Michelin Lifestyle Reaches Decade Milestone

In 2011, Michelin will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Michelin Lifestyle, the company’s division dedicated to the development of licensed consumer products that promote the Michelin brand image. After a decade of operations the UK headquartered fully-owned Michelin subsidiary has seven regional offices around the world and over 75 licensee partners. In 2009, over 12.7 million Michelin licensed products were sold through 30,000 sales outlets in over 85 countries and Michelin was ranked 63 in the list of 125 top licensing companies compiled by the US based magazine ‘License!’

This year, the company states it will strengthen its technical collaborations with sports footwear brand owners across all continents, in sports domains where Michelin’s tyre industry knowledge and expertise can provide consumers with real added value in terms of performance. At the same time, Michelin Lifestyle Limited will continue to develop its automotive accessories business through extending the product range and launching it in new territories internationally.

During its ten years of existence, the Michelin Lifestyle business has evolved quickly and established a strong market presence in North America and Western Europe. Today the subsidiary is expanding distribution into new markets in Asia, South America and Eastern Europe. For certain consumers it will be their first contact with the Michelin brand, the company comments. The product portfolio currently comprises three categories; automotive accessories, footwear and footwear outsole technology, and gifts, collectibles, personal accessories and apparel celebrating the heritage associated with the Michelin company and its famous advertising icon, the Michelin Man.

The first Michelin licensed products, metallic snowchains, were launched in Europe in 2001. Michelin comments this choice of product was “a natural first launch” given the group’s commitment to enhancing mobility and supporting motorists with all their needs. The automotive accessories portfolio has subsequently been expanded to include more than 150 products sold through major retail chains and independents worldwide.

Soon after in 2003, Michelin Lifestyle signed a licensing agreement with Babolat, the French tennis brand, for the development of tennis footwear with outsoles featuring Michelin tyre-related technology for improved performance in terms of grip and durability, This marked the start of a footwear programme focusing on the leveraging of Michelin tyre manufacturing expertise for adaptation and use in high performance footwear for a diverse range of sports, including badminton, tennis, basketball, trail running, boxing, indoor soccer and handball. Michelin says this footwear programme has gone from strength to strength and its technical experts have developed increasingly innovative technologies for use in footwear.

Products celebrating Michelin’s heritage and Bibendum, the Michelin Man, are particularly popular in Japan, where characters hold a particular appeal to consumers. All in all, Michelin says its licensed consumer products have proven to be very popular; since 2007 the products have received a total of ten awards or distinctions. In France they were named Product of the Year on two occasions. In addition, several consumer magazines have awarded the Michelin automotive accessories five-star ratings or recommended them ‘Best Buy’ in their respective categories.