Resolve customer concerns through reviews! Communication is revitalized and CV rate and number of purchases increase significantly!

From Co., Ltd. sells dog food made from safe, domestically sourced beef. Recognizing the importance of reviews in the pet industry, the company implemented U-KOMI. As a result, the number of customers making purchases based on reviews increased, and the conversion rate rose. By responding thoughtfully to reviews, communication with customers became more active, fostering a sense of security and trust in the company’s brand. We spoke with 徳永様, who oversees U-KOMI operations at the company, to learn about the reasons behind the implementation and the results achieved.

Selling dog food made with carefully selected, safe, premium-quality meat

First, could you tell us about your business?

We are a company that sells dog food under the brand name "famfam." The brand name "famfam" was born from our desire to serve as a bridge between "farm" (farm producers) and "family" (dog owners).

Originally, we were in the wholesale business of supplying premium brand meats to restaurants. We partner with domestic ranchers to sell these carefully selected meats to restaurants nationwide. We started selling dog food after a friend who is a dog groomer asked us, “Can’t you make dog food using the safe meat you’re wholesaling?”I had always assumed that dog food was made using safe ingredients, but upon investigation, I realized there were numerous safety concerns, such as the 4D meat issue*.

Using ingredients sourced exclusively from select producers, as we do, makes mass production impossible, and avoiding the addition of any non-natural ingredients drives up production costs. While there are many drawbacks, we focus on what only we can do and aim to provide food that you can truly feel safe feeding your dog.

*Meat derived from animals classified as 4D: Dead (animals that died for reasons other than slaughter), Diseased (sick animals), Dying (animals on the verge of death), and Disabled (animals with disabilities). This meat is not suitable for human consumption.

Recognizing the importance of reviews in resolving customer concerns, we implemented U-KOMI

Please tell us about the challenges you faced before implementing the review tool and what prompted you to adopt it.

We initially conducted test sales of dog food, but as we prepared for full-scale sales, we came to recognize the importance of customer reviews. The catalyst was hearing that many people who purchase pet food do so after seeing reviews that address concerns such as “My dog won’t eat” or “How do you feed your dog?” When customers see through reviews that others with similar concerns have purchased the product, it seems to make it easier for them to buy as well.

The pet industry is a relatively small community, and it’s common for owners of the same dog breed to exchange information. In many cases, people within the same community who share similar concerns write reviews, and since we often refer to that content, I believe this approach was well-suited to our industry. In fact, since implementing U-KOMI, many people have been writing reviews.

With other review tools available, what was the deciding factor in choosing U-KOMI?

The biggest deciding factor was that we felt U-KOMI would allow us to consistently gather reviews without needing special incentives like giving away gifts.

Communication through reviews has become more active, and our conversion rate has increased. It has also helped foster a sense of security and trust.