Branding is such an important part of the North American lifestyle.
From the first time Ford was stamped on an automobile, or Levi was stitched on the first pair of jeans, or Cartier was engraved on the first piece of jewelry, the brand name was synonymous with the product it represented.
Branding is so strong that sometimes a brand becomes a metaphor for something greater, or something inferior.
How many times have you heard a piece of merchandise being called the Cadillac of (fill in the blank)?
In Canada, all you need to do is ask someone if they want a "Timmy," a synonym in the Great White North for a coffee from Tim Horton's.
Conversely, how many times has a new product been called the latest New Coke, a brand/product that flopped decades ago?
It's no different — or perhaps even more pronounced — in the tire industry.
Few can dispute that when most consumers hear the name Michelin, they think quality. One can make that argument as well for Bridgestone and Goodyear, both Tier 1 brands that scream quality, dependability, reliability to most consumers.
The tire companies carry that message to consumers in myriad ways. When a restaurant earns a Michelin star ranking, it too screams quality. Bridgestone has aligned itself with the Olympics and a group of Olympians, the best of the best athletes in the world.
And Goodyear is splashed everywhere the Goodyear Blimp goes, a symbol of Americana that brings to life the sporting events we all clamor to watch.
Branding, though, isn't just for the big guys. Once established, a niche brand can be just as powerful, just as effective.
The three major wholesale clubs offer products labeled by their own brands, usually at prices lower than comparable name brands: Costco (Kirkland's); Sam's Club (Member's Mark); and BJ's (Berkley Jensen).
For many consumers, those brand names mean quality at a lower price.
The tire industry has hundreds of those types of tire brands, including private, flag and import brands, that strive to do just that. Brand X is just as good as the big guys, but you'll pay so much less.
Other brands fill a need, one just as important as those big guys. They offer consumers with less means the ability to purchase a good product at a discount price.
Some brands carry such weight with consumers that even if they fail, the brand name lives on.
One still can buy a Sears-branded appliance, a set of sheets from Bed, Bath & Beyond, or a game from Toys R Us, even though those branded companies failed years ago.
The tire industry, too, has kept some brands alive that theoretically died years ago: BFGoodrich, General, Uniroyal and Kelly among them.
Even though Goodyear bought Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. several years ago, the tire maker still produces Cooper-, Mastercraft- and Mickey Thompson-branded products. It wouldn't make sense to do it any other way.
Branding is such a powerful tool. It's part of the reason why many in the industry always look at the tires of the car parked besides them.
We all want to know: What brand name is on that tire?
