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00:00Previously on The Apprentice...
00:12I hope you've got your passports with you, because we're off to Paris.
00:15..the task, export British design...
00:18This is really lame.
00:19Very kind of British.
00:21..to the French.
00:22So, Lumiere, Siacom and Terrier.
00:25Right.
00:26But it's not known.
00:27..team leader for the first time...
00:29Tom lost out on the car seat cum rucksack...
00:32It's very, very comfortable. This is very safe.
00:34..to Susan's team...
00:36You can say we are the first people to bring this to France.
00:40..boosting their sales.
00:42I've got Euro signs in my eyeballs now.
00:45..French speaker Melody...
00:47Melody, enchanté.
00:48Enchanté.
00:49..kept the lion's share of appointments.
00:51It's fine bone china.
00:53This product has a great potential.
00:55..leaving Leon lost for words...
00:57It's so impressive, like, that you can just speak to them
01:00and understand what they're saying back.
01:02..and her project manager without a sale.
01:04Not for me.
01:06In the boardroom, a massacre.
01:08Thanks to the fantastic pitch that Helen did,
01:11they've placed an order of 214,000 euros.
01:15Wow, that's a big one.
01:17Melody outshone the boys...
01:19You know what, I don't care if you was hogging it,
01:21because it shows that you've got some kind of aggression about you,
01:24because you want to win.
01:25..Tom teetered...
01:27No sales, Tom. I had no sales indeed.
01:29..but Leon got lost in translation.
01:32All I've heard from you was you couldn't speak French.
01:34I don't know what he was doing.
01:36Leon, you're fired.
01:38Thank you for an amazing opportunity, Lord Sugar.
01:40..to become the ninth casualty of the boardroom.
01:43You said, Melody, I see that you've done a lot of high-profile things,
01:46and then you read out each award I'd won.
01:49Now seven remain to fight it out
01:51to become Lord Sugar's business partner.
01:56HE SIGHS
02:02Sunday evening.
02:06All day, it's been rest and relaxation.
02:11HE SIGHS
02:27Good evening, Lord Sugar. Hello.
02:33Call all the folks into the kitchen, yeah?
02:35Hello!
02:38Lord Sugar's asked that you all come to the kitchen.
02:41He's just arrived. He's in the kitchen.
02:43What? Are you being serious? Yeah.
02:45You're dreading the occasion.
02:50Melody! Quicksy can, please.
03:00I hope you're enjoying your rest day,
03:02but business has got to carry on,
03:04and I'm here to tell you about your next task.
03:07I want you to create a new brand of biscuit.
03:11Not only the biscuit, but also the packaging, the presentation, the whole lot.
03:16And then you're going to pitch it to three supermarkets that I've laid on.
03:20Now, the biscuit market is very crowded,
03:23and if they're going to order your biscuits
03:25over the ones that they've already got on the shelves,
03:28yours are going to need to be something different,
03:30something distinct, something that stands out.
03:33I've laid on a development kitchen for you in Wales,
03:37and later today, part of your teams are going to be going off down there.
03:41What I'm going to do is mix the teams up a little bit.
03:44So, Helen, you're going to be in the team of Natasha and Jim, Venture.
03:49The rest of you are Team Logic.
03:53The team that wins will be the one that gets the most amount of orders,
03:57and then the team that loses, one of you, will be fired.
04:01Everything clear? Yes, sir.
04:03Good. Off you go, and I'll see you in a few days' time back in the boardroom.
04:09Both teams have two days to invent and launch a brand of biscuit retailing at £199.
04:16What we want to do, guys, is to create something that's new,
04:19something that's exciting. Exactly.
04:21Then pitch it to three of Britain's supermarket giants.
04:26Yeah.
04:28First, the new teams need leaders.
04:31I've obviously got some experience in biscuits.
04:34Quick to step up, food retailer Helen.
04:37I have ran food outlets before. Yeah.
04:41That would sell bakery products, for example.
04:44Is everybody happy with me to be project manager on this one?
04:47Yeah. Are you happy, Jim? Yeah.
04:50This is a great time.
04:52I really want to put myself forward as project manager.
04:54This is right up my street. It's what I do.
04:57I put stuff together, ingredients together, what's hot in the market,
05:00and then I design the logo.
05:02Susie, you work in the cosmetic industry. Yeah.
05:04But it's a similar concept. How is it what you do?
05:06It's a similar concept of putting different ingredients together.
05:09Well, I'm really interested. I work in the food industry.
05:12I pitched to these people already.
05:14I've got our own factory, and with respect, Susie,
05:18your last pitch was pretty dodgy.
05:20That's really unfair, Zoe.
05:22Like, don't bring up old pitches.
05:24Let's not get sidetracked, OK?
05:26How many votes for Susie? Well, I would vote for myself, obviously.
05:29Right. I'd vote for me. I'll vote for you.
05:31Thanks, Helen. Congratulations, project manager.
05:33Thank you. OK, brilliant. Good.
05:35Commiserations, Susie.
05:37Zoe slapped down Susan a couple of times,
05:40even if somebody slaps down a yapping puppy.
05:43But Zoe was clearly the stronger one.
05:45She's in the food business.
05:47To break into the billion-pound biscuit business,
05:50they'll need to think up something different.
05:53I like the idea of kids' biscuits that you can give them after school.
05:58Well, I think it's a massive area.
06:00So our theme could be sharing with your loved ones.
06:02Like, you know, sometimes you go in to do, like, the weekly shopping,
06:05you want to surprise your partner or something.
06:07And perhaps, like, even Valentine's Day, that could be, like, a major thing.
06:10And they could be heart-shaped.
06:12But not too niche, because we want it for the mass market.
06:14No, I agree.
06:16With the biscuit development laboratory in Swansea,
06:19the teams must decide who stays to create the packaging,
06:23and who hits the road.
06:25I'll go to the development lab.
06:28But I think that you should perhaps be where you declare the final brand,
06:31you know, the logo packaging.
06:33Branding is just as important as the inside content.
06:36It needs to look good on the shelf.
06:38Yeah. If you've got the best biscuits,
06:41it looks absolutely rubbish on the packaging.
06:43No-one's going to pick it up off the shelves.
06:45Yeah, I think that the PM should be with the brand and everything.
06:48If someone's next on the line, I've got to do it.
