god only knows_ how the bbc pushed the boundaries of content marketing by @nickykc

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God only knows: how the BBC pushed the boundaries of content marketingBy Nicola Kemp, marketingmagazine.co.uk , Wednesday, 15 October 2014 09:00AM 3 Comments

Neil Caldicott, director of marketing and audiences for radio at BBC Music, reveals the secrets behindthe BBC Music's marketing triumph

BBC: investing in content marketing

"We dont do ads at the BBC," quips Neil Caldicott, director of marketing and audiences for radio at BBC music. Certainly, if BBC Musics epic re-working of God

Only Knows is anything to go by if the corporation did do ads they would be among the most lavish in the world. With a cast spanning from Elton John and OneDirection to opera star Danielle De Niese, the re-worked music video is a tour de force of musical talent, brought to life by the deft hand of Sam Walker,executive creative director at Karmarama.

The world is a very different place to how it was 17 years ago. The amount of post-production wizardry at our disposal now just wasnt around then

"I think the very best marketing in the world isnt art as it has to do a job for an organisation, but its the stuff that transcends the everyday; it has a sense of magic. It brings a bit of joy," explains Caldicott.

The video, which was two years in the making, is more than a simple marketing campaign for BBC Music; it is a significant investment of time, money andcreative commitment. But perhaps more importantly, it is a sign of the significant ambition of BBC Music and its marketing team. "A year ago Tony Hall [director general of the BBC] said he wanted BBC Music to stand up as a brand alongside news and sport and we have stood up to that ambition to boost the BBCsreputation for music," says Caldicott.

nly knows: how the BBC pushed the boundaries of content marketin... http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1316935/god-knows-bbc-pushed-b...

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It is not the first time the BBC has leant on an all-star cast to deliver a marketing message. The media landscape may have changed irrevocably but thestrategy harks to the past as much as the future. The corporation's stellar revamp of Lou Reeds Perfect Day took place 17 years ago. However, according toCaldicott, very little time was spent thinking about replicating that success. "The world is a very different place to how it was 17 years ago. The amount of post-production wizardry at our disposal now just wasnt around then. While social media enabled us to use the talent in the film as ambassadors."

Of course, the campaign was boosted by something commercial brands can only dream of; exposure across all BBC channels. However, it is clear the contentwill live beyond the defines of any single screen or channel. "TV still delivers fantastic reach but the longevity of this campaign will live out on You Tube andFacebook," explains Caldicott.

While not any given brand can benefit from the phenomenal marketing platform and contacts book that comes hand in hand with the BBC, like the best creativepursuits it was accompanied by a myriad of challenges. With this in mind, here is what marketers can learn from the campaign:

1. Dont be too proud to ask the experts

In the age of content marketing where content has become a one-size fits all answer to any given marketing problem, content risks becoming an amorphousmass; an answer to a marketing question that is yet to be posed. A skill that it is all too often assumed every marketer can simply turn their hand to, regardlessof the limits of their own experience.

"For a project like this you have to look at it as more than a marketing campaign. For a creative organisation with a strong editorial base it was a piece of contentand we used that editorial skill," comments Caldicott. This included leaning on the knowledge and contact books of Jeff Smith, head of Radio 2, and GeