MooMoo Shakes and the Sugar Tax Shake-Up
MooMoo Shakes is a rapidly growing milkshake brand based in Manchester, UK, known for its brightly coloured branding, wacky flavours, and cheeky marketing campaigns targeted at children and teenagers.
Popular flavours include:
- Unicorn Fizz (15g sugar): Candy floss and bubblegum swirl
- Cookie Crumble (14g sugar): Double chocolate & crushed biscuits
- Fudge Volcano (16g sugar): Caramel, fudge chunks & whipped topping
MooMoo currently sells in 50+ locations, mostly through fast food outlets, schools, and cinema kiosks. The brand’s USP is indulgence and flavour intensity, which customers love.
News Update – Sugar Tax Threatens MooMoo’s Menu
MooMoo’s executive team recently read this article:
🔗 Sugar Tax Shake-Up – The Curious Economist
Instruction:
Read the article above. As you do, consider:
- How would this change affect MooMoo’s business model?
- What changes might be needed to avoid the new sugar tax?
The Boardroom Meeting
In a recent board meeting, MooMoo’s CEO, Head of Marketing, and Product Development Managers debated their next move. The CEO wants to reformulate all drinks to have less than 4g of sugar per 100ml — enough to avoid the tax.
But the Head of Marketing raised concerns:
“We’re known for indulgence. Will customers still like the new flavours? What do they care about more — taste, price, or health?”
The team agreed that market research is essential before making any final decisions. They brainstormed:
- What questions do we need to ask?
- Who should we ask — parents, kids, schools, or health officials?
- What method — surveys, interviews, or focus groups?
Student Tasks
Section A – Short Answer
- Define primary market research. Provide one example MooMoo could use.
- Outline one advantage and one disadvantage of using secondary research in this situation.
- Explain why MooMoo should segment their market before making recipe changes.
Section B – Design Task
Task: Design a Customer Survey on Microsoft Forms
Create a short survey (10 questions) that MooMoo could use to research customer views on:
- Reducing sugar in milkshakes
- Importance of taste vs. health
- Willingness to try new flavours
- Preferred natural sweeteners or ingredients
Your survey should include:
- A mix of quantitative (e.g. multiple choice, scales) and qualitative (e.g. open-ended) questions
- A clear target audience (e.g. parents, teenagers, existing customers)
- A title and introduction explaining the purpose of the survey