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What's up, y'all? It's Kenny Beecham. We are currently watching the best playoff basketball since I can't even remember when. This is what we've been waiting for all season long. And on my show, Small Ball, I'll be breaking down the series matchups, major performances, in-game coaching decisions, and game strategy and so much more for the most exciting time of the NBA calendar.
New episodes through the playoffs available on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Small Ball with Kenny Beecham so you don't miss a thing. I'm Scott Galloway, and this is No Mercy, No Malice. Jaguar is giving us more proof that the era of brands is over. Killing the cat, as read by George Hahn.
Jaguar, a brand that's been in a coma for years, is trying to wake up, and it's gasping. The car-free copy-nothing kickoff video and the rollout of a pink concept EV at Art Basel, Miami, have inspired well-earned mockery. The launch rivaled Elon's WeRobot event for the all-chip-no-salsa product launch of 2024. Getting attention is key to any marketing campaign, so mission accomplished, sort of.
Tata Motors, which owns Jaguar and its stablemate Land Rover, has also succeeded in further eroding what's left of Jaguar's brand equity. Jaguar trashed its iconic logo, all its current models, and its traditional promise of speed, power, and elegance. In their place is an uninspired and generic brand mark, a concept model that will never be put into production, and an incomprehensible promise.
Something about good-looking people, bright colors, and exotic haircuts. A lot has been said about this HBR case study that's writing itself, including some predictable culture war bullshit about Jaguar having gone woke. Most of this misses the larger point, which is that Jaguar's move is further proof that the brand age is over.
Just as doctors have a Hippocratic oath, chief marketing officers ought to have a similar pledge. First, do no harm. I've advised lots of big consumer brands about their marketing, and I've noticed that CMOs recognize their days are numbered and are desperate to show visible motion, whether it makes sense or not.
Often that activity, devoid of progress, means spending lots of money on a new agency stocked with sharply dressed young people who will host events giving awards to whoever spent the most money across the advertising industrial complex. I'm honored to be part of this brand's history, and I'm shocked how well my predecessors managed the brand, said no CMO ever. The typical incoming speech?
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