06:51So you two are going to the development lab. Yeah. Yeah?
06:54I strongly, strongly believe that if you've got a good product,
06:57it sells itself. Absolutely.
06:59And don't take this the wrong way,
07:01but I'm probably more happy working with Susie. Mm-hm.
07:04Charged with creating prototype biscuits,
07:07half of each team set off.
07:09Right. Melody, how you doing? Let's go.
07:11Ahead, a three-hour drive.
07:15We're sort of looking at the after-school market with the kids' treats,
07:18so I thought of a name, so I had Munch Men.
07:21Munch Men, yeah, that's quite good.
07:23Mini Man.
07:25I really like Mini Men.
07:27Mini Munch Men. Mini Munch Men.
07:30Men that munch.
07:32Sounds a bit rude.
07:38I've done a big brain, so there's lots of different ones coming out here.
07:41The first one that's coming out is an emergency biscuit
07:44called a Mer Crunchy, or something like that.
07:48To be eaten in an emergency,
07:50or when there's an emergency, you buy this packet.
07:56All right, guys, bye. Bye, Zoe.
07:58He's trying to think outside the box.
08:01He's trying to think outside the box, which is great,
08:03but you know how when he said emergency warning,
08:05that sounds a bit lame?
08:136am.
08:16Swansea.
08:18Each team will work with a biscuit development boffin.
08:22Hi. Nice to meet you, Melody.
08:24Experts in the science of crunch and crumble,
08:27they'll help turn the team's ideas into professional prototypes.
08:32We've got a list of ideas,
08:34and really trying to push the boundaries
08:37in creating something unique.
08:39You can see how delicate the flapjack is now, right?
08:44Nice.
08:46Experimenting with a biscuit for kids,
08:49Helen's head baker, Jim.
08:51I'm going to go with the small circles.
08:53That one as well.
08:56Shake, shake.
08:58How feasible is a biscuit for children, maybe?
09:01You can do anything you want.
09:03Never say never in the biscuit world.
09:05This is the fizzy popping stuff.
09:12Have you got it yet?
09:14Isn't it weird?
09:16So I can put any of those three bases through that machine
09:19to get star shape, yes or no?
09:21Yes.
09:22In another part of the lab, Zoe's baker's.
09:25Oh, right, OK, so this is a buttercrisp.
09:27So it's a very different texture.
09:29Mm. Yeah.
09:30I'm going to make one with classic digestive.
09:37Still coming up with new ideas, inventor Tom.
09:40I'm going to try and make a biscuit within a biscuit.
09:43Digestive on the outside and a different biscuit in the middle.
09:48Do you think that's a bit complicated?
09:50It's just a very simple thing,
09:52one of those on the bottom, one of those on the top.
09:54Yes, Tom's an inventor.
09:56We keep saying that, Tom, you're an inventor, Tom, you're an inventor.
09:59But him and I still think in very different ways.
10:02I think big and then I work out details.
10:04He works out little, little details
10:06and then tries to fit them into a bigger picture.
10:10I'm going to do biscuits, the new popcorn.
10:13You can be snacking on it whilst watching TV or a movie.
10:17I think there's a gap in the market for that.
10:23In London, a later start.
10:26I'm feeling really confident about today.
10:28I've got a few ideas with the biscuits
10:30that I'm hoping Zoe will like when it comes to making biscuits.
10:34I think we will be on roughly the same level.
10:37But I want to try and make a biscuit
10:40I think we will be on roughly the same level.
10:42But on a personal level,
10:45she's one of the bitchiest and most backstabbing people I've ever met.
10:51While half their teams bake biscuits,
10:54the other half, led by their project managers, head off to brand them.
11:01OK, this is important.
11:03Let's look at the prices of these biscuits.
11:06£1.99 is actually quite expensive,
11:09for a high-end biscuit that we're making.
11:11So what colour do you think would jump out?
11:13Pink. I'm thinking pink and orange.
11:16Purple is good.
11:18Back in Wales, crunch time for Jim's after-school treats.
11:23Hello, everybody.
11:24With a panel of experts.
11:28Dig in, everybody.
11:30Go, go, go, go, go.
11:36Firstly...
11:38That's a good reaction.
11:41What did you like?
11:42Flapjack.
11:43Flapjack. And yourself?
11:45I liked the Flapjack,
11:47and I didn't think the reasons went well with the cookie.
11:50OK.
11:51If you got a star biscuit,
11:53do you feel that that's a good thing to have?
11:56Yeah.
11:57He'd still associate a star as what you get at school as a reward.
12:01Do you still get stars at school?
12:03Yeah.
12:04You can put bright-colour stars on perhaps the sides of the packets.
12:08Like shooting stars.
12:10We'd come out with you as 3D.
12:12Shooting stars?
12:14I'll take credit for that one.
12:18I'm only joking.
12:20Hi, guys.
12:21Hi, Jim.
12:22Just out of the focus group.
12:23They love the Flapjacks and they love the stars.
12:25In my mind, Flapjack stands out as being the most unhealthy.
12:29Was it really a massive runaway success, they really wanted Flapjack?
12:33Yeah, Flapjacks were a runaway success.
12:35OK, stick with the Flapjacks, that's the feedback you've got.
12:38And then special stars.
12:40A universe of fun.
12:41So that will be our brand name.
12:44We definitely need the slogan.
12:46Any time is treat time.
12:48They're not dogs.
12:51Any time is treat time contradicts after-school fun.
12:54Helen, you maybe have to make the call on that.
12:57Yeah, we will go with that one.
12:59I strongly disagree with that.
13:01I have got no other option, unless you've come up with a great idea now.
13:05Our strapped line is a little bit contradictory
13:08because the occasion's after school, but they're for any time.
13:11Is it for after school or is it for any time?
13:14Which one?
13:15I think it's a big risk, really sidelining someone in your team.
13:22Signed off and into production.
13:25Special stars.
13:28Someone has to be bullish.
13:30Natasha's ideas weren't great.
13:32My ideas seem to appeal to Helen.
13:34Maybe she thinks I'm a sharper cookie.
13:38Truth be told, I like Helen's personality,
13:41but probably because it's passive.
13:43Who doesn't like that?
13:48You cut them perfect.
13:51You needed the practice, mine, but you cut them perfect.
