Musa Frozen Treats was a Spring 2018 senior Carlson School of Management senior business model project. I developed content for the company's blog, edited product photos, and consulted in social media and promotional brainstorming meetings.
Disclaimer: The company's website license was discontinued after the semester. I archived my posts (below), but the group's Instagram and Facebook accounts are still live.
Disclaimer: The company's website license was discontinued after the semester. I archived my posts (below), but the group's Instagram and Facebook accounts are still live.
Made to Matter
Have you ever sat down after eating a great dessert and noticed an uneasy feeling in your stomach from all of the processed ingredients mixed into your favorite dish?
Treating yourself to a dessert or a light snack should never feature an ultimatum between enjoying the taste in the moment or feeling uncomfortable later on.
We crafted our tagline, “Made to Matter” because we believe that food should do more than just satisfy your taste-buds.
Health-consciousness involving what we choose to put in our bodies has been and will always be a major concern for people in all walks of life. Our products accommodate for the preferences of your roommate who may love ice cream, but can no longer tolerate a high dairy intake, or your sister who lives a vegan lifestyle by refraining from indulging in animal-based products. Regardless of dietary regiments, eating nutrient-rich food that tastes as good as it looks is a great reason to mix in a healthier dessert option.
When selecting ingredients for our frozen treats, we only chose plant-based items with nutrient-rich benefits.
Two ingredients you wouldn’t expect to see in a frozen treat are balsamic vinegar and pea protein! Featured in our Strawberry Pomegranate flavor, balsamic vinegar is known for aiding digestion, boosting your immune system, and moderating your complexion. Pea protein, featured in our flagship flavors, keeps your heart healthy, regulates blood sugar levels, and promotes muscle growth.
Take a peek at our full ingredients and you may be surprised by just how simple our products really are. Being open about what we put in our delicious frozen treats and how they help maintain your health while you sit back, relax, and enjoy explains why Musa is “made to matter.”
Treating yourself to a dessert or a light snack should never feature an ultimatum between enjoying the taste in the moment or feeling uncomfortable later on.
We crafted our tagline, “Made to Matter” because we believe that food should do more than just satisfy your taste-buds.
Health-consciousness involving what we choose to put in our bodies has been and will always be a major concern for people in all walks of life. Our products accommodate for the preferences of your roommate who may love ice cream, but can no longer tolerate a high dairy intake, or your sister who lives a vegan lifestyle by refraining from indulging in animal-based products. Regardless of dietary regiments, eating nutrient-rich food that tastes as good as it looks is a great reason to mix in a healthier dessert option.
When selecting ingredients for our frozen treats, we only chose plant-based items with nutrient-rich benefits.
Two ingredients you wouldn’t expect to see in a frozen treat are balsamic vinegar and pea protein! Featured in our Strawberry Pomegranate flavor, balsamic vinegar is known for aiding digestion, boosting your immune system, and moderating your complexion. Pea protein, featured in our flagship flavors, keeps your heart healthy, regulates blood sugar levels, and promotes muscle growth.
Take a peek at our full ingredients and you may be surprised by just how simple our products really are. Being open about what we put in our delicious frozen treats and how they help maintain your health while you sit back, relax, and enjoy explains why Musa is “made to matter.”
The Sweet Six
Picture this: you find yourself in a bind while balancing a busy work schedule and a long to-do list. Carving out time to eat can be its own challenge.
What to do…? Do you eat a full meal on the fly and hope it sits well? Grabbing a snack without enough substance could leave you feeling fatigued later in the day. At the same time, slowly eating out of a pint of a certain preferred frozen treat could feel like overindulging. We thought it all through and came up with the perfect solution: a brand new product size featuring 6 ounces of Musa -- any flavor, any time. Stackable, storable and resealable, we now offer you the grab-and-go options of your dreams. Featuring just over two servings per container, this 6 ounce sweet treat acts as a great afternoon snack in the middle of a busy day. You can split it with a friend or save it all for yourself. Our light flavors are fresh, fun and sure to fill you up. If you’re a picky eater and unsure about completely investing in our premiere pints, testing the waters with our snack size is the way to go. Two 6 ounce containers, each with a different flavor to test and share with friends, would cost fewer bucks than two pints of any other combination! Whether you’re in the mood to snack by yourself, share with your dessert-loving friends, or test the waters, we’ve got you covered. |
Just Desserts: Photographing Food
In the digital age, personal branding is everything. Though Musa Frozen Treats may taste delicious, we want to make sure they look just as fabulous.
Whether you’re out and about trying new food, following a DIY dessert recipe at home or simply looking for a way to spruce up your social media, we’ve got some great tips for photographing your favorite flavors. 1. Find a consistent style. Here at Musa, we pride ourselves in our fresh ingredients. We love to showcase exactly what goes into our products and keep things light. When capturing the essence of your favorite dish, identifying how you want it to be perceived is key. If you have a fruity dessert, consider embracing vibrant colors. On the flip side, something dark and chocolate-filled may be more rich in hue. 2. Embrace natural light. Though many business Instagram accounts utilize professional studio setups with targeted lighting and tones, natural light is an under appreciated advantage. When showcasing natural ingredients and organic flavors, natural light reinforces a brand or recipe’s mission. Additionally, natural light appears much softer and can easily be edited for any number of styles. 3. Make it personal! It’s always great to have photos of your food in the spotlight. At the same time, don’t be afraid to snap a few shots of yourself or your friends genuinely enjoying it every bite. Humanity helps followers, friends and family relate more to the content you’re sharing. 4. Top it all off with some extras and props. If you find yourself making a dish at home that you absolutely adore, feel free to accentuate it with props. Home decor, fun toppings and even fun dishware can dress up an otherwise drab dessert. At the end of the day, no matter how you document your food, you still get to enjoy it -- sharing your creations and new discoveries are just an added bonus. |
Mild Weather Means More Musa
Musa may be made to matter, but some days, Minnesota weather patterns matter the most.
