Content marketing is not new. In fact, one of the best examples of content marketing is the Michelin Guide. In 1900, at a time when car ownership was very low in France, tyre manufacturers André and Edouard Michelin decided to publish a guide to help promote the idea that vehicle owners should get out and use their cars to travel long distances.

The forward-thinking brothers figured that the more people drove, the quicker they would need to replace their tyres. The original guide included local maps, instructions on how to repair a tyre and the location of nearby mechanics, hotels, restaurants and petrol stations.

The guides were passed out to drivers with every new car purchase. As their tyre company grew throughout Europe, they launched country-specific versions of the Michelin Guide, which they started to charge for in 1920. In 1926, the guide expanded to include fine dining, and today the Michelin star rating system is recognised as the gold standard for restaurants in twenty-four countries.

So how does a tyre company become the world’s most famous and prestigious fine dining reviewer? Quite simply, it all started because they understood that their customers valued quality and a luxurious lifestyle that included travelling and fine dining. They also understood that in order to sell more tyres, they needed to appeal to vehicle owners and offer unique value that no other tyre company was offering. And so the Michelin Guide was born!