Jaguar

Ethnographic Research • Marketing Strategy • Videography

Bringing the Chinese EV consumer to life for Jaguar Land Rover

Context

Client: Jaguar Land Rover

The challenge: To successfully launch a new EV concept in China's saturated market, JLR needed to build deep empathy for the unique motivations of High Net Worth Individuals.

Our solution: Led an in-country ethnographic research study in Shanghai and Beijing, collaborating with a videographer to create compelling video narratives for C-suite stakeholders.

Key results

Video ethnography

Delivered as key marketing assets

C-suite empathy

Built deep customer understanding

De-risked

China market entry strategy

The challenge: world's largest EV market

Jaguar Land Rover needed to launch a new EV concept in China, the's most competitive and saturated EV market. To succeed against dominant local brands, they had to move beyond data sheets and understand the deep, nuanced lifestyle and aspirations of Chinese High Net Worth Individuals.

Our approach: empathy through storytelling

To bring the experiences of High Net Worth Individuals to life, I conducted an immersive ethnographic study in Shanghai and Beijing. I worked alongside a professional videographer to capture not just interviews, but the rich context of their daily lives. This allowed us to move beyond data points and create powerful, human-centred video narratives.

Visualising the approach

Selected artefacts from the research, showing how deep ethnographic insight was translated into a powerful, human-centred marketing strategy.

A researcher conducting an ethnographic interview in a modern urban setting in Beijing. — In-country ethnographic research
Immersing in the lives of customers in Shanghai and Beijing.

A still from a video production showing the Shanghai skyline, used for creating compelling user narratives. — Compelling video narratives across cultures
Creating powerful, human-centred stories.

A press image from the launch of the Jaguar I-Pace EV, informed by strategic insights. — C-Suite stakeholder engagement
Presenting insights to inform the market entry strategy.

The solution: a marketing strategy

The research was synthesised into a powerful marketing strategy and a series of ethnographic videos. These compelling visual narratives were presented to the JLR C-suite, building a profound sense of customer empathy and providing a clear, evidence-based foundation to inform their market entry conditions. The videos themselves were later repurposed as powerful marketing materials.

My impact on the project

As the research lead, I translated deep ethnographic insight into a compelling marketing strategy by creating powerful video narratives that built C-suite empathy and de-risked market entry.

Led an in-country ethnographic research study in Shanghai and Beijing.
Collaborated with a professional videographer to capture rich, contextual user stories.
Analysed research and edited footage into compelling video narratives.
Built deep C-suite empathy by presenting human-centred insights.
Translated ethnographic data into a powerful, evidence-based marketing strategy.
Provided the strategic clarity to de-risk Jaguar Land Rover's entry into the Chinese EV market.

The results: a successful and resonant launch

This ethnographic approach provided JLR with a crucial competitive edge. The deep customer empathy built at a C-suite level de-risked their significant investment, and the authentic video stories became a cornerstone of a successful go-to-market strategy, allowing the brand to connect authentically with a new and vital audience.

C-Suite Empathy

Built deep customer understanding

Build intelligent services people trust.

Bringing human-centred design to make technology powerful and people-first.

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