Moh Maya Momos Branding Case Study
1.Project Context for MMM (Moh Maya Momos)
Brief :
The founder wanted the logo in such a way that it should contain a real image of momos
The logo should look professional and should posses a slight feel of Premiumness
He wanted to highlight the three dips concept that the brand is providing to the consumers
The brand uses two types of pacaking, we were asked to design the packaging in such a way that it should be bold and clear, and also should interact with the customers
Brand Overview:
MMM stands for *Moh Maya Momos*, a quick-service restaurant (QSR) dedicated to serving momos with a unique twist. The brand's key differentiator lies in its **three signature dips** that accompany the momos and its **wide variety** of affordable offerings. The focus is on providing a complete, flavorful experience that sets them apart in a competitive market.
Industry:
Food and Beverage (Quick Service Restaurant - QSR)
Mission:
MMM aims to professionalize the momos business, similar to how KFC transformed fried chicken into a structured, scalable model. The goal is to develop a **chefless business model** and establish a **medium-range franchise** system, with the vision of growing the brand across India. This involves creating standardized systems and processes, ensuring consistency and quality while making it easy for franchisees to operate successfully.
Target Audience:
MMM’s target audience includes:
1. Momo lovers of all ages.
2. A specific focus on Gen Z and early millennials, who are more inclined towards trying different flavors and fast, affordable food options.
Branding Need:
In a city with a saturated momos market, MMM saw an opportunity due to the lack of strong branding among competitors. Despite the abundance of options, none of the local momos vendors had developed a unique brand identity or professional approach. MMM identified the need to stand out by focusing on branding and business development, establishing a brand value that resonates with consumers and helps differentiate from competitors. The branding strategy is crucial to capturing a larger share of the growing market and positioning MMM as the go-to brand for momos.
Opportunities:
1. Unique Positioning: Leveraging the three dips and variety to create a distinctive offering.
2. Franchise Expansion: Developing a chefless, scalable business model for national growth.
3. Gen Z & Millennial Appeal: Tapping into the food preferences of younger generations who seek new, bold flavors.
4. Market Differentiation: Building a recognizable brand in a fragmented and competitive momos space.
This overview sets the stage for creating a compelling and effective branding strategy for MMM to thrive in the food industry.
2.Research and Stratergy
Market Research Insights:
1.Current Market Scenario:
The city’s local momos vendors are abundant, but several issues are prevalent:
Limited AOV (Average Order Value): The small portion sizes and limited menu offerings cap how much a customer can spend.
2.Time Restrictions:
Momos are only available after 4 PM, reducing sales potential during other parts of the day.
Waiting Time: Lengthy wait times hurt customer satisfaction and limit repeat visits.
3. Branding and Packaging Gaps: Most vendors have little to no branding, subpar packaging, and no proper brand identity.
4. Limited Dips: Only common dips like Schezwan and Mayo are offered, reducing the opportunity for variety and flavor differentiation.
5. Lack of Scale: No branches or expansion, with key vendors operating in isolation despite high local demand.
6. Poor Integration with Delivery Platforms: Limited to no presence on food delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy.
7. Operational Structure: Vendors rely heavily on chefs for preparation, lacking a scalable, standardized, or chefless model.
8. Menu Gaps:No proper menu cards or defined product offering, leading to inconsistent customer experiences.
Strengths of Current Vendors:
Taste and Quantity: The main reason local vendors remain popular is their consistent quality in terms of flavor and generous portion sizes.
Insights from Owners:
Many owners come from northern regions of India and have no plans to scale their operations, leaving a gap for a brand with expansion ambitions.
Market Trends:
In April-May 2022, momos gained significant popularity in Tier 3 cities, with sales rising by 20%.
This trend indicated a substantial increase in walk-ins and pick-ups rather than food delivery, suggesting a potential opportunity for future growth through online platforms.
The increasing demand for quick, affordable food options, particularly among younger generations, presents a prime market for expansion in both dine-in and delivery formats.
Brand Positioning:
Vision: MMM aims to professionalize the momos business similarly to how KFC transformed fried chicken. The brand should be positioned as a professional, tasteful, affordable, and enjoyable food option that caters to Gen Z and momo enthusiasts throughout the city.
Key Brand Pillars for MMM:
Professionalism and Scalability:
Chefless Model: Develop a standardized, frozen momos business that doesn’t require a trained chef at every outlet, facilitating easier scaling throughout the city and nationwide.
