Jaguars marketing department/efforts falls far short in my estimation (and when compared with my personal - first hand - experience with other marques) and I would like to think that I will [still] be proved wrong. I'm waiting.

 

All business's know and implement this philosophy,
In order to make money one has to spend money. This marketing formula clearly worked for the German auto manufacturers. Jaguar should be much more aggressive if they want to bump up sales and brand recognition. Am I wrong ?

 

Not wrong at all. But given the limited sales in the US and the ability to divert marketing resources for more effective results in other markets and other brands (LR, Daewoo, Tata, etc.), it's not surprising that U.S. Jag marketing takes a back seat.

 

I see Jaguar TV ads all the time...but it's on the sports related programming mentioned earlier.

 

As long as I can find parts to maintain and fix my FType after I have 100k miles on it in a few years, I could care if Jaguar never sold another car in the US. I love my FType and if no more are sold then it simply becomes more exclusive.

I do hope Jaguar continues to offer amazing vehicles when it comes time to purchase another, but I have always thought of them as a semi rare, luxury brand. I personally think of Jaguar as a step up over BWM, Porsche, Mercedes, and Audi, simply because Jags are more rare.

Jaguar seems to be stuck between the high volume German brands but still below the exceptionally rare Italian brands...

 

Plenty of ads on cable and all the big car magazines. Only 1 Jag dealer in Vegas so once in awhile dealer does run, he gets all of the"Dealer Association" money.

 

Jaguar probably needs to double US sales for the dealers. 25k Jags and 50k RR would be pretty good. But it must be done in a reasonable roll out that can be managed. Maserati is the perfect example how not to do it, 89 dealers! Big sales lasted less than year, too much stock ,too big discounts, and a car only now ready for prime time. Not enough mechanics nor manufacturer structure to support sales. Jag should learn from this and not outgrow their ability to service and support a bigger market.

 

+1. My wife keeps reaffirming that this is the last car I will ever buy. This car has to last me as long as some of my others already have. And like my others, I certainly won't ever get tired of it.

 

Maserati hit a home run with their Ghibli. Not easy to do. I see them every day, Maserati cache in a $70000 - $80000 car, with good lease rates. Jaguar has it with the F type, now they need it with a 4 door sedan, and I don't think they do with the XJ or XF yet.

 

Brand perception/reality, and lack of advertising is a problem. No individual could appropriately nail down the results directly of advertising a product or not. This has been tested over time by the decision to "pull" ads in various enterprises. That decision is agony for the decision maker(s), as nobody wants to see sales fall, and fingers point to advert pull as the reason. Very tricky decision, cloudy result, and one that has been hotly contested for years now.

As for the brand, quality is king/queen, and the result of poor quality is lower volume. Yes advertising helps a lot when selling so few cars in the US for example, but poor quality spreads the word must faster than TV spots. Now if you have great quality, great spots for a great vehicle.....that is a perfect recipe! I don't mean on a car that is 15+ years old, but rather new and within the 5-10 year range (10 pushing it). Remember the statement of "planned obsolescence"?

Jaguar makes great vehicles and has had a great name for years. They did some stupid things, and I believe that they are the Mfg. to beat going forward. Thank God they were acquired and "left alone" per se to stick to their roots by Tata.

Lastly, too many models confuses the public and "Sku Management" = "complexity", which = a potential mal-focus. Par of having a Jag is the aspiration to be able to get a Jag. That is the fun of it all in my view.

Just enjoying this thread and adding a few more thoughts to the good ones already stated before me.

 

I guess I just don't think it's a marketing issue! I think it's also an engineering and quality issue. Just how many comparison tests does Jaguar win? The upcoming XE may be the much-needed exception.

The reason you'd choose a Jaguar over a BMW or Mercedes, in my opinion, is because you fell in love with the damn thing!