Jaguar prowls with Global Beach

Jaguar’s quest to consolidate its global brand position has taken a step closer with the appointment of a worldwide interactive consultancy and the narrowing of its search for a branding consultancy.

Jaguar has trimmed its shortlist from seven to three and has appointed the Global Beach Group to consolidate its different market websites into one global offering.

The shortlist to rebrand the premium car manufacturer is understood to now include Landor Associates, Fitch and The Partners. The three are understood to be meeting Jaguar this week to receive further details on the project and an appointment is expected in late September or early October. Imagination, Pentagram and Attik are among the consultancies to have dropped out of the race after two rounds of credentials and creative pitches.

The project is understood to be a full corporate identity revamp, as exclusively revealed by Design Week (DW 12 July). It is also understood to include a complete review of the brand and recommendations on its overall strategy.

However, Jaguar is playing down the extent of the work. ‘We will look at the corporate identity and it will lead to improvements, but I don’t think it will lead to a total redesign,’ Jaguar corporate identity manager Louise Arnold says.

The chosen group will act as brand guardian. The length of the contract has yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, the creation of a master website will elicit a major departure from existing designs, according to Jaguar customer relationship marketing and new media manager Phil Chapman. The launch of the site is expected in the last quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2002, he says.

‘Whatever direction the overall brand takes will influence all communications, including the website,’ he says.

Jaguar has a website template covering 57 of its 60 markets. North America has its own Jaguar website, as does Australia and Sweden.

‘Jaguar is a premium brand so we want a consistent brand message,’ adds Chapman.

Global Beach Group has been working on Jaguar’s on-line services in all markets except North America. It beat incumbent agency Ogilvy Interactive, which held the Jaguar account in the US, to become Jaguar’s worldwide interactive partner.

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