The Biscuit Barrel - Episode 10 – Journey's End Or A New Beginning?
Lee: Well , er everybody, if we could just start. Now as Malcolm is only just back here this morning we thought it would be better if I chaired this meeting and let him catch up on everything that’s been happening the last few days. And by the way we are all very pleased that Jean has got the all clear and is going to be fine Malcolm. So to start the ball rolling, Kevin, could you tell us what the final outcome of the Food Fair was – in summary of course.
Kevin: Well the first major thing to report is that during the Fair we negotiated a three-year deal with Borough Trains to supply all the biscuits and savoury snacks on their buffet-car trains and on their platform kiosks. That’s an exclusive and it will guarantee us sales of almost 13% more than last year in one stroke.
We also got quite wide press coverage for our new range, not only in this country but over the border as well.
And on the big one – Superkor – I can only report that everything is looking pretty good but that nothing has actually been signed yet.
Malcolm : Ah, well, maybe something is stirring in the undergrowth on that one. But before we get onto that - Maria and Nellie, can I ask how the school visit went? Those kids that won second prize at the Food Fair competition?
Nellie: Well not too badly really. To begin with some of the older, bigger ones were a bit high-spirited and showing off and we thought we were going to be in for some real trouble.
Maria: Yes, but when they saw the TV crew and Michaela Macfee they all behaved like lambs.
Malcolm: Michaela Macfee, who is she?
Nellie: Oh, Malcolm, she’s only the hottest thing on teen TV at the moment – at least in this part of the world. The boys all fancy her and the girls want to be like her. So once they saw she was here and taking an interest in their visit they were like little lambs. She then interviewed two or three of them whilst they were having lunch and the interviews went out on last night’s Kids’ Newsround.
Malcolm: And what did they say about the Biscuit Barrel? Nothing too “edgy” I hope.
Maria: Not at all. They were very complimentary on the whole set-up here. They said they appreciated being treated like grown-ups and not talked down to, and, and this is the clincher, they said that they thought Country Crumbles were really cool biscuits and that they were going to buy them as soon as they came into the shops
Lee: Ah, well they didn’t actually mention Country Crumbles by name cos I think the TV company would have had difficulties with advertising and so on. But they made it pretty clear that it was our new healthy eating but affordable biscuits that they were talking about. And there were Country Crumbles wrappers in full view in the shots.
Malcolm: Well that all sounds very positive indeed – and probably goes some way to explaining, er, this email I’ve just received from Superkor. Can I read it to you all?
“Dear Malcolm. We wanted to let you know at the earliest opportunity that in the light of the excellent publicity your new biscuit range has just received on tea-time TV and which will bring the products to the attention of a very valuable teenage market, we now feel able to move ahead and to sign all contracts on our mutual collaboration on the launch and promotion of the brand in all 67 of our stores over the next two years, with built-in options to renew for a further 3 years after that.
Can we please arrange a meeting to finalise all details of the contract and to take this matter forward. Yours etc…..”
Well, what do you think of that!
Lee: I can’t believe it. It’s all fallen into place at last.
Maria: I think we owe a vote of thanks to Andrea and her husband, don’t you? Andrea, you’ve been very quiet over there, but can we just say that we all appreciate all your hard work – and your TV contacts!
Andrea: Thank you all, it’s nothing really. It’s Michaela Macfee you should be thanking not me!
Kevin: Oh well that’s brilliant. And I guess it means we can look to buying those new machines now eh, Lee?
Lee: Well it’s certainly looking more like it.
Nellie: And can I take it that I can start the ball rolling for our full advertising campaign?
Malcolm: You certainly can, Nellie. And the way things are going we could start to think about a TV ad campaign as well before too long – TV exposure certainly seems to have helped us to get going doesn’t it?
