In an earlier blog post on media brands, I had written that BBC’s coverage of the conflict in Gaza was found wanting, and that I was particularly disappointed because I happen to be a regular BBC World News viewer and because I had done some advertising work for BBC when they were launching India-specific programmes in the mid ‘90s when I was with Ogilvy Advertising in Delhi.
I had also said in that blog post that I should put down my thoughts on BBC as a media brand and its strategy, which I have now done, and am ready to share them with you readers. Having grown up with BBC news in India – both on radio and on television – I have explored how BBC can become more competitive as a media organisation as well as improve the quality of the programmes it produces and broadcasts. I am not very familiar with the media environment in the UK, and I have had to rely on a lot of reading online, so I hope any information lacunae will be forgiven.
As a public service broadcaster, BBC enjoys certain privileges that are not available to other media organisations in Britain, chiefly that they earn the bulk of their revenues through the TV License Fee that every household in Britain pays. As a result, the BBC is also duty-bound to provide accurate and impartial news reporting and good quality entertainment for family viewing. To these, I would add another and equally important role that the BBC plays in Britain and its relationship with the rest of the world.
It used to be that BBC World Service was the British Government’s (Britain’s Foreign Office) outreach to the rest of the world and to this extent, BBC also received a grant each year from them. I am not sure if this is still the practice, but I remember reading this in The Economist decades ago. Whether or not this is still the case, I think it is important that BBC represent the best of Britain to Britons in the UK and to people all over the world. Usually this might be expected of state-owned and run media organisations, but as the world’s oldest and largest broadcaster, the BBC can and must take on the mantle of bringing the best of Britain to life.
This does not mean that BBC must toe the government line, or broadcast government propaganda or PR; rather, it must continue to be independent and impartial in its news reporting as well as uphold the highest traditions of probity and accountability required in a democracy. BBC is one of the few media organisations still left in the world that is actually capable of fulfilling these responsibilities and reflecting the best of Britain at the same time. This might become even more important when we consider what might happen in the future with the BBC.
It has been reported for a while, even by The Economist (which I have stopped reading thanks to unprofessional PR agency idiot bosses’ meddling) that the UK government is considering some kind of overhaul of the BBC. This was certainly true during Boris Johnson’s term as Prime Minister, when it was reported that part of the overhaul of the BBC might include revoking the TV License Fee system. This would be equivalent to axing BBC’s main revenue stream, and would therefore require BBC to find alternate revenue streams and improve its overall competitiveness.
I would argue that by taking on the role of representing the best of Britain, BBC would become more competitive, with or without the TV License Fee. This is what I explore in my brand strategy and ideas document for BBC.
BBC’s biggest competitor in the UK is ITV. ITV was set up through an act of the British Parliament in 1955, while the BBC was instituted through a Royal Charter in 1921, and began operations in 1922. ITV was set up, it seems, to provide a competitive environment for broadcast media to operate in the UK. And when one looks at the reach of ITV and its share of viewing by UK households, according to information provided by BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) on its website ITV does come a close second to the BBC.
However, ITV’s main strength appears to be in the production and broadcasting of TV shows as well as entertainment programmes, even though it does have a news section. BBC’s strengths, on the other hand, is in news production and broadcasting, even though it also produces plenty of TV shows and entertainment programmes for the UK. It is clear, therefore that the BBC focus on its core strength in news broadcasting and become much more competitive in this area, both within the UK and around the world.
There are challenges that an old media organisation such as BBC faces in today’s media environment, and I explore how BBC can overcome these. By pursuing a strategy that focuses on news, and also through adding new categories, as well as expanding its international footprint to include many more countries, BBC can strengthen its position as the world most trusted media organisation. You may read my thoughts and ideas for BBC in the brand strategy document below.
The advertising campaign film scripts are in the document above. For the print campaign, I have designed layouts, even though I am not a designer or art director and you may view/read these below.
As an example of the digital campaign for BBC, I am sharing a sample advert adapted from the print campaign, which you can see below.
An important area for the BBC to focus on, is increasing its advertising revenue. Apparently, there were objections raised by competitors to BBC accepting advertising revenue in the past, as this might have violated certain terms of BBC’s public service broadcasting agreement. However, it appears that BBC can raise advertising revenue through what are called its “commercial channels”. Also, BBC is free to raise revenue through its World Service that operates internationally. Therefore, there are ways for the BBC to improve its advertising revenue ratio, which it must do, irrespective of whether the TV License Fee system stays or not.
BBC must also consider listing on the London Stock Exchange at some point in the future. This would enable the corporation to raise money from the public to fund its technology investments as well as its expansion plans. Besides, it would be an article of faith in Britain and its citizens and a sign of confidence in Britain’s best known and largest broadcaster.
Finally, I would say that this is one more way that Britain can bolster its position as a vibrant and growing economy. I have shared my thoughts already on British Airways, as well as on ways that the UK Royals can build their brands. Britain for Business is still in the works, and for this I am waiting to hear more on UK’s new industrial policy, which seems to be a work in progress. Perhaps more details will emerge in the UK Chancellor’s Autumn 2025 Budget. All these various aspects ought to come together to form a cohesive whole, that is designed to make the UK economy itself more globally competitive.
The featured image at the start of this post of BBC Broadcasting House in London is by Richard Cooke on Wikimedia Commons
The stock images used in the campaign ideas for BBC are from Wikimedia Commons and Unsplash. The BBC logos are from Brands of the World website as well as from Wikimedia Commons. I am thankful to all of them.
Peripatetic Perch 