Michelin Voted Most Recognisable Tyre Brand in the UK

Michelin’s long established heritage and iconic mascot has helped it become one of the most recognisable and best-loved brands on the UK market, a phenomenon highlighted by recent survey results released by the Superbrands Council. The French tyremaker was listed as the 38th most recognisable brand in the UK out of a finalists list of 500 companies. This high ranking placed Michelin above market leading companies such as Apple (41st place), McDonalds (45) and IBM (61). The next tyre manufacturer to appear on the list was Italy’s Pirelli, in 69th place.

Judging for the Superbrands scoreboard is carried out by a cross-section of experts and consumers, with a ‘short-list’ of almost 1,500 brand names coming in for scrutiny. A total of more than 3,000 people are surveyed by independent research agency YouGov in order to formulate the results, which reflect public opinion on factors such as quality, reliability and distinction.

Michelin head of communications, Peter Snelling, expressed his satisfaction with the Superbrands results: “I think everyone that does business has to recognise the importance of brand value. In the modern marketplace it is no longer enough to produce the best products and offer value for money. Consumers want to know that the manufacturer or service provider they are using delivers to a consistently high standard – that’s what being a super-brand is all about. We have what is arguably the best, and easiest to recognise, logo in the world in the Michelin Man, and the fact that he is coming up to his 110th birthday pays testimony to the foresight our founders had in terms of marketing and brand building. Considering that we sell tyres – which aren’t the ‘sexiest’ products out there – I think beating our nearest rivals by some distance, and coming in ahead of some very big names from other industries, is a tremendous achievement.”

Independent research conducted last year for Michelin showed that 83 per cent of people in the UK recognise Bibendum, the company mascot better known as the Michelin Man – a character whose creation in 1888 is a tale of simplicity that would make today’s brand marketing think tanks green with envy. Upon looking at a stack of tyres, André Michelin commented that it would resemble a man if it had arms. And through this casual remark one of the world’s most readily identifiable corporate symbols – one voted advertising icon of the century by the Financial Times in 2000 – was born.