After a long and challenging six months of on and off winter, Minnesotans can finally enjoy real spring weather. With daily temperatures reaching upwards of 50 degrees and the sun shining brighter than it has in a while, there’s no better time to indulge in your favorite Musa flavor.
Desserts are often enjoyed as a delicious meal comes to an end, but can also act as light refreshments or palate cleaners throughout the day. After months of steering away from frozen dishes in the Minnesota tundra, we can finally begin enjoying treats like Musa in any setting again, indoors or out.
According to an article from Business Insider, ice cream and frozen treat sales rise with the temperature outside. This trend only varies if temperatures become too extreme, convincing even the biggest ice cream lovers to remain in the comfort of their homes. For Musa and Minnesota, beautifully mild spring and summer weather only work in their favor.
After a fun day of hiking around one of 10,000 lakes or running errands with friends, nothing beats a chilled and refreshing serving of Musa.
Whether you enjoy frozen treats in the dead of winter or at the peak point of summer, Musa and Minnesota are a match made in heaven.
After a long and challenging six months of on and off winter, Minnesotans can finally enjoy real spring weather. With daily temperatures reaching upwards of 50 degrees and the sun shining brighter than it has in a while, there’s no better time to indulge in your favorite Musa flavor.
Desserts are often enjoyed as a delicious meal comes to an end, but can also act as light refreshments or palate cleaners throughout the day. After months of steering away from frozen dishes in the Minnesota tundra, we can finally begin enjoying treats like Musa in any setting again, indoors or out.
According to an article from Business Insider, ice cream and frozen treat sales rise with the temperature outside. This trend only varies if temperatures become too extreme, convincing even the biggest ice cream lovers to remain in the comfort of their homes. For Musa and Minnesota, beautifully mild spring and summer weather only work in their favor.
After a fun day of hiking around one of 10,000 lakes or running errands with friends, nothing beats a chilled and refreshing serving of Musa.
Whether you enjoy frozen treats in the dead of winter or at the peak point of summer, Musa and Minnesota are a match made in heaven.
Marde to Matter, Made for Making Healthy Choices
In the age of increasing fast food convenience and piles of fruits and vegetables labeled “organic,” “non-GMO,” and “enhanced,” making healthy dietary choices can be challenging.
College students specifically are a subgroup of the population struggling with balancing many aspects of life against unhealthy but quick meal options.
According the the University of Minnesota’s Student Nutrition Advocacy Collaborative (SNAC), most students perceive healthy eating as more expensive than fast food across the span of one week.
In comparison to lead brands, Musa Frozen Treats sits right in the middle at a comfortable $6.
One pint of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, featuring significantly lower health benefits, is $5.50. For only $0.50 cents more, ice cream lovers can ensure they’re putting made to matter ingredients in their bodies, feeling much better after eating.
The price of one pint of Musa making up multiple dessert dishes rings in just under the price of one Jimmy John’s sub sandwich.
A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior concluded that over 50 percent of college students had high levels of “food insecurity,” otherwise known as a “limited or uncertain availability to healthy foods due to the high costs, leading to a higher risk of malnutrition.”
The ingredients featured in Musa indicate a high regard for physical and mental care accountability. From pea protein to coconut milk and everything in between, getting multiple healthy servings of dessert out of one point of Musa is all it’s cracked up to be and more.
Musa is not only made to matter, but made for making healthy choices a little bit easier.
College students specifically are a subgroup of the population struggling with balancing many aspects of life against unhealthy but quick meal options.
According the the University of Minnesota’s Student Nutrition Advocacy Collaborative (SNAC), most students perceive healthy eating as more expensive than fast food across the span of one week.
In comparison to lead brands, Musa Frozen Treats sits right in the middle at a comfortable $6.
One pint of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, featuring significantly lower health benefits, is $5.50. For only $0.50 cents more, ice cream lovers can ensure they’re putting made to matter ingredients in their bodies, feeling much better after eating.
The price of one pint of Musa making up multiple dessert dishes rings in just under the price of one Jimmy John’s sub sandwich.
A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior concluded that over 50 percent of college students had high levels of “food insecurity,” otherwise known as a “limited or uncertain availability to healthy foods due to the high costs, leading to a higher risk of malnutrition.”
The ingredients featured in Musa indicate a high regard for physical and mental care accountability. From pea protein to coconut milk and everything in between, getting multiple healthy servings of dessert out of one point of Musa is all it’s cracked up to be and more.
Musa is not only made to matter, but made for making healthy choices a little bit easier.