When companies operate only with delivery, one of the major challenges faced by brands is building identification with their customers. After all, without a physical operation, the relationship tends to be very superficial, with few opportunities to create a bond with the consumer, something essential for the loyalty process.
A SalesForce survey, in fact, pointed out that for 95% of Brazilians, the experience is as important as the product or service acquired. That’s why the MTG Foods network – the largest Japanese food and poke delivery in southern Brazil, through the Matsuri to Go and Mok The Poke brands – decided to invest not only in the quality of the food, but also in the packaging that comes with the products. And thus was born the “talking little box” with the customer.
“We have always been concerned with our storytelling and the perception that our customers would have of us. That’s why, since our foundation, we have adopted packaging that tells stories and interacts with our customers, as well as ensuring an excellent experience when consuming our products,” says Raphael Koyama, CEO of the network.
The packages come with a message that starts with the following approach: “Hello, I’m a talking little box :)”. Following that, a small text reinforces the message, which always has a specific theme and objective. The customer can then scan QR codes and interact with content and promotions promoted by the network.
The brand was born in 2020 and since then has adopted this strategy. ‘We have a physical restaurant in Londrina, called Matsuri, which was closed due to the financial complications caused by the pandemic. We had many customers and needed to communicate that we would continue, but in a different way. We used the talking little box to present a video, through the QR-Code, with the founders, explaining that we would operate only by delivery, through Matsuri to Go,’ explains Koyama.
‘In addition, we created a packaging with the motto ‘giving up is not an option’ and also a letter signed by the founders,’ adds Raphael. Besides the letter, the packaging had a QR-Code that played a video of the founders explaining the closure and was reproduced more than 25 thousand times.
The operation quickly became a success: soon new stores were opened, and Matsuri to Go became the largest Japanese food delivery and take-away chain in the southern Brazil, currently with 25 operations in 5 states and over 60 thousand orders per month in delivery.
During the 2022 World Cup, the brand used the ‘talking little box’ to promote a sweepstake: each correct guess would generate a R$10 coupon for the network’s customers, who would also compete for an additional R$50 coupon for purchases in the app or on the company’s website. The packaging was adorned in green and yellow colors in tribute to the Brazilian national team. At the time, the chain had only eight units, but had over 1,100 customers participating in the sweepstake, which had 220 winners.
The latest version of Matsuri to Go’s packaging carries a themed strip, with a year-end message: “In 2024, we charted new paths and reached new destinations. In 2025, we move forward together, OVERCOMING CHALLENGES, writing new stories.” The “talking little box” carries a message to present the current moment of the brand and the goals for 2025, with a video recorded by the network’s CEO in one of the QR codes. In the other, a Spotify playlist with thematic music.
“We turned our packaging into a unique characteristic of our brand. Throughout the year, we created different versions, always with the aim of staying close to our customers. Even our seal brings the message ‘contains love’, to communicate our values and purposes”, highlights Raphael.
In addition, the packaging comes with Spotify playlists, featuring the same songs played at the physical restaurant in Londrina, which reopened in 2023. These playlists have already been saved by 889 users. The Linktree, a resource used to group all the QR-Code links, has already recorded over 27,000 engagements, and the videos have almost 30,000 views.
MOK THE POKE
With the growth of Matsuri to Go, the MTG Foods network emerged, also housing another company: Mok The Poke, founded by Maria Clara Rocha, a partner of the group. Focused on the traditional Hawaiian culinary dish, Mok The Poke also has essence in its packaging.
“Poke is characterized as healthy and easy-to-eat food. But what really caught my attention in cooking was the convenience it brought to adapt to my daily life. Therefore, our packaging needed to serve as a bowl for consumption, be liquid-resistant, but also be practical to allow the customer to consume anywhere. That’s why we studied many options until we reached the box model we have today, with custom size, with the sauces also packaged so that the crispies arrived crispy and with a tray to support everything,” explains Maria Clara.
In addition, Mok The Poke’s packaging also has the mission of communicating the brand’s essence. “We opted for striking colors that come from the food itself, the vibrant orange comes from the salmon, the green from the freshness of the leaf mix, and the yellow from the golden tones of our crispies. In addition, the poke is a very beautiful dish that generates customer desire ‘to eat with their eyes’ and photograph. So we reinforce our slogan and put fun phrases to make our packaging cooler and instagrammable from all angles,” reinforces the businesswoman.
Mok The Poke units operate alongside Matsuri to Go franchises. Together, there are 50 units throughout Brazil, with an estimated revenue of R$70 million by 2024. “We believe that our growth has a lot to do with the care we take with our customer experience. And packaging has always been one of the best opportunities to ensure this. I think it worked,” jokes Raphael Koyama.