13:56They're delicious.
13:58On the other team...
13:59Hello, ladies and gentlemen.
14:01..an assortment of concepts, but no idea whose is best.
14:04These are the first biscuits that we've just made.
14:07To help choose, some Swansea locals.
14:10We'd love to get your really honest thoughts on the design,
14:14on some names.
14:15The first one is this concept of an emergency biscuit.
14:19So something's gone wrong and you need, like, an emergency biscuit.
14:24You just put the phone down and you think,
14:26I have to have, like, sugar or something.
14:28You rush to the cupboard and get out a biscuit.
14:31OK, lead balloon.
14:33Moving on.
14:35Then we have two different types of biscuit inside each other.
14:39I think it's a very good idea.
14:41When you're looking for biscuits for WI,
14:43you're looking for something different.
14:45So who votes for a two-in-one biscuit?
14:48OK, that's a much better reaction than I was expecting.
14:51Thank you very much.
14:53Now to showcase her ideas, Melody.
14:58What we also could do is using biscuits as the new popcorn.
15:03So something like this.
15:08Do you have a name for it?
15:10What do we think of pop-squit?
15:14No?
15:16No?
15:17They've all gone to sleep, Melody.
15:20What we also could do is a heart
15:22and then split the biscuit up like this.
15:25Half would be coated with chocolate,
15:27the other half would be plain.
15:29I think it could be good if you want to make up with a wife.
15:32I think it's a very good concept.
15:34So who votes for the hearts biscuit?
15:38OK.
15:40Brilliant.
15:42Result, stalemate.
15:44Hello. Hello.
15:47They said that the hearts were good.
15:49I think hearts are the worst thing to do and I'm sorry, Melody,
15:53but I'm going to eliminate that straight up.
15:55We'd like a round biscuit that you can break and share.
15:59Sorry, they thought that the hearts were much better
16:02than any other shape.
16:04Melody is a nightmare to work with.
16:06She's come up with this one idea, which is a heart,
16:09and she's pushing it and pushing it and pushing it.
16:12I don't like the idea, Tom doesn't like the idea
16:15and Susie doesn't like the idea.
16:17And I can imagine that in the focus group,
16:19she would have talked them to death about a heart idea
16:22until they all held up a white flag and said,
16:24yes, we'll go with a bloody heart.
16:26They didn't like any other shape other than heart.
16:28Melody, can you just let Tom speak, please?
16:31They love the concept of having two biscuits
16:33which fit inside each other.
16:35I don't like that. I don't like the idea.
16:37OK, Tom, yeah, Tom, can you just...
16:40So we're talking a round digestive biscuit
16:43with buttercrisp in the middle
16:45and then milk chocolate on one side.
16:48Yeah, definitely.
16:49I don't like that. I don't like that.
16:52Sorry? I don't like the idea.
16:582pm, Windsor.
17:01For both teams, a brand English packaging agency.
17:05Helen, nice to meet you. Graham.
17:07It's going to be a biscuit for children.
17:09The name is Special Stars
17:12and our slogan is anytime is treat time at the bottom.
17:16And then going around the lid,
17:18we want anytime treat for after school.
17:21The slogan, anytime is treat time,
17:23is slightly contradicted by after school treat.
17:26And actually, anytime is treat time basically says
17:29eat whatever you like when you like.
17:31And I think they're going to find that very difficult
17:34to explain to the supermarkets when they see them tomorrow.
17:37The occasion is after school
17:39and once the bell's gone and time's out, it becomes anytime.
17:44So our Special Stars take away the restriction of time.
17:48So we open up time, if that makes sense.
17:52Kind of. Kind of, yeah.
17:573.30pm.
17:59On Zoe's team, a decision.
18:02Tom's biscuit in a biscuit.
18:09Oh!
18:11It's too sticky.
18:16Shit.
18:18What names have you come up with?
18:20What about Bicklets? Bicklets.
18:23Bixlets.
18:25Bixfix.
18:27Stackbix.
18:29Bixdix.
18:32OK, no.
18:34What about Bixmix?
18:39I feel like we just made burgers then.
18:44We've kind of pulled two ideas together
18:47and have gone for the middle-to-lower kind of market.
18:50We're not going for a luxury product.
18:52I think what we've got is pretty interesting.
19:01Looking good.
19:03Bloody? Yeah. What do you think of that?
19:05Yeah, I think it's good.
19:07I give you Bixmix.
19:11They look wonderful.
19:13Now, Bixmix needs a box.
19:16The price point is £1.99, so it is at the higher end.
19:20So we're looking at quite luxurious colours, like purples, gold.
19:25So maybe make the X into purple ribbons that crisscross over each other.
19:30Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking.
19:33Designed to be snapped, halved and shared.
19:36No.
19:38Designed to snap and share.
19:40Do you like that? I do.
19:43Lord Sugar made it absolutely clear
19:45that this product would stand out on the shelf
19:48and I think it's got a few things going for it.
19:50Different texture.
19:52You snap it and only half of it's covered in chocolate.
19:55Well, there's three different things
19:58to grow into a strong and healthy little Bicky.
20:01Bixmix, a snap and share.
20:03I like that bit. I love it.
20:055pm.
20:07Beamed up from Wales, special stars, the first pictures.
20:14Mmm.
20:16The chocolate's a lot thicker than I thought it was going to be.
20:19I imagine they're quite sickly.
20:21I hope not, because he's tested them.
20:24Very crumbly and messy, aren't they? Yeah.
20:29Back to London.
20:31And a plan for tomorrow's pitch from Melody.
20:35I definitely, definitely think that we should do a role play.
20:38I'm really excited by it. I think we'd be silly not to.
20:43Am I coming in from next door?
20:46No, we're sat down next to each other and we've got them.
20:50Ooh, do you want a Bixmix?
20:53Do you want a Bixmix?
20:57You can't do it, it's so cliche.
20:59You have to do it more natural than that.
21:02Ooh, do you want a Bixmix?
21:06OK, but not so cheesy.
21:12You and I, Tom, are going to be lovers tomorrow.
21:15Better get your act together.
21:18You and I are lovers.
21:249am.
21:36What do you guys think? What do you guys think?
21:39That's really nice.
21:41For Zoe's team, snap and share.
21:45Oh, my God!
21:47Beautifully. So the proof's in the pudding, guys.
