A different kind of egg hunt
Sparked by the theft of a £2mn Fabergé egg from a handbag in a Soho pub, this unpacks why a maker of Victorian Easter eggs now collaborates with a whiskey firm, Rolls Royce and James Bond. Taylor's point is that individual 'gilded excess' has fallen out of favour with the very rich, who now prefer quiet luxury, but a corporate commission can be reframed as investment in heritage and craftsmanship, and every collaboration keeps Fabergé looking relevant. Useful for brand value,
You probably don't actually own any Lycra
Hoover, Sellotape, Photoshop, Coke: brand names that became the product. Taylor uses Lycra (and its March bankruptcy filing) to explore first-mover advantage, why being first lets you set standards, lock in customers and cultivate a sense of superior quality. The Pepsi Challenge illustrates loyalty that survives even a nicer-tasting rival, and Google shows how becoming the default term can translate into market dominance, while Lycra shows it need not. Slightly more business
How much should the Tooth Fairy pay?
A fun way into anchoring and reference prices. Taylor uses the going rate for a lost tooth (about £2.50, or £500 if your dad is Zayn Malik) to show how the first payment sets a household benchmark that is hard to move, and how playground comparisons create a local 'market rate' that ratchets upward. There is a light touch of inflation and a sensible reminder that people do not act on purely economic terms, since parents are marking a milestone as much as pricing a tooth. Best