Sliced Bread11 Jan 2024

Toast - Series 2: Sunny Delight

Why did sales of the best-selling soft drink, Sunny Delight, suddenly bomb in the 1990s?

While Sliced Bread takes a break we serve up… Toast. A study of the spectacular failures of brands which had promised so much to consumers.

In each episode, the presenter and BBC business journalist, Sean Farrington, examines one big idea. What did it promise? Why did it fail? What can we learn from it today?

In this episode, which was first broadcast in January 2024, Sean learns why sales of Sunny Delight faltered in the UK after an extraordinarily successful launch.

Sean speaks to some of the people who worked on the brand, hearing how it became a hit before a series of unfortunate coincidences undermined its popularity.

The self-made millionaire and serial entrepreneur, Sam White, is alongside him, analysing the missteps that changed Sunny Delight's fortunes.

'Sunny D', as it is known today, is still sold in some UK supermarkets. It has different owners and ingredients but it has never matched the incredible sales figures which it achieved in its early days.

CORRECTION: Beta-carotene is not a B vitamin as briefly referenced in this programme. It's turned into vitamin A in the body.

You can email the programme at toast@bbc.co.uk

Feel free to suggest topics which we could cover in future episodes

Sliced Bread returns for a new batch of investigations in February. In the new series, Greg Foot will investigate more of the latest so-called wonder products to find out whether they really are the best thing since sliced bread. In the meantime, Toast is available in the Sliced Bread feed on BBC Sounds.

Toast is produced by Jon Douglas and Viant Siddique and is a BBC Audio North production for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(215)

Sliced Bread - Series 17: Laundry Detergents

Pods, liquids and powders: which laundry detergent really cleans up?A trip down the laundry aisle can leave you faced with a welter of confusing marketing claims. From stain-busting formulas and lower...

20 Aug 32min

Sliced Bread - Series 17: Pillows

What makes the perfect pillow? Nothing saying ‘waking up on the wrong side of the bed’ like a crick in your neck. With up to 70% of us experiencing neck pain at some point in our lives, sleeping in a ...

13 Aug 26min

Sliced Bread - Series 17: Air Conditioning

What's the best way to keep your home cool?As heatwave after heatwave pushes temperatures higher across the UK and Europe, air conditioning has become a serious topic. Listener Rachel is one of many p...

6 Aug 31min

Sliced Bread - Series 17: Language Learning Apps

Can you really learn a new language from apps like Duolingo? Sliced Bread listener Nathan Phelps has been teaching himself Japanese. He’s tried textbooks, tutors, and crucially, language apps on hi...

30 Juli 26min

Sliced Bread - Series 17: Kitchen Sponges, Cloths and Brushes

Which is the most hygienic for cleaning your kitchen?Most of us will be familiar with the cheap packs of coloured kitchen sponges with the abrasive tops, used for washing dishes and wiping surfaces. B...

23 Juli 25min

Sliced Bread - Series 17: Robotic Lawnmowers

Can robotic lawnmowers save you time without hassling hedgehogs?Listener Pat has seen adverts for robotic lawnmowers and has lots of questions: Do they cut effectively? How do they manage with edges a...

16 Juli 29min

Sliced Bread - Series 17: Gut Microbiome Tests

Can a test tell you what's living inside your gut - and what to do about it?That's what listener Pete Mace asked us, kicking off a brand new series of Sliced Bread! He's seen 'gut microbiome tests' a...

10 Juli 27min

Toast - Series 7: Orange

Orange was once one of the most recognisable brands in Britain — a mobile network with its iconic slogan “The future’s bright, the future’s Orange”, it helped turn mobile phones from elite business to...

2 Juli 24min