Land Rover North America

Cheryl (F11014)Ramya (F11045)

Abhishek (F11061)Sagar (F11100)

Swaruparani (F11116)Varun (F11120)

Land Rover Brand Identity (UK)

• Brand essence: Rugged, authentic, freedom, adventure

• Core Identity– Practical: Focused on on-field performance– Simple: No-frills appearance– Rural: Primarily used in country settings– Utility: Multipurpose usage

Brand Personality of Land Rover (UK)

• Similar to post war Jeep• Farmers car but much more versatile,

“able to do everything”• “Simple and Strong”• “Distinctly Attractive”

Land Rover vs Range Rover (UK)Land Rover Range Rover

Product Category 4x4 vehicle “4x4” luxury vehicle

Image Farmers car with additional features

Possessed an aura of Dignity and Class

Design Considerations Designed for the tougher terrain

Built for the Freeways

Price High Well above competition

User Imagery “Simple people” with a liking for tough cars

Rich people wanting power with luxury

Landrover Range Rover

Corporate Sponsorships None mentioned Crossing the Darien Gap

Country Of origin UK UK

Age Possesses British Heritage Possesses British Heritage

Recognition “Starkly Practical and not Ugly” Amsterdam Motor Show.

“Seals Of Approval”

Advertisements Simple Convey meaning Added Luxury feel while keeping Rugged background.

When Land Rover entered North America…

• April 1986 – Range Rover of North America, Inc. – corporate name “Range Rover”

• For the Americans – an expensive new vehicle• Positioning based on: “British heritage”,

“luxurious styling” and “4WD capability”• 3 positioning options: a luxury car alternative,

the car the Queen drives, the best off-road vehicle available

• The Land Rover brand image was not yet established in the US customer’s mind

Range Rover in US – Brand Personality Drivers

Product and Non-product related characteristics

Product-related characteristics

• Product category: “4X4 with Luxury” car• Price: Expensive and well above competition• Attributes: Same as UK

Non-product related characteristics• User Imagery based on Idealized Users (as portrayed in

advertising): - DID NOT include people in the ad’s, so as not to prematurely

define the brand or restrict consumer audience

• Corporate Sponsorships: (helped position company as ‘Highly-responsible’ and ‘Off-road’) – ‘24 hours of Aspen’ downhill ski race – the most brutal

endurance ski race on the globe– ‘Sunshine Kids’ national children’s cancer organization – ‘Tread Lightly! On Public and Private Lands’ program– ‘Camel Trophy Adventure Rally’ – Olympics of 4-wheel drive

(grueling trial through deserts, rainforests and jungles)

• Public Relations:– Established the brand in minds of influential

opinion leaders– Primary target audience – Automotive Reviewers

(dictated consumer choice)– Events to reinforce the ‘Exclusive Range Rover’

image: Premier Launch event (trip to UK) Taste of Range Rover Lifestyle event (Lecture at

London’s Royal Geographic Society, Off-road instructions at Eastnor castle, Dinner at Earl Spencer’s home)

• Country of Origin: UK• Symbol:• Age: British Heritage• Company Image: • Ad style:– Bold, different, went against tradition– Off-beat British humor for the literate customer– Bold visuals with unconnected headlines (to give

customers a sense of Smartness and Satisfaction)– Price information included (status-symbol)– Did not include people

• Distribution:– Prestigious dealer network – contributed to the

perceived ‘exclusivity’ of the brand– Dealers – same wavelength as the company

Range Rover in US – Brand Personality Scale (BPS)

Differences in ‘The Big Five’ when compared to Range Rover UK

Dimension Range Rover - USA Range Rover - UK

Sincerity

Wholesome: classic, original, genuine

Wholesome: classic, original, genuine

Excitement

Daring: off-beat, excitingSpirited: outgoing, adventurousImaginative: humorousUp-to-date: aggressive

Daring: flashySpirited: adventurousImaginative: uniqueUp-to-date: contemporary

Competence

Reliable: secure, trustworthy, careful

High performance

Sophistication

Upper class: stylish, luxurious Elegance, luxury, romance, dignified, classy

Ruggedness

Outdoorsy: active, athletic, masculineTough: rugged, strong

Tough: rugged, strong

1990’s…• 1992 – Change of name to LRNA• “Is that a Land Rover or a Range Rover?” –

consumer confusion in identity• Consumers no longer driven by status concerns or

collection of possessions to denote wealth and prestige

• Experience and Safety of 4WD became more important

• 1998 – set a goal of 40,000 total LRNA units • Involved 2 strategic areas: branding, product,

retail

Major Competitors in SUV Market• Jeep : the best selling SUV brand

• Jeep wrangler ($11800)•Compact Jeep Cherokee($13600)• Luxurious Jeep Grand

Cherokee($21000)• Ford explorer : 2nd best selling SUV• Chevrolet: 3rd major player

• S-10•Chevy Blazers

Where does Discovery stand in comparison?

• Brand awareness for Discovery is very low , for range rover average familiarity compared to home grown Ford.

• Ad recall is also very low suggesting the need for more communication

• 32% of 50 ( 16%) think the car is excellent and only 4% would seriously consider buying it

• Discovery has less overall opinion compared to Range Rover but has higher buying intent ( might be because of the price )

Discovery – Is the message correctly conveyed?

Expert Opinion• Associate car with Range

Rover as well• Positioning seen as sporty

and adventurous; family vehicle positioning secondary

• Luxury lacking for some experts

• Emphasis on off-road capability

Car Message• Emphasis on safety, luxury,

and off-road capability• Positioned as family car and

Land Rover successor• Dissociation from Range

Rover• Product highlights: Dual

airbags in front and anti-lock braking

Decisions to be taken

• Positioning • Fund Allocation• Retail Strategy

Positioning

• Discovery - there is high price tag with only basic interiors causing confusion whether it is luxury 4WD - improve interior styling to bring it in consonance with price -should be clearly positioned as a premium product with off-road capability and on road style statement

Positioning

• Defender -the truly rugged adventure vehicle -a genuine boy toy only for fun and adventure and thrill

Range Rover 4.0 SE -the new range rover to be positioned as the modern avatar of new range rover with creature comforts and on road characteristics

Positioning

• Range Rover Classic -Original Range Rover Classic to be maintained - to be positioned for its nostalgic and emotional value for customers

Marketing Mix

• Increasing marketing budget to 20-30 mn$• Keep advertising budget to about 50%• Use more of TV advertising.• Corporate advertising in addition to individual models• Continued sponsorship of events like Camel trophy, and La

Ruta Maya Expedition• Continue courses and 2 –4 day workshops at Land Rover

Academy on 4 WD basics• Also special workshops for ice driving• Promotions and direct mailing for prospective 4 SE customers

Differences in ads

Retail Strategy

• Land Rover Center Concept to be followed• Dealers should only have Land Rover models