Land Rover North America, Inc. Case Study Problem Statement

Michael Bloomberg

February 25, 2010

Land Rover North America, Inc. Case Study

Problem Statement

Since Land Rover North America began its operations in 1987, the SUV industry in the United States has developed into an extremely competitive market. According to Exhibit 9, in the HBR Land Rover North America, Inc. case study, there were 14 competitor models in the Compact SUV segment, including the Land Rover Discovery, and 8 models in the Full-Size SUV segment, including the Range Rover.

Brand awareness for the Range Rover was 4% as very familiar, and, for the Discovery, 2% as very familiar.

Through this case study, we will answer the following questions:

1. How does Land Rover North America improve their brand equity, awareness and perception with the Discovery and Range Rover?

2. Can a potential elimination of the Land Rover Defender 110 allocate marketing funds to the Discovery and Range Rover?

Alternatives

Determining the alternatives to the questions raised in the Problem Statement section will provide a foundation in developing possible courses of action. The following alternatives will be addressed in the upcoming sections.

1. Position the Discovery as the Ultimate Family SUV as a mass-market entry to compete with Jeep and Ford.

2. Increase the brand awareness and perception of both the Discovery and Range Rover through a comprehensive marketing plan.

3. As part of Land Rover North America’s new branding strategy, the Defender 110 should be eliminated from the product line in order to focus on the Discovery and Range Rover.

Critical Issues

With Land Rover North America encountering concerns with their marketing plan and questions in being able to compete with other SUV manufacturers, it is vital to resolve various critical issues.

1. The perception of the Range Rover, in the United States, is that consumers are confused by the brand name. Consumers have had a difficult time...