21:51The chocolate's well done.
21:53They're proper biscuits, aren't they?
21:56I'm so happy how it snapped.
21:58And I'm also happy with the taste.
22:00It's nice, it's not too sweet, it's a proper old-school biscuit.
22:07Have you made a decision as to what scenario it could be aimed at?
22:11Family, friends, loved ones, school, children, anything.
22:14That's the whole point of it.
22:16The only thing I'd say is, in the beginning,
22:18really say exactly what it is and then go into, like, all the details.
22:23For Helen's team, an anytime treat for after school.
22:31Mm, nice.
22:33Today, the branded biscuits must be pitched to Britain's supermarket giants.
22:40I liked Melody's idea of when you start,
22:43just give a quick one-liner of exactly what our biscuit is.
22:47And when I ask Melody, what do we need to put on your side?
22:50I'm not going to give a shiny shit about Melody.
22:53She's doing my head in.
22:56Family values are not just about receiving a treat
22:59for academic achievement, so we have the...
23:03This is... Is this crap?
23:05No, it's fine.
23:07First, a quick stop for a customer tasting.
23:10Good morning, this is a customer announcement.
23:13I'm going to be sampling and demonstrating a new biscuit product.
23:17So please come along and I look forward to seeing you very soon.
23:24Looks really good, doesn't it? Looks stunning.
23:27Hello. See, would it be possible to talk to you about BixMix?
23:30OK. And the concept behind it is snap and share.
23:33So share between the two of you or with your husband.
23:37It's got digestive on the outside and buttercrisp on the inside.
23:41Half of it is covered in milk chocolate.
23:46It's a bit dry, that, isn't it? Yeah.
23:50Hello, my name's Natasha. Nice to meet you. Would you like to come over?
23:53I'm going to show you the new product, the new biscuits that we've made.
23:57I've offered my services in regards to pitching,
24:00however, Helen, as project manager, will be leading the pitch.
24:03So I've come here today to sample our biscuit product,
24:06which is obviously a very, very key part of the process.
24:09Do you think you'd purchase them for the children?
24:11Maybe as a treat. I wouldn't as an everyday weekly shop.
24:14Because they are a bit rich, I think. Rich in flavour?
24:17Yeah, and they're not exactly healthy.
24:22Britain's supermarkets dominate biscuit sales.
24:26Their buyers can make or break a new brand.
24:30Don't you guys think that we should agree on who we're aiming it at?
24:34You always have to aim a product at somebody.
24:36We've got kids, we've got girls' nighting, we've got couples,
24:39we've got families. I want to leave it open for the mass market.
24:42Zoe's team's first pitch, Sainsbury's.
24:46Their buyers stock the shelves of 890 stores.
24:50Oh, God, do you want to stick a movie on tonight?
24:53Oh, hi, honey. Right, give me that. OK, what have we got on?
24:57Oh, leave this on. I've been... Oh, I love this.
25:00Oh, really? Leave this on. You know you love the girlish stuff.
25:04OK, but as long as you've got something decent to eat.
25:06Do you know what? Actually, I've been craving Bix Mix all day.
25:09You know when you think about something all day,
25:11you just can't wait to eat it.
25:13Bix Mix. Brilliant. Don't worry, I will share it with you.
25:16OK. Snap and share it. Snap and share.
25:19Break. Perfect. And because I love you, because I love you,
25:22you can have the chocolate half first.
25:24Actually, I love the plain one. I'll stick with that today.
25:27Where was this manufactured? In heaven?
25:31No, actually, this product was manufactured by Logic here in the UK.
25:38Tom and Melody started the pitch with a little sort of playlet,
25:43and the bemused look on the buyers' faces was something to witness.
25:47They looked puzzled, and with good reason, I think.
25:50Very, very odd way to carry on, really.
25:55We decided that we wanted a biscuit with the concept of sharing.
25:59You can share it with your loved ones,
26:01you can share it with your friends, share it with your family,
26:04share it between schoolchildren.
26:06If they take it in their lunchbox, they can share it with their friend.
26:09That's a lot of bases that you're trying to cover with one product,
26:12so if you're trying to appeal to everyone,
26:14you've gone for a very feminine packaging.
26:16And actually, I think you just need to be very clear at who you're aiming at.
26:20How do you feel about that?
26:23How do you feel that went?
26:25Oh, we've got an edge.
26:28She's what I deal with on a daily...
26:30She's hard.
26:32Next pitch, Special Stars, led by food retailer Helen.
26:37We came up with a real gap in the market,
26:39so our unique selling point is that this is an oatmeal-based flapjack biscuit
26:44with a chocolate star on the top,
26:46and it's aimed at children for after school,
26:49but it's also applicable for an any-time treat.
26:51I think there are lots of mothers that would be turned off
26:54by any time is treat,
26:56because a treat is something that is special, it's a reward,
26:59and you don't give them that at any time.
27:01Actually, when the school bell rings out,
27:03it's an opportunity for the child to have their own time
27:07and for the treat time to be an any-time treat.
27:12Jim and Helen seem to be absolutely on the same wavelength,
27:15leaving Natasha very much on the end.
27:18Every time she speaks, they sort of think,
27:20oh, you know, here she goes again attitude,
27:22and I think Natasha's feeling that.
27:26Unless somebody, when answering a question,
27:28has missed something absolutely vital...
27:30Don't put in.
27:32If there's no room for improvement...
27:34To shut up. That's it. Yeah.
27:36Owned by the world's largest retailer,
27:39Asda sells 345 million packets of biscuits a year.
27:45It's next for Zoe's team.
27:48From any experience that I do have,
27:50I would know that they're going to ask you who is your main market.
27:53It's about who you're aiming for.
27:55If you don't know, they won't know.
27:59Can I just say one thing really quickly, OK?
28:01I strongly feel, myself,
28:03that we should have a very clear target market.
28:05Let's say our product is targeted at girls' get-together.
28:09Let's do what I said from the beginning.
28:11I said let's have a clear target market,
28:13and also some people said...
28:15Don't say you said that from the beginning.
28:17That's really naughty. That's really naughty.
28:19No, Zoe, what I said was...
28:21No, seriously, what you said from the beginning.
28:23You wanted heart-shaped biscuits and everything.
28:25Yes, that was without discussion.
