What Makes a Brand worth the Journey?

After clocking what must be hundreds of hours of podcasts, I found myself listening to someone break down the Michelin Star Guide. They explained how it distinguishes between one, two and three stars.

Now I’ll admit, I’m no expert in fine dining. Michelin stars aren’t exactly part of my everyday world. But the system itself really caught my attention. It felt like such a clever way of ranking experiences. And it got me thinking.

Could this approach work beyond food? What if we applied it to museums, exhibitions, botanical gardens or events? Could we take it even further and apply it to brands?

Here’s a simplified breakdown of how Michelin ranks things:

  1. One star means very good. Worth stopping for if you’re already on the way. Generally, expect higher prices.

  2. Two stars means excellent. Worth a short detour. You’re making an effort to go there. Prices reflect the quality.

  3. Three stars means exceptional. Worth a trip just for the experience alone. You go there for that, and nothing else. Expect the highest standards.

So I started to wonder, could brands be viewed through this lens too?

Is your brand the kind people stumble across while looking for something else?

Is it something they’re willing to take a small detour for, maybe because your ad caught their eye or someone they trust recommended you?

Or is your brand so distinctive, so magnetic, that people go out of their way just to engage with it and nothing else?

Maybe there’s room for this kind of thinking in how we define what makes a brand powerful. Not just in what it offers, but in how far someone is willing to go to experience it.
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