(And what you can still learn from it today about personal branding, communication, and giving value)
In 1900, Michelin had a problem.
Not with their tires: those were fine.
Their problem was the market itself: barely anyone owned a car.
And if no one drove, no one wore out their tires.
No usage = no sales.
So what do you do as a smart entrepreneur?
You don’t make another ad.
You don’t launch a discount campaign.
You don’t shout that you’re better than Pirelli.
No, Michelin did something unexpected.
They created a free guide.
Not about tires.
But about everything a driver might need along the road:
📍 Routes
🛠️ Garages
🛏️ Hotels
🍽️ And… good restaurants.
Because the more people drove, the sooner they’d need new tires.
They understood something crucial:
You’re not selling a product: you’re facilitating a journey.
What started as a clever way to promote driving evolved into a global symbol of culinary excellence.
Today, a Michelin star is one of the highest honors a restaurant can earn.
Not bad for a tire company.
So what does this have to do with you?
More than you might think.
Because whether you’re an entrepreneur, expert, or creative: you want to be seen, recognized, and remembered.
And that rarely happens by simply putting your product or service in the spotlight.
The question isn’t:
“How good are you?”
The real question is:
“How do you help others move forward?”
➡️ Give value: before you ask for anything.
➡️ Share insights: before you sell.
➡️ Build trust: not through volume, but through meaning.
That’s not a content strategy.
That’s communication that sticks.
And at the same time: personal branding at its best.
Because people don’t remember what you do, they remember what you mean to them.
Why does this work?
Because it achieves three powerful things at once 👇
1️⃣ You make yourself relevant.
You connect to your audience’s journey not your own.
2️⃣ You show expertise without pushing.
Giving value is the new way to persuade.
3️⃣ You build long-term trust.
And that’s the foundation of every strong brand.
So, want to stay top-of-mind?
Don’t be the seller.
Be the guide.
Just like Michelin who understood that people move faster
when someone gives them something valuable along the way.
And that’s how you become the brand they’ll never forget.
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