28:27So I am not having that at all.
28:29What I'd like to do... I don't appreciate it.
28:31What I'd like to do... I'm asking whether...
28:33There's no tone to that. I've said nicely.
28:35You haven't said anything nicely,
28:37but we're about to go into the pitch, OK?
28:39I don't want to have a full-blown argument.
28:41Well, don't wind me up.
28:43Thank you. Hello?
28:45Target market revised.
28:47Now Bixmix is for best female friends.
28:52Oh, my God, I've been craving Bixmix all day.
28:54You know when you think about something all day?
28:56Yeah. You just can't wait to have it.
28:58Definitely. Oh, my God, what are these?
29:00Do you want to snap and share?
29:02Wow.
29:04Snap and share. That's amazing.
29:06Why did you get the chocolate?
29:08Cos I'm special.
29:10Bixmix is what we've come up with.
29:12We've used the concept of sharing,
29:14sharing between two ladies,
29:16as you can see from our little girly tiff there.
29:18Girls can use this to share during their sleepovers,
29:21during nights in, during morning coffee breaks.
29:25Our products are recommended retail price at £1.99,
29:29so it'll be at the higher end of the biscuits.
29:32I'm just a bit confused cos I feel it's...
29:35You talk about it's an indulgent product.
29:37Actually, for me, if I was sharing with my girlfriends,
29:40having digestives on a night in, I'd feel a little bit cheated.
29:43We try to go for a product that is the nation's favourite,
29:47and you can snap it. No other biscuits in the market do this.
29:54Zoe did sort of lash out at me in public
29:57and I didn't really appreciate that.
29:59I mean, I think that, you know, you should remain dignified.
30:02She's had a bit of a problem with you the whole time.
30:04Like, I slightly feel that we've been paired
30:07because she doesn't want to work with you.
30:10For Helen's team, upmarket supermarket Waitrose.
30:16Good afternoon. Hello.
30:18We are Venture Biscuits. My name's Helen.
30:20We think we've come up with a really special product,
30:23one that fits the gap in the market.
30:25Special stars are what children are all about.
30:28Every child, to their parent, is a special star.
30:31Stars are synonymous with treats.
30:33They're used to this concept for school
30:35and they're used to receiving it on charts, pop-ups,
30:38receiving it on charts, possibly in the home.
30:40Health and well-being is a really important message for Waitrose.
30:44In terms of percentages,
30:45potentially it's more chocolate than biscuit.
30:47Would you be confident to be so overtly marketing a kids' product
30:51that's very heavily sugar-based?
30:54We want a treat to be a treat.
30:56We know what's healthy.
30:57You know, we don't really need that much educating any more.
31:00We know if we want something really healthy for our children,
31:02we'll give them a banana or an apple.
31:08Next up...
31:11Bix Mix.
31:12We looked for something new.
31:14We looked for something that can really break the mould
31:17and push the boundaries.
31:18We've come up with the concept of sharing,
31:20where we can snap the product and we can share on a girls' night in.
31:24The snap and share, I think, is a very interesting concept.
31:28What inspired you to come up with that?
31:30To be able to snap in half and have one half chocolate,
31:32one half not covered in chocolate, it brings more variety.
31:35It makes having biscuits more fun.
31:37Given that list of ingredients and the high-quality packaging and the pitch,
31:42the only bit I'm disappointed in is the biscuit.
31:516.30pm.
31:53For special stars, one last bite.
31:57Hello.
31:58Project manager Helen steps aside for experienced salesman Jim.
32:03We're here today to launch our fabulous new biscuit.
32:06Special stars.
32:07We want to be positioned with the mass market of biscuits,
32:11so we've come up with quite a dynamic bit of packaging,
32:14with the silver and the purple.
32:15And if that were to launch onto us, the shelves,
32:18how would you actually launch it?
32:20We actually envisage a very significant,
32:22mass-market, structured and strategic marketing approach.
32:25We have to do above- and below-the-line marketing.
32:27There has to be television advertising.
32:29This gives us the opportunity to get our product endorsed
32:32at an aspirational level with whatever's current with kids at the moment
32:36in terms of movies and integrating it with our brand.
32:39Stars sends itself to the likes of Harry Potter.
32:43And we'd be very unashamed about this.
32:45We really want to encourage you, based on our strategy and on our product,
32:49to make a significant initial order.
32:53Go big or go home.
32:56Jim needs to be really careful on all the claims that he's making.
32:59We can change the product, we can advertise on TV,
33:02we can develop the product, repackage it, make the chocolate bigger, smaller.
33:06He's trying to be everything to everyone.
33:10Orders, if any, will be placed tonight.
33:16Tomorrow, they'll find out in the boardroom.
33:30From my point of view, Melody contributed least.
33:34I don't think she's very creative, I don't think she's very practical,
33:37and I found it very hard to work with her on this task.
33:41I have won eight out of eight tasks,
33:43and on the Prozium task, I made £250,000.
33:47So I'm hoping that I will win a ninth.
33:51You can go through to the boardroom now.
33:53I'm hoping that I will win a ninth.
34:24Afternoon.
34:26Good afternoon, Lord Sugar.
34:29Now, um, Logic.
34:33This is yours here.
34:35Bix Mix.
34:36Bix Mix.
34:38And, um, team leader was...
34:41I was Lord Sugar.
34:43I'm in the food and drink industry,
34:45and I pitched to make a product,
34:48I was Lord Sugar.
34:49I'm in the food and drink industry,
34:51and I pitched to major retailers,
34:53so I felt compelled to step up as project manager.
34:56All right. Good team leader.
35:00I think it was a tough one.
35:03Zoe has strengths as project manager,
35:05but I think her weaknesses let her down.
35:10So, tell me what happened.
35:12I sent Melody and Tom to the manufacturing facility,
35:16and Susie and I stayed to do the design.
35:19We had quite a big debate before we left to go to Swansea
35:22in terms of what the product, sort of, USP should be.
35:26What is it, then?
35:27We couldn't come to a decision...
35:28Describe it to me quickly.
35:30The USP is snap and share.
35:32You might be interested to know that particularly the final supermarket
35:35said that the concept of sharing was smack on the target.
35:40Really? Yeah.
35:41So then you go and see the three supermarkets.
35:45Good pitches, you think?
