Take the almost unwatchable daytime incarnation of The Price is Right. It's downmarket, tacky and the audience and contestants are entirely from the north of England. The programme is sponsored by Asda.
Or how about Trinny and Susannah's ITV series? When they first emerged on the BBC, they were a TV phenomenon, with an original and aspirational concept. Their new series, in which they go beyond fashion to help unfortunate couples resurrect their relationships appeals far more to ITV's CD demographic than the ABs who watched it on BBC2. It is sponsored by Littlewoods.
One retailer that seemed to have got it right was Carphone Warehouse, which has been aligned with the Big Brother phenomenon from the start. It was exactly right for the Carphone brand - fun, youthful and genuinely innovative, reaching out to teens who would sooner go without shoes than without a mobile.
The problem with programmes like Big Brother is that they need to keep pushing the boundaries. Considering that the comments made by Jade Goody were worthy of dominating the news agenda, Carphone had no option but to pull the plug on its sponsorship after this week's racism controversy.
Its swift and decisive action will have won it credit, not just with customers but with Carphone's staff, which in many big cities seems to include a higher than average contingent of Asians. But it is an argument Charles Dunstone could have done without.
The lesson is that things move on. Big Brother was once exciting and original, now it's tired and hackneyed. Good marketing directors earn their money not just by identifying what's new, but knowing when to ditch what's had its day.
No comments yet