The Most Delicious Marketing Strategy Ever Invented
Here’s a story about tyres, world-famous restaurants, and an outside-the-box marketing strategy that quietly changed everything.
At a recent Oddball budget lunch, conversation turned, as it often does, to what we’re watching. Someone brought up Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars — a documentary following chefs chasing glory, and sometimes madness, in pursuit of a Michelin star.
You likely know what a Michelin star is. It’s that rare, sparkly award chefs whisper about. A mark of absolute excellence in the culinary world. It can turn a humble kitchen into a global destination. It can also cause a fair bit of hair-pulling.
But here’s the bit that got us talking: The not-obvious link between tyres, travel, and world famous high-end restaurants.
Why does the world’s most famous restaurant rating come from a company that makes the things under your Corolla?
Turns out, it started with a clever idea. So wrap your lips around this.
The Michelin brothers, who ran the French tyre company, wanted to get people driving more. This was the early 1900s. France didn’t have that many cars on the road. People didn’t travel far.
So they created a guide.
A little red book. Full of useful things for motorists: maps, fuel stations, how to change a tyre. And — most importantly for our story — lists of places to eat and sleep.
The thinking was simple: get people to take longer trips, they’ll wear down their tyres, and need more Michelin tyres.
But something unexpected happened. People loved the restaurant reviews. They used the guide as a reason to go further, explore more, eat better. Eventually, Michelin leaned in. They refined the guide, added stars, and made it anonymous and credible. Over time, it became the gold standard for fine dining.
And Michelin? It became more than a tyre company. It became a tastemaker. A curator. A quiet authority.
All by giving people something genuinely useful. And letting that usefulness build brand love over time.
So what can we learn from this?
First, and maybe most importantly:
Not all marketing looks like marketing.
The Michelin Guide wasn’t a flashy ad. It wasn’t a tyre-shaped mascot yelling into the void. It was a resource. A gift. And it built brand recognition in a way no billboard ever could.
Second:
Value leads to loyalty.
By solving a real problem — “Where do we eat?” — the brand inserted itself into a key decision point. Not with a sales pitch, but with trust.
Third:
You don’t need to shout. You just need to show up.
The Michelin Guide grew because it was consistent, thoughtful, and genuinely helpful. Over time, it became synonymous with quality.
Other brands that did something similar?
- Red Bull and extreme sports. They didn’t just sell energy drinks. They built a media empire around the kind of high-octane life their drink promised. Now, Red Bull is both a product and a platform.
- LEGO and content. From movies to video games to YouTube series, LEGO became more than toys. They created a universe kids (and adults) wanted to stay in.
- John Deere and The Furrow. This one’s older than the Michelin Guide. A farming equipment company publishing a farming lifestyle journal? Genius. They were doing content marketing before it had a name.
These brands aren’t just selling. They’re serving. Offering value, culture, inspiration, and problem-solving.
So how does this apply to local businesses?
Maybe you’re a cafe in Terrigal. Instead of another photo of latte art, maybe you create a guide to the best beach walks and what coffee to pair with each one.
Maybe you’re a builder in Newcastle. Instead of just posting before-and-afters, maybe you write short stories from the build: the challenges, the weird requests, the moment the dog ran off with a power tool.
Maybe you’re a physio on the Central Coast. You create a simple weekly desk stretch video. Not selling sessions. Just helping people move.
Give people something they want. Something useful, or entertaining, or real.
Then let that speak for you.
Final thoughts (with extra Garlic and Butter)
Marketing doesn’t always look like marketing. Sometimes it looks like a little red book with a few good restaurants. Sometimes it looks like a video that makes someone smile on their lunch break.
Whatever it looks like, the goal is the same: to be remembered for the right reasons.
And maybe, just maybe, to sell a few more tyres along the way.