35:46Obviously, with my experience of buyers,
35:48it's how I personally would have expected it.
35:51They were very tough on us.
35:53I heard that you kind of played out
35:55an imaginary television advertising campaign, or what was it?
35:59It was sort of like a role play in the beginning to gain impact.
36:03They must have called a bloke with a white coat for you, maybe.
36:06You must have gone nuts.
36:07It's actually a really effective technique, Lord Sugar.
36:09I'm maybe in a different time walk,
36:11but if I would have tried that out in front of the boss of Dixon's,
36:14I would have been thrown out.
36:16Right. Venture.
36:18Who was the team leader?
36:20I put myself forward quite quickly as project manager.
36:24Because you're in the bakery business, yeah?
36:26I work for a bakery retailer.
36:28I'm not on the manufacturing or the marketing side, however,
36:31but I do have some knowledge of what would sell in the market.
36:34Good team leader?
36:35I've been with Helen when she's been a stronger team leader,
36:38but, yeah, I was happy. Yeah?
36:40Whose idea was this star-shaped biscuit?
36:43It was Jim's idea to use the actual star shape itself.
36:47We quickly came up with the after-school treats for children,
36:51so it will be a reward either at school or at home.
36:55Any time is treat time.
36:57That's... Hmm.
36:59It's kind of contradictory, isn't it?
37:03Good pitches, you think, to the supermarkets?
37:05Mm-hm. I think they wanted us to be clear on our unique selling point.
37:08My pitch was clean and crisp and we were received pretty well.
37:11I've had a bit of feedback from Karen that you got a bit carried away, Jim.
37:16Jim had an unlimited budget.
37:18Nationwide television advertising, links with films and film stars.
37:22I stand by that. I stand by it.
37:24Jim, you get the BBIW award, the biggest bullshit in the world award.
37:28You know what you're talking about?
37:30You're talking about 20, 30 million pounds of promotion.
37:33Yeah, but I think we're pitching it with a bit of cloat.
37:36I could do that. I could go to any retailer and say to them,
37:39I'll actually spend 20 million quid on television
37:41and drive them into your shops.
37:43Anybody could do that.
37:44It doesn't help the initial order, Lord Sherwood?
37:46It doesn't help the... Oh, it does. Oh, it does.
37:48Excuse me, that's what it does do.
37:50Quite frankly, if you're prepared to spend millions and millions
37:53and millions of pounds to drive customers into their stores,
37:56they'll buy anything.
38:01Let's see what went on. You've got some details for me.
38:05What about you, Nick? Yep.
38:09Oh.
38:16Bloody hell.
38:26But here's the surprise.
38:29Big Mix, Zoe, three retailers, no orders at all.
38:34None at all.
38:40But the biggest surprise is this.
38:43We are back in business here. We are back in business.
38:46Helen, you have got yourself an order for 800,000 units.
38:53If we give exclusivity to Asda.
38:56We'll agree to that.
38:58Oh, that's very nice of you.
39:00It's unbelievable. I've never seen anything like that.
39:03That is a launch of a mega product. They must have loved this product.
39:07Well, very, very well done.
39:09So I've booked you in a luxury country hotel
39:13where you can indulge yourself.
39:15Very, very well done. Off you go.
39:17Thank you very much.
39:21Helen, you haven't lost a task yet.
39:23I'm delighted.
39:26Well done, girls.
39:29No orders from any of the three retailers.
39:32Something fundamentally wrong here.
39:36You need to go and work out what the real reason is yourself
39:40because at least one of you will be leaving this process today.
39:44OK? Off you go.
39:55800,000 units.
39:57Yeah, it's unbelievable.
39:59Versus zero on the other team.
40:01I felt good for all of us because it was a team effort.
40:04But it's good to know it was in the pitch that I delivered.
40:07Yeah, it felt amazing.
40:09For me, this was absolutely my best win.
40:12I think the others will be feeling absolutely devastated.
40:15So, yeah, I do really feel for them.
40:17Well done, guys. Well done, girls.
40:19That takes the biscuit.
40:21I got you.
40:34It's, uh...
40:36It's really disappointing.
40:39Zoe said that she does this day in, day out.
40:42She made it very clear this is the business she's in.
40:45And yet she failed to see that we need a target market
40:48and she failed to see that the product should be in line with that.
40:52Between the product and the packaging, there was a disconnect.
40:56I'm pretty sure that some individuals were trying to push the finger at me
41:00saying that Tom made the biscuit,
41:02but Melody provided a couple of ideas which bombed.
41:05So whilst I blame the project manager
41:07for not combining the whole thing together,
41:09one member of the team doesn't really deserve to be here.
41:12Sharing wasn't the problem, was it? That part was good.
41:15No, it was the actual biscuit.
41:17Ultimately, the product team are responsible.
41:20It doesn't matter how good your concept is, your packaging is,
41:23if the product's bad, it won't sell.
41:45PHONE RINGS
41:47Could you send the four of them in, please?
41:51You can go through to the boardroom now.
42:04I've had a good debriefing here from Nick.
42:07In particular, the feedback from the three supermarkets.
42:12So I've got an understanding of what's gone wrong.
42:14Do you know what's gone wrong?
42:16I think the main thing that's gone wrong is the product.
42:18The product quality wasn't premium.
42:20In the words of the retailer, love the pitch, love the brand,
42:24love the name, hate the product.
42:26The quality of the biscuit was not good enough.
42:29Nor did we have a clear target market, and that was another issue.
42:32OK, if the product was wrong, whose fault was it?
42:36That would be down to Tom and Melody,
42:38because of the fact that they should have figured out
42:40what kind of basis to use in the biscuit to make it premium,
42:43to match our packaging and to match the price.
42:45If I'm honest, I didn't realise
42:47that I was supposed to be making a really exclusive luxury product.
42:52If I'd realised that,
42:54I wouldn't have selected digestive and gone forward.
42:57But, you know, the thing is, Zoe,
42:59if you're placing the blame on the factory,
43:02I want to know why you didn't go to the factory.
43:04I mean, you've got a factory.
43:06You've got production knowledge, production techniques for your day job.
43:10Indeed. Why didn't you go and do it, then?
43:12I said, I wish I could split myself in half, because I believe...
43:16Well, you split the biscuit in half.
