clivewatson's excellent piece about Bake Off and the dangers of changing tried and tested recipies (post 1986):
Outreach, my @rse! More like Bake Off.
This was never about outreach, it's always been about her and a brilliantly executed sales pitch that secured her a round the world jolly on someone else's dollar! If it had been executed as planned, good for her, if she had announced the change of plan and still done the trip as amended, good for her again, but….
is a very good read.
It inspired me to compile a list of things NOT to do when flogging a profitable cake recipe under a highly-hyped and trusted brand:
1) stick to the exact ingredients you advertised 'on the tin'
2) never be tempted to over-egg the mixture
3) avoid adding a pinch of salt - it can become addictive. Next thing you know, it has so much salt added it leaves a foul taste
4) avoid all artificial flavourings. Once detected, they leave a foul taste to those who rightfully expected all natural ingredients as listed on the tin, see 3 above
5) when caught changing the recipe, admit it immediately and apologise. It will probably save your reputation and your brand. Trying instead to redefine that well known four letter 'S' word (salt?) and then blaming others for having defective senses is ridiculous and smacks of the worst arrogance. Definition of defective senses include taste, eg. tasting salt where there was supposed to be none. Also sight, eg. seeing double, for example 2 pilots seen in an aircraft for a flight which was touted as being solo or 'alone'.
Breaking any of these fundamental rules could cause embarrassment. Breaking all of them is certain to kill the brand - the golden goose - meaning no more eggs for baking with. Then, the only egg will be highly visible, all over the face.