Relevance vs. Trend Hopping: How Jaguar Balances the Loyalty of Its Aging Base and the Demands of New Global Affluent Buyers

By Gabriela Alcantara-Diaz – Founder, President / SEMILLA Multicultural, Inc.

What I’ve learned in working with clients on brand transitions throughout decades—whether we call it evolution, transformation, rebranding, or something else—is that visionary brands never need to compromise their essence. They refine and adapt it to stay relevant in an ever-changing consumer landscape. It’s not about chasing trends; it’s about understanding how to evolve meaningfully without losing what made the brand great.

Take Coco Chanel, for example. She didn’t follow trends—she redefined them. By introducing masculinity into women’s fashion, she liberated women from the confines of societal norms, creating a lasting impact. Chanel’s genius wasn’t in jumping on what was popular; it was in shaping something new that resonated with the times. “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” Those words hold true for every brand today that seeks to stay relevant.

Jaguar’s recent campaign, while ambitious, risks missing the mark if it doesn’t connect authentically with its audience. Too often, brands “trend hop,” using pop culture as a quick fix to capture attention, but without understanding how to integrate it meaningfully into the brand’s essence. The danger is losing depth and authenticity, especially when appealing to the next generation of gender, racially, and ethnically diverse luxury drivers.

This isn’t about “wokeness” or following the latest cultural wave. It’s about evolving to stay relevant to a new generation of consumers who may not value the same things as their predecessors. As those who once held the keys to Jaguar’s legacy pass them to a new generation—who may be just as keyless as they are—it’s critical to remain rooted in the brand’s identity while embracing change.

Jaguar’s pivot toward targeting a globally diverse, high-net-worth buyer underscores this shift. The focus on exclusive brand stores, rather than traditional dealerships, reflects a luxury-driven approach that aligns with their new positioning.

As James Morris from Forbes writes:

“Jaguar’s sales strategy will pivot in this direction too. The hubs for this will be exclusive brand stores around the world, rather than traditional dealerships, complemented by a wider global network of luxury retailers. The first brand store will be in Paris in the 8th Arrondissement – where the city’s fashion industry has its center. When you consider that Jaguar has chosen to launch the vehicle at Miami Art Week, where pieces start at six figures and go up from there, there is a clear departure in this market positioning.”

By choosing Paris’s 8th Arrondissement—fashion’s beating heart—and Miami Art Week, Jaguar is signaling a deliberate move away from its previous market position. This refined luxury strategy emphasizes exclusivity, cultural alignment, and relevance to the new generation of luxury consumers.

In the end, brand survival isn’t about reacting to every trend or societal shift. It’s about relevance and resonance. Visionary brands evolve with intention, adapting their essence to meet the needs of a changing world, all while staying true to the values that made them successful in the first place.

Is there a future with haute couture Chanel and Jaguar Type 00? Perhaps. The connection between high-end fashion and luxury cars lies not in fleeting trends but in crafting an identity that transcends time, creating something irreplaceable. Just as Chanel revolutionized fashion, brands like Jaguar can redefine what luxury and innovation mean in this new era, keeping their essence while evolving to meet the needs of the next generation.