43:18I believe the product is equally as important as the branding.
43:22I said, can I put my faith in you? Whoa, whoa, whoa.
43:26At the end of the day, packaging, marketing is all superficial
43:32if what's in the box is a load of rubbish.
43:36And so the most important thing to make sure
43:40is what you've got in the box represents great value for money.
43:44And then all the glitz is added on afterwards, OK?
43:47Indeed. In hindsight, yes, it was a massive mistake and I wish I'd gone.
43:51However, I tried to go with my team.
43:53I did put my case forward for going,
43:55but everyone assured me that this was the best solution.
43:58One of the biggest problems that the first supermarket had was
44:02is that when you break it open,
44:04you've always got to have somebody who either likes that or likes this.
44:08The split should have been that way. The other way.
44:11So that when you broke it off, at least you had a bit of chocolate on each one.
44:15The concept to go for half chocolate and half not
44:19came from the fact that we merged about three different ideas together.
44:23I personally believe that I did a huge amount of the ideas
44:26and I'm not sure that Melody was quite there.
44:29So in many respects... Excuse me.
44:31You did a huge amount of the ideas? Yes.
44:34I had a whole concept built up.
44:36You came up with random names. Which scored zero when we went for it.
44:40Yes, but those ten people aren't...
44:42That doesn't mean I didn't have ideas.
44:44Because you were so keen on one of your ideas,
44:46we created a biscuit that was only chocolate on one half and not on the other.
44:50So you want to put that on me as well.
44:52Had we completely created a chocolate biscuit,
44:54it's very possible that this prospect
44:56of someone getting the raw end of the stick may not have come up.
45:00The three supermarkets said the packaging was not very good,
45:03didn't stand out on the shelves, was a bit misleading.
45:06There was no clarity as to who you were trying to reach.
45:09What was the market? The concept was snap and share,
45:12yet the packaging was very much a girls' night in communication.
45:15And that was designed by these two?
45:17Indeed, and didn't communicate the snap and share.
45:20So on the second and especially on the third pitch,
45:22we had to change our pitch to suggest it was a snap and share between women
45:26because that was how the packaging seemed to describe it.
45:29You started to glean that as you went to the first two pitches? Indeed.
45:32I started off when I was pitching and I said
45:35that it's a product that can be snapped and shared
45:38and it can be shared by all types of people.
45:40I said this is suitable for elderly, for children, for couples alike.
45:45But Tom and Melody had organised the role play.
45:47The communications expert, Melody, suggested that that would be a good one.
45:51With all due respect, with all due respect,
45:53yes, communication is a part of what I do, absolutely.
45:56However, the misdirection and unclarity as to what our target market is,
46:00that's definitely not down to me.
46:02It was my strong suggestion and Tom's to say
46:05that we need to really choose a strong market.
46:08That's when Zoe jumped in out of nowhere.
46:11It's all very dramatic, Melody.
46:12And I said to her, it was very dramatic actually,
46:14I'm not used to that sort of behaviour in a public place,
46:16especially not where we're pitching.
46:18Oh, please.
46:19And she was shouting her head off in the middle of Aswan.
46:21I wasn't shouting my head off.
46:22However, professionally, I do feel that you disturb the team a lot
46:26and then all of a sudden when you've realised the ship's sinking,
46:29you're like, whoa, I didn't want to be on that ship.
46:31You've got a reputation for it, Melody.
46:34No, actually, I haven't worked with you since week three,
46:36so any reputation I do have is because you've built your alliances
46:39and that's not my style.
46:40No, no, your style is to try and slate other members of the team.
46:45Lord sugar, I can look you in the face and say that's an absolute lie.
46:48No, you can't.
46:49I do not lie.
46:50You can ask anyone in this process, I am very, very honest.
46:53Someone's lying, aren't they?
46:54Right.
46:55Yes, Melody.
46:56I would never do that.
46:57I wouldn't worry because as you came back from the boardroom last time,
47:00you said Lord sugar had nothing but praise for you.
47:02No, I didn't say that.
47:03And he loved your awards, so you're safe.
47:05I wouldn't worry.
47:06It's getting ridiculous, you know.
47:07It is ridiculous.
47:08This is not to do about the business.
47:09This is to do about personalities.
47:11Lord sugar, I can assure you I have no personal problems with Melody.
47:15However, I did feel...
47:16Really?
47:17No, genuinely.
47:18You should have fooled me then.
47:19She was shouting her head off.
47:20Have you got an agreement with her, Susan,
47:22that she's not bringing you in the boardroom today?
47:25No, we have not.
47:26She's built her alliances.
47:27I have not built alliances.
47:29I answer when I'm spoken to.
47:31I absolutely understand that our focus should have been more concise.
47:34I don't think Zoe sort of communicated the concept across the entire task.
47:39I don't think we had a full-on focus with regards to our target market
47:43or our USP, but at the end of the day, it was all down to the product.
47:51Zoe, you'd better make sure you have very good reasons
47:54why you're bringing the people back in, yeah?
47:57And it shouldn't be anything to do with personality or whatever it is.
48:01So who is it?
48:02Lord sugar, there's no allegiances.
48:04Just who is it?
48:05Melody and Tom.
48:09Right, thank you.
48:10Susan, go back to the house.
48:12I'll see you on the next task, OK?
48:14You three wait outside, and I'll call you back in shortly.
48:24As far as Tom is concerned, he doesn't know what he's talking about.
48:27That's the frustrating thing about Tom.
48:29I don't know why he can't get it over when he's in the task.
48:32Every week we hear,
48:34I'm learning, and next time it'll all be great.
48:37I think at some point he's actually got to get it right.
48:42Zoe's been a strong project manager before.
48:45But in the drinks industry, with her own factory,
48:48she should know better.
48:50The product's got to be good, first of all.
48:52Alan, she said as much. She said as much.
48:58As far as Melody is concerned, again, she talks a lot of sense.
49:02But we have to watch her very carefully,
49:04because her interaction with some of the other candidates in this process
49:08is not good.
49:09No.
49:12Lord sugar will see you now.
49:23Right, Zoe, you've been in the final three, three times.
49:26You've been the project manager three times.
49:28You've lost as project manager twice, right?
49:30Mm-hm. Yeah.
49:31And, Tom, you've been in here twice in the last...
49:33This is my second. Yeah.
