From tires to tables: The story behind Michelin's stars

You know all these years, I thought Michelin Star restaurant ratings and Michelin Tires, were two completely separate brands.

Oh yeah, okay sue me. Of course, the first thing that came to your mind when picking a fancy restaurant to eat at was, 'Well I sure hope the 130-year-old ire company says it’s good!'

Liars.

Despite its absurdity, few awards carry as much prestige as the Michelin Star. Debuted over a century ago, the star has evolved into a symbol of culinary excellence. Chefs all over the world work their entire careers aspiring to achieve such status.

But the question, well in my head anyway, remains:

What do tires have to do with chefs?

Well, it all begins with the Michelin Guide, which came on the scene in 1900.

A time when there were less than 3000 cars on the road in France. This, for obvious reasons, posed a huge challenge for a tire company. Michelin needed people to buy cars, so they could buy tires.

So, they decided to get creative. They began creating guides.

The idea was that these annual guidebooks would help get people on the road and using their tires.

The guides started out helping motorists understand the inner workings of their car. After all, auto repair knowledge wasn’t common back then. If a car broke down, it probably wouldn’t drive for some time.

Less driving, fewer tires bought, you get the gist. Keep the cars on the road etcetera etcetera.

But as auto buying became more commonplace, things changed.

To the average consumer, the thought of maintaining your vehicle became, well, standard practice. And Michelin knew tires were the least sexy part of it all.

What was still exciting, though, were the experiences your car could bring you.

When the family all piled into their little auto, they were going somewhere, to do something, together.

In the 1920s, this was usually to enjoy a nice dinner out on the town. So, the Michelin Star Guide was created to give consumers an incentive to eat out.

In 1926, the guide shifted to focus specifically on restaurants. Michelin started to reward restaurants who offered fine dining with a gold star.

By 1931, the brand introduced the three-star system. This gave travellers even more information about where to dine.

And almost 100 years late, Michelin stars remain the ultimate hallmark of culinary excellence.

This is so smart, it blows my mind.

I never would have placed that being the reason behind it all, but now I can’t think of any other reason it could have ever been.

Chef's kiss.

Mostly because this goes so much deeper than your usual market problem-solving.

Knowing the shortage of cars on the road, Michelin could have easily posted ads about cars and tires, trying to make them sexy and appealing. That’s what most brands would do.

Instead, the company learned to generate leads from another market entirely.

And they did this by truly understanding their buyer persona.

They knew what their customers needed from their guides. And they knew what kind of people they were and what activities they were engaging in while using their products.

Michelin knew that, at the time, the people who could go out to eat were also the ones most likely to be able to afford a vehicle.

They also knew that offering a guide to help those consumers use a vehicle gave purpose to making the purchase. So the brand decided to highlight the activities one could enjoy by owning one.

Publishing guides about cars would only appeal to the captive audience they had at the time and limit their reach. By thinking outside of their existing market, Michelin changed the perceived need for a car, making it fun, enticing and exciting.

Putting a literal meaning to ‘when the rubber hits the road.’

If it worked back then, I guarantee it still works now.

Despite the market’s drastic changes over time, a good strategy is a good strategy. Especially if it's one that creates value for our customers.

What we can learn from Michelin:

• Understand your customers’ lifestyle. This goes beyond knowing what your product can do for them. It’s about how your product fits into their daily lives. Michelin didn't just sell tires. They sold the lifestyle that came with owning a car.

• Think beyond traditional marketing. Instead of focusing solely on tire advertisements, Michelin created a guide that became synonymous with high-quality dining. This indirectly promoted the use of cars. Look for unconventional ways to engage with your audience that will broaden your brand's appeal.

• Create value beyond your product. Michelin added value through their guide, which not only helped drivers but also became a respected source of information for fine dining. What additional services, tools, or content could you provide that compliments your core product and enhances your customer experience, even if it seems unrelated?

Now the questions of the universe have been answered, and the world is still again. But what is a man without the constant pursuit of knowledge? Sigh. This is why Socrates was never happy.

-Sophie, Writer