We dive into the fascinating world of pet ownership and dog trends in Japan with our guest, Takayuki Ichikawa, from K9 Natural, a premium New Zealand pet food product being sold in the Japan market. Takayuki shares insights into the growing humanization trend for pets in Japan, where they are treated as valued family members. We also explore the success of K9 Natural in the Japanese market, the power of word-of-mouth promotion, and the importance of understanding the Japanese market for New Zealand businesses. Tune in for an engaging conversation that sheds light on the evolving pet industry in Japan and the potential for international collaboration.

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In this episode you’ll hear:

• Why Takayuki decided to try his hand at dog food after working with premium brands
• His top three things to keep in mind when entering the Japanese market
• How to avoid a huge marketing budget and build a community of loyal customers
• His top tip of all for what will make your product a success in a mature market like Japan

About Takayuki Ichikawa

Before joining K9 Natural Japan, in July 2023, Ichikawa san had a wealth of experience in the F&B industry in Japan in Sales and MD roles with household brand names such as Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Godiva Japan Inc. Nestle Nespresso K.K. and MHD Moet Hennessy Diageo K.K.

Links

https://www.naturalpetfoodgroup.com/

https://www.k9natural.jp/

Jandals in Japan is brought to you by Catherine O’Connell Law and PodLaunch with Jayne

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