Franchise Model: Establish a franchise system that allows others to open MMM locations with support, training, and consistency.
Tasteful and Affordable:
MMM will prioritize delivering a high-quality taste experience while keeping prices reasonable, making it accessible for Gen Z and younger millennials.
Signature Dips: Emphasize the brand’s unique selling proposition—three distinctive, flavorful dips that exceed standard options like Schezwan and Mayo.
Convenience and Availability:
Extended Hours: Unlike local vendors who operate only after 4 PM, MMM kiosks will open from 12 PM onwards to attract more of the lunch and early afternoon crowd.
Streamlined Service: Decrease wait times by optimizing cooking processes and providing frozen momos for quicker preparation.
Strong Online Presence: Ensure a seamless experience with robust integration on food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato to meet the growing demand for food delivery services.
Fun and Enjoyable Experience:
Create a vibrant brand identity that aligns with the younger target demographic, emphasizing a fun, enjoyable dining atmosphere.
Develop a brand voice that resonates with Gen Z, utilizing modern, playful language and visuals to enhance brand recall and customer engagement.
Strategic Roadmap:
Initial City Rollout:
Begin with a city-wide strategy focusing on establishing multiple kiosks in high-traffic areas.
Differentiate from competitors through unique dips, improved packaging, strong branding, and longer operating hours.
Digital Integration:
Cultivate a strong presence on food delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy.
Implement digital marketing strategies to enhance brand awareness, targeting social media platforms frequented by Gen Z and millennials.
Franchise Expansion:
Once brand recognition and demand are established in the city, introduce a medium-range franchise model that empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to open their own MMM outlets with comprehensive support.
Focus on creating a chefless, frozen momos model that can be easily replicated.
Long-term Expansion:
Expand beyond the initial city into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where the demand for fast, affordable food continues to grow.
Keep innovating with new momo varieties, dips, and service enhancements.
Opportunities for Brand Success:
Gap in Professionalism: Many local momos vendors lack branding and business structure. MMM can bridge this gap by providing a more professional and scalable approach.
High Demand for Affordable Food: The increasing demand for affordable, tasty options in Tier 3 cities presents an opportunity for MMM to dominate the market with the right pricing and quality.
Youth Appeal: Focusing on a fun, dynamic brand identity will enable MMM to distinguish itself among Gen Z and younger millennials, who value both flavor and experience.
This strategic approach will support MMM's evolution from a local favorite to a recognized, scalable brand in the competitive momos QSR landscape.
Creative Development for MMM (Moh Maya Momos)
The client’s brief was simple yet specific: “Kuch accha banao, bright aur logon ko accha lage dekhkar”—create something vibrant, appealing, and instantly likable. With this direction, the brand identity for MMM needed to be youthful, energetic, and visually captivating while maintaining a professional appearance.
Concept Development
Brand Personality: The core idea was to create MMM as a fun and youthful brand that resonates with Gen Z and young millennials. During initial brainstorming sessions, I explored using an iconic representation or a typographic logo that could creatively resemble a momo.
Mini Moh Mascot: After various mood boards and sketches, we concluded that the brand needed a mascot to bring the concept to life. Mini Moh, an adorable little momo character, emerged from this exploration. It embodied the playful and approachable nature of the brand, while also satisfying the client’s request for a realistic depiction of momos within the identity. Mini Moh became more than just a mascot; it turned into the brand's spokesperson, symbolizing the fun, flavorful, and youthful essence of MMM.
Mood and Tone: The goal was to provide MMM with a semi-vibrant yet relatable tone, ensuring it remained visually appealing but not overly loud. Mini Moh, with its lighthearted charm, effectively conveyed this balance, creating an emotional connection with the target audience.
Color Palette
The color palette had to reflect the brand’s vibrant and energetic essence. We selected colors that would immediately catch the eye while aligning with the values and emotions we aimed to evoke.
Yellow: Represents happiness, enthusiasm, and youthfulness. It’s a bright, cheerful color that makes the brand feel approachable and friendly.
Purple: Chosen to add a touch of luxury, wisdom, and mystery, purple provided the brand with a sophisticated edge while retaining its playful spirit.
These two colors worked together, giving MMM a dynamic and visually appealing identity capable of standing out in the competitive market.
Typography
The font selection was critical in establishing the tone for the brand. We sought something playful and soft, without sharp edges, to maintain the friendly and fun vibe of the brand.
