When Charl Bassil became the BBC's Brand Director in March 2024, he encountered an unexpectedly open-minded organizational culture. Challenged by the competition of global media brands, Bassil aims to reframe the BBC's image as a challenger brand, particularly focused on the UK public service values. Coming from a marketing background in the drinks industry, he views his role as somewhat of a moral endeavor, striving to balance audience relevance while safeguarding the BBC's public service mission amid growing pressures from algorithm-driven personalization.
"Right at the end he asked me one question. 'What do you want your legacy to be? Do you want to be remembered for? Another flavor of vodka or fighting for democracy?' That really affected me as it does feel like we're trying to do something more meaningful than sell booze."
"If you are relevant to audiences and have public service values at heart, you're fulfilling your mission" - this statement illustrates how Bassil sees the significance of his role in aligning the BBC's identity with public service.
Bassil asserts that even though his role is global, it remains primarily focused on the UK, stating, "it's 90% focused on the UK and public service at the minute," highlighting his immediate priorities.
The challenge lies in balancing algorithms and personalization against the BBC’s public service values to maintain relevance in an evolving media landscape.
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