Is humour the most effective way to get your product noticed? If so, why does it seem that the use of comedy in advertising is in decline? Recent research by Kantar found that 90% of consumers were more likely to remember and purchase a brand if the advert made them smile. So why the downturn? Are multi-national brands looking for a one size fits all approach, or are brands frightened of offending potential customers? Evan Davis and guests discuss. PRESENTER: Evan Davis GUESTS Rory Sutherland, VP, Ogilvy UK Lucy Greeves, Author and Creative Strategist Dom Dwight, Marketing Director, Taylors of Harrogate and Yorkshire Tea ADVERT CLIP: Yorkshire Tea - Induction Training with Sean Bean Courtesy of Taylors of Harrogate, Yorkshire Tea Creative: Lucky Generals Advertising Agency PRODUCTION TEAM Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University

England’s water companies are under fire – there’s public anger over sewage spills and leaks, and now regulators and government ministers are worried some of them are drowning in too much debt. So what’s gone wrong, and who will pay the price of fixing the industry? On the face of it, running a water company seems like a licence to print money – there’s guaranteed revenue, and no competition – but there’s a lot of infrastructure to build and maintain, and strict targets that are getting even tougher and more expensive to hit as environmental concerns grow. Many of England’s water firms have taken on very high levels of debt, but have they used it to invest, or pay off their shareholders? And does the regulator, Ofwat, have questions to answer for strangling spending on improvements in a bid to keep customer prices low? Evan Davis is joined by: Nicola Shaw, CEO, Yorkshire Water; Sir Ian Byatt, Ofwat Director General from 1989 to 2000; Verity Mitchell, UK analyst at Global Water Intelligence. PRODUCTION TEAM: Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Mike Woolley Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Produced in partnership with The Open University.

From The Office and Succession to The Apprentice and Dragons' Den, does the portrayal of business on television inspire or is it a total turn off to budding entrepreneurs? And how challenging is it to create great drama from the world of business? Is 'greed, for lack of a better word, good' as Gordon Gekko from Wall Street would have us believe? Or post financial crash, is the world looking to find a more equitable and kind example of the business world on screen? PRESENTER: EVAN DAVIS GUESTS Ash Atalla, CEO, Roughcut Productions Dave Fishwick, businessman, subject of Netflix movie, 'Bank of Dave' Nisha Katona, Founder, Mowgli Street Restaurants, Great British Menu judge Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, co-writers, 'Industry' , BBC 2 drama series Clip from 'Industry' BBC2 Bad Wolf Productions HBO/BBC Produced in Partnership with the Open University PRODUCTION TEAM Producer: Julie Ball Editor: China Collins Sound: James Beard and Graham Puddifoot Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

Demand for pre-loved goods has surged in the UK in recent years, with fashion, books and furniture especially popular. So what’s driving this boom in second-hand sales - the cost of living crisis or the increasingly eco-conscious shopper? And how are companies making money from it? Evan Davis and guests discuss the business of buying and selling pre-loved products, the growing number of online platforms specialising in them, and the bricks-and-mortar retailers looking to get in on the act. Plus, is buying second-hand really better for the environment, and what protection does the customer get when something goes wrong if they’re buying from a stranger rather than a business? GUESTS Hugh Hurley, CEO, Gumtree Adam Jay, CEO, Vinted Marketplace Ana Estrougo, founder and CEO, The Octopus Club Adwoa Owusu-Darko, founder, Mini's World and seller on Depop Produced in partnership with The Open University. PRODUCTION TEAM Producer: Simon Tulett Editor: China Collins Sound: Graham Puddifoot and Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

John Lewis Partnership and Waitrose are possibly two of the most trusted brands in retail. This week, Evan Davis interviews Dame Sharon White, who took over as Chair of the Partnership, literally weeks before lockdown. Post lockdown like all retailers the Partnership faces a cost of living crisis and getting customers back to the High Street. How is she facing these challenges and what are her plans for the future of the partnership? GUEST: Dame Sharon White, Chair, John Lewis Partnership PRODUCTION TEAM Producers: Julie Ball and Simon Tulett Editor: Richard Vadon Sound: Hannah Montgomery and Neil Churchill Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown