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Obsessed with building a community-based brand? Look no further than Keto Chow.
Keto Chow began in 2014 as a personal experiment in Chris and Miriam?s kitchen. Their experiment? To create a keto meal replacement shake that tastes good.
As friends and family became increasingly interested in Keto-Chow, Chris and Miriam began shipping batches to fellow keto-ers across the country. Keto Chow rapidly grew into a thriving community-focused brand with well over 30,000 happy customers.
Tune in to hear Chris, Miriam, and our podcast host and CEO Daniel Budai discuss:?? The Keto Chow Story: From the Kitchen to Over 30,000 Happy Customers
?? Building a Community on Different Platforms
?? The Evolution of Keto Chow?s Recipe and Production
?? COVID-19 and Fulfilment
?? Can the Online World Replace Trade Shows and Live Events?
?? What?s the Secret to Customer Loyalty?
The Keto-Chow Story: From the Kitchen to Over 30,000 Happy Customers
It all began when Chris first visited the ketogenic lifestyle. A weight-loss diet with high fat, very low carbohydrates, and moderate protein. Chris tried out some keto shakes he found online, but they tasted horrible.
?He?s like, ?I can’t do this. It’s horrible. There’s got to be a better way. And so he just made it up. That’s how we started.?
Their number one focus for Keto Chow: Taste.
?That’s one of the reasons we have so many positive reviews. It tastes really good. It tastes like melted ice cream.?
Keto Chow doesn’t actually have any fat in it. To accommodate for different body types and sizes, Chris and Miriam made every shake customizable: you’re free to add whatever fat suits your taste and body type best.
Along with that, Chris and Miriam have built a vibrant community of people who are looking for a way to make their keto journey easier. Keto Chow has a very active Facebook group and subreddit. Usually, a fellow customer steps in and answers any questions before a customer service rep has even seen them.
Building a Community on Different Platforms
Aside from Facebook and its subreddit, Keto Chow runs a highly popular YouTube channel with almost 18,000 subscribers. They run a live stream every day: from 15- 45 minutes on a Sunday and an hour on Tuesdays. Tuesday?s live stream is all about directly addressing customer questions and pain points.
This is a fantastic session not only for receiving feedback but also for building brand-customer trust and loyalty.
The Evolution of Keto Chow?s Recipe and Production
Keto Chow?s original recipe is still on their website. Chris made it using ingredients you can buy from Amazon. Originally, Chris just posted his recipe for fun for people to use. A lot of people began requesting samples to save the hassle of buying the ingredients. From there, the demand for full meal packages came pouring in. Chris added a WooCommerce shopping cart to the website and Keto Chow grew from there.
?It got to the point where we had to find a contract manufacturer.?
Chris and Miriam tell the contractor how many shakes they need, provide them with what they need, and they do all the mixing and packaging and bring it back to them.
It took a year and a half for Chris and Miriam to find the right person to work with. Initially, their biggest pain point was meeting the contractor?s required minimums. Looking back, Miriam wishes that she aimed for larger minimums.
?We?ve learned a lot about advertising and how to make things move in addition to just being able to not have the fear to put that money down and just go for it.?
COVID-19 and Fulfilment
So what effect did COVID-19 have on Keto Chow?s fulfillment process?
While Chris and Miriam send some products to Amazon, Keto Chow primarily handles its own fulfillment. They told their employees that if they had to close, they would. Luckily, they never had to.
One of the biggest COVID-19 challenges Keto Chow faced was the cancellation of Trade Shows. Chris and Miriam go to a lot of Trade Shows to sell, give away free samples, and organize community meetups. Fortunately, Chris and Miriam had prepared for the possibility of excess inventory and were able to offer giveaways to their customers.
As of November 2021, Keto Chow cannot ship to Australia or New Zealand as the US postal service is not accepting packages for either destination. They’ve also run into some issues with getting stuck in Europe en route to the UK due to Brexit.
Chris and Miriam were, however, able to find a fantastic partner in Canada, Switch Grocery.
?They’re doing a great job up in Canada. And we love working with them.?
Can the Online World Replace Trade Shows and Live Events?
Miriam says that in some ways they can. Online events reach a much larger audience because they save money and time on travel.
One downside, however, is that Keto Chow cannot be tasted online. A taste test cannot be replaced. Online events are great for nurturing their existing community, but Keto Chow?s greatest selling point is its taste.
Chris and Miriam often ask their customers what flavors they would like. It’s a great community-building experience and hub for ideas.
What?s the Secret to Customer Loyalty?
Chris says that it comes down to treating your customers well and having a good product that you believe in.
?We made the product because it was something that we needed. It just so happens that it’s something that other people needed as well.?
Honest marketing has been integral to building Keto Chow?s community. In short: start with a great product, be honest, and treat your customers well.
If you’re interested in what it means to build a brand community, visitKeto Chow?swebsite, YouTubechannel, subreddit, or follow Chris on LinkedIn.
Follow Daniel Budai:
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