Redefining the road trip experience

During my research internship at Ketchum, some of my fellow interns and I were tasked with proposing a customer experience (CX) project to create brand love and affinity for Michelin in an effort to build brand loyalty that would ultimately help drive sales in both the U.S. and Canada. So we proposed Star Stop!

As the research and analytics lead, I used several tools to conduct generative research; Talkwalker to analyze the online discourse around Michelin’s tires and guide, StatSocial to discover user insights about our target audience, RAD Intel to find the detailed behaviors and values of our three audience segments, Muck Rack to find the most relevant influencers and podcasts, and Mintel to review professional industry reports on tires.

Problems: Eroding brand love and relevance, justifying higher tire prices for premium features, and the evolving nature of making tire purchases.
Approach: A holistic and customer-centric one that aimed at using Michelin’s two biggest assets, its tires and guide, to create valuable and memorable experiences.
Execution: The team decided to propose a CX project that would offer multiple accessible experiences to all drivers and passengers, and not just Michelin’s customers. Star Stop! is a set of three roadside facilities that not only offer tire services, but also dining options with Michelin star quality and deluxe lounges for travelers on Los Angeles’ I-5, Austin’s I-35, and Vancouver’s BC-7 interstate highways, as these three were the closest to the locations of our audience segments.
Top findings:
1. The target audience prioritizes tire maintenance, safety, and performance over price, while valuing community, brand trust, and quality experiences
2. Audience segments center around family, adventure, and online influence
3. Over half of all online discourse on Michelin tires and guide happens in the U.S. or Canada
4. Over 63% of the target audience are between the ages of 25 and 44, with over 37.7% making $100,000 or more a year
Impact: The Michelin team expressed their delight with the proposal, while commenting that they particularly loved how our ideas were based on data and insights. They expressed that while it may not be possible to implement all the features, they would try to use individual ideas to further the company’s cause.
Reflection: I thoroughly enjoyed working with some amazing folks on this project and hope it ends up having a real impact on Michelin. Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned was to prioritize financial considerations alongside experience quality in every future proposal to maintain the correct balance.

Take a peek at what my research uncovered for the project below.