Anja Font: After testing various fonts, we discovered that Anja, with its curved, inviting lines, perfectly suited the brand’s personality. It complemented the mascot and overall tone, ensuring the typography contributed to the light, friendly image we aimed for.
Final Logo
The final logo integrated various elements: Mini Moh as the mascot, the bright color palette, and the playful typography. We ensured the logo was responsive, adaptable across different formats and platforms without losing its impact or clarity. Additionally, we tested it in various real-world scenarios, such as outdoor signage, to confirm it would still look great under different lighting conditions. Chopsticks were incorporated into the design to enhance authenticity, representing the cultural roots of the product.
Tagline: The client’s desire for a straightforward yet impactful tagline resulted in "Stuff With Goodness," which emphasizes the focus on quality, taste, and the wholesome experience that MMM offers. The tagline is concise, memorable, and effectively communicates the brand’s value proposition.
This holistic approach—combining the mascot, colors, and typography—resulted in a logo that was not merely a visual marker but a true representation of MMM’s values and target audience. It was fun, engaging, and professional, ensuring that the brand distinguished itself in the crowded momos market.
Implementation and Execution
Brand Application
Once the brand identity was finalized, the next step was to ensure its scalability and adaptability across various platforms and formats. The typography, colors, mascot, and design guidelines were meticulously crafted to guarantee that the identity remained consistent and recognizable, regardless of the application. The core concept of Mini Moh, the playful yet professional vibe, and the bright, engaging colors were seamlessly integrated into all aspects of the brand's physical and digital presence.
Food Trucks, Kiosks, and Restaurants: The brand's identity was designed to be versatile enough to fit various business models, whether it be a food truck, a small kiosk, or a full-scale restaurant. The vibrant and youthful design elements made the brand approachable and visually appealing in any format, from street-side trucks to structured restaurant settings.
Scalability: The logo and other branding elements were designed with scalability in mind, ensuring they retained their impact and clarity whether displayed on a large food truck or a small food delivery bag. This ensured that no matter where or how the brand was seen, it remained consistent and recognizable.
Packaging
A key component of the implementation was creating playful and engaging packaging that resonated with the brand’s target audience. The packaging design was not only functional but also served as a means to interact with customers and reinforce the brand's youthful and playful personality.
Interactive Packaging: The packaging featured quirky messages, fun graphics, and elements that made it engaging for customers, further strengthening the connection between the brand and its audience. The mascot, Mini Moh, was prominently displayed, making the experience more personal and memorable.
Digital Presence and Delivery Platforms
In addition to physical branding, MMM established a strong presence on online food delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy. The branding was applied across all digital touchpoints, ensuring consistency in how the brand was presented.
Delivery Platform Integration: The brand’s digital assets, including the logo, typography, and mascot, were adapted to fit the app interfaces of food delivery services, ensuring seamless recognition. The bright color scheme and bold visuals effectively captured attention on crowded food delivery apps.
Social Media Engagement: The brand extended its identity to social media platforms, using Mini Moh as a key figure in its engagement strategy. Posts were tailored to reflect the brand’s playful and vibrant personality, featuring interactive content and promotions that resonated with the younger, tech-savvy audience.
The combination of well-thought-out packaging, versatile branding, and digital engagement created a comprehensive implementation strategy that ensured MMM’s identity resonated with its target audience, facilitating strong market penetration and brand loyalty.
Conclusion and Future Steps
This branding initiative for Moh Maya Momos not only successfully established a vibrant and youthful identity but also laid the groundwork for future growth and scalability. With a focus on professionalism, taste, and fun, MMM is poised to capture the hearts of its target audience while expanding its presence across various formats and platforms.
Future Considerations
Innovation in Menu Offerings: To stay relevant and appealing, the brand should continually innovate its menu offerings, introducing seasonal items or special limited-time flavors that keep customers engaged.
Franchise Training Programs: As MMM expands into franchising, developing comprehensive training programs will be crucial to ensure consistency and uphold brand standards across various locations.
Customer Engagement Initiatives: Regularly engaging with customers through social media contests, promotions, and feedback loops will help build a loyal community and enhance brand loyalty.
In conclusion, the branding strategy for Moh Maya Momos reflects a deep understanding of the target audience and market dynamics. With a strong brand identity, adaptable design, and a focus on quality and taste, MMM is set for success in the competitive QSR landscape.