From stuck to sizzle: How Ajinomoto turned a customer complaint into a culinary community

Rather than resorting to traditional corporate defenses, Ajinomoto opted for an unconventional approach by inviting the affected customer and others like them, to send in their pans for evaluation. They would then analyse not just the temperature, ingredients, cooking time and quality of their gyozas, but do so in a way where they could truly test the end-to-end viability of the cooking process.

Customers loved their transparent approach. Soon, the response to the request surpassed expectations—with over 3,500 participants contributing to what can only be described as an impromptu community cook-off.

All the 3500 pans that Ajinomoto received.

The incident prompted a nuanced shift in Ajinomoto's understanding of its own consumer base. Collaborating with PR firm Honda Office, the company also delved into the intricacies of consumer habits, realising the need for a more profound understanding of its clientele. Tetsuya Honda, CEO of Honda Office, emphasised the transition from conventional corporate discourse to relatable narratives that unearth the human side of Ajinomoto.

"Brands should focus on creating narratives that can be shared with consumers instead of just targeting them with advertisements. This approach also reveals aspects of corporate activities that are usually hidden but are triggered by consumer feedback. We aim to establish a co-creation structure," explains Honda.

"By presenting corporate activities in a way that is easy for consumers to understand, we believe we have fostered a sense of camaraderie and togetherness. Consumers are often pleasantly surprised to learn about the detailed efforts companies undertake. While applying this approach to all activities may be challenging, we believe this initiative was a theme consumers could easily relate to and understand."

Ajinomoto created a website featuring all the pans it received.

Katsumura adds that Ajinomoto believes that PR-oriented information dissemination from the consumer's perspective can gain more sympathy than advertising. Utilising advertisements is one way to convey a statement of commitment.

"What is important is the action itself, and actual efforts can convey a company's value. Brands can also leverage such a narrative context to paid media," explains Katsumura.

It's no surprise this approach worked, with a more vocal push from industry and consumers alike lately for modern branding to embrace and adopt more transparency. In today's information-rich society, including social media, responding thoughtfully to messages like complaints is increasingly becoming essential.

"While it may be challenging to address every consumer's voice, taking severe and thoughtful action in response to the presented feedback and concerns is crucial," explains Katsumura.

"Such sincere communication will naturally spread, and the public will judge the results. Regarding technology, brands can benefit from advanced social listening and AI tools shortly.

The campaign's poster

This incident is not the first time Ajinomoto has responded positively to customers' feedback. In a preceeding event related to dumplings in 1997, the brand had marketed their products as being able to be baked without oil.

In 2013, in response to consumer feedback that it was difficult to know how much water to add or how much measuring was required during the cooking process, the brand further evolved the dumpling to be made by simply steaming it in a frying pan without adding oil or water; as well as recently changing the illustration of the heat setting to a photograph because some customers said it was difficult to understand the instructions.

"From now on, we would like to look back on this fact and reiterate our stance to meet the needs of the current era, which we hope will lead to loyalty through communication," explains Katsumura.

"Brands should be aware that 100% perfectly designed digital campaigns may not attract consumers' interests. Consumers want to see unpredictable things, how brands act against those challenges, and how they get involved as a part of narratives."