49:35Sorry.
49:36I'll give you the opportunity now
49:38to tell me why I should let you remain in this process.
49:41On this task, Lord Sugar,
49:43I came up with a huge number of very powerful ideas,
49:46and I'm a little bit surprised as to why I'm here.
49:48It wasn't communicated that we were making a luxury product,
49:51and so there is a disparity between the packaging and also the biscuit.
49:55Do you know, I don't know if I classify you as the hindsight man.
49:59I see you in this boardroom,
50:00keep talking about all the things that should have happened,
50:03shouldn't have gone wrong,
50:04what we should have done, what we shouldn't have done, OK?
50:07It's like a broken record, really.
50:09Indeed, Lord Sugar.
50:10I've learnt a great deal from this process.
50:12This is not a learning process.
50:14This is an elimination process for me to end up with a business partner.
50:17Absolutely, Lord Sugar.
50:18Yeah, this is not a school.
50:21In that respect,
50:23I've learnt that I've got to be much more in tune
50:26and listen to my gut reactions.
50:28Lord Sugar, Tom said he didn't realise it was a premium product.
50:32I don't believe at this stage in a process
50:34you should be learning how to read and know the price of biscuits.
50:37£1.99 is a premium product.
50:39We developed premium packaging to go with a premium product.
50:43However, we were let down by the product.
50:46But you signed off.
50:49I signed off the theory of the product.
50:51I'd not tasted the cheap, horrible chocolate
50:54and I didn't realise how thick the digestive ring was around it,
50:58which gave it a really wheaty, common, horrible taste.
51:03You spotted it straight away when it came back.
51:05You said, oh, we're dead in the water here,
51:07as soon as you saw the biscuit.
51:09There was no feedback about the product when it came back.
51:11When we were in the kitchen...
51:13She said it was great.
51:14I heard no mention of, oh, I hate this.
51:17You told me as soon as you saw it, you thought, oh, blimey.
51:19Not as soon as I saw it.
51:21When I tasted it, I didn't enjoy it.
51:23I stress so much at the importance of a good product,
51:27but I couldn't control the product.
51:29Control the product? You went down there as the manufacturer.
51:31Yes, I know I could.
51:33We didn't have a direction of the fact that it's a high luxury.
51:36We had a go and talk to people...
51:38You didn't understand it was a high luxury.
51:40What part of £1.99?
51:41The RRP £1.99.
51:42Yeah, what part of that doesn't mean a luxury to you?
51:44But I didn't realise that £1.99 meant a high luxury product.
51:47Well, that's not my problem.
51:48If you don't know the price of biscuits...
51:50Lord Sugar, may I just say what I've contributed to this task?
51:53Firstly, the concept of sharing.
51:56Secondly, I came up with quite daring concepts.
52:00The third thing was that...
52:01Sorry, what were the daring concepts?
52:03One was...
52:04You came up with the sharing, which is the first concept,
52:06and we all went with.
52:07Can I please just finish what I'm saying?
52:09Not the concept, sharing we went with, absolutely right.
52:11What were the daring ones?
52:12Making biscuit the new popcorn.
52:14That's what I wanted to do.
52:15Which was voted down by every single person in the room.
52:18Yes, it was.
52:19They said they'd want a sour, they'd want a savoury version.
52:23Finish what I'm saying.
52:24So it was very daring, but it was completely unpopular.
52:27No-one liked it at all.
52:28Yes, the ten people out of a mass market of 60 million people in the UK.
52:32And the final thing was that, before Tom, before anybody,
52:35I said, guys, we need to agree on a clear target market.
52:39Who should go on this task, then, Melanie?
52:41I feel that Zoe should go on this task,
52:44because we went in there with no clear target market.
52:47We went in there with disparity between the product and the packaging.
52:51And who are you saying is responsible for the task?
52:53I'm saying the fact that there was disparity between the two
52:56was a communications issue.
52:57Tom, be decisive, who should go on this task?
52:59The project manager, Zoe.
53:00It's a scapegoat.
53:01Why are you just choosing the project manager?
53:03Your product was awful.
53:05But out of these two, then, who should go?
53:07I don't know.
53:08Melody was incredibly disruptive in this task.
53:10However, if Tom decided on the digestive, then Tom should go.
53:22Tom, I've got over the stage now that you're a charming man,
53:25nice man, polite man and all that stuff,
53:27but I don't see you asserting your authority, if you have any, at all.
53:31Because, as I've said earlier on,
53:33you seem to always be talking about what we should have done,
53:36what we could have done and what we would have done.
53:38Right.
53:39And that, you know, is no good to me at all.
53:47Melody, I'm thinking about this business partner
53:50that I'm going to be in with, and he's given me lots of concerns.
53:53There's too many arguments amongst your colleagues
53:56and you seem to be always saying that nothing's your fault.
54:02Zoe, you are a good contender
54:05in the sense that you have a business, you manufacture something
54:08and you've brought it to market already, yeah?
54:11Yes.
54:12But, as team leader, you should have been in the factory.
54:22Tom...
54:25..it's regretful that...
54:30I can give so much. I don't want to hear any more from you.
54:33It's regretful that I haven't seen much from you.
54:40And this has fallen down on the product.
54:46But, Zoe, I'm looking for someone to come into business with.
54:50And if someone can't actually perform in the business that they're in,
54:55he's not going to be able to perform with me.
54:58Zoe, you're fired.
55:11I am flexing my muscles because somebody
55:14who's supposed to be expert in the subject has failed.
55:18You get it? Yes, I'm sure. You get it? Yes.
55:21Good. Go back to the house. I'll see you on the next task.
55:33MUSIC PLAYS
55:49The product wasn't good enough. If I could go back and change it,
55:52I'd go back and I would be in the factory.
55:54But I was swayed by them and I went against my gut instinct.
55:58I shouldn't have done.
56:00The right person definitely went.
56:03That sort of behaviour is childish, it's personal, it's unnecessary,
56:08and I don't rate that sort of behaviour.
56:10And I certainly wouldn't want that to be a reflection on my business.
56:16All three of them have a reason to be fired.
56:21Hello. Hello.
56:23Welcome back. Good. Well done.
56:26Special stars.
56:29In the fight for Lord Sugar's quarter-million-pound investment,
56:33six candidates remain.