MLL’s Footwear Activities

As you are no doubt aware from reading this Newsletter, MLL has been working hard over the last 10 years on developing and growing its Footwear business. Having this year reached the 10 year milestone since the first footwear products were launched, it’s a great opportunity to remind you why MLL is developing a footwear activity and what its ambitions and goals are in this area.

MLL’s aim is to use footwear as a key strategic lever to support its mission and to achieve the specific following goals:

• Reach younger consumers (who have high disposable income on footwear)
• Increase interaction with the brand (footwear is worn daily)
• Increase appeal (footwear is an involved & aspirational purchase)
• Strengthen relationship between brand and targeted consumers
• Promote the tyre brand (footwear can promote tyre–related features & benefits)
• Increase brand visibility in new channels outside traditional tyre channels

Today, the footwear business covers two areas; MICHELIN branded footwear and soles for co-branded footwear developed with other brand owners.

The MICHELIN brand has a proven legitimacy and desirability in footwear

The MICHELIN brand has a proven legitimacy and desirability in footwear. In consumer research conducted in seven different countries across Europe, Asia, North America and South America, consumers confirmed the legitimacy of the brand in footwear and particularly so in soles. After all, footwear and particularly soles are a natural extension from tyres; shoes are tyres for people!

Consumers also saw a very strong link between the MICHELIN brand and the functional benefits it could bring in terms of;

• Grip
• Durability
• resistance to abrasion
• safety/protection
• cushioning
• comfort

There was no question that consumers saw the brand as desirable in the footwear domain.

MLL and its licensees are working hard to ensure footwear associated with the MICHELIN brand offers the consumer genuine performance benefits which the consumer sees as legitimate for a tyre brand. This supports MLL’s vision for footwear which is to be well recognised as a tyre brand which brings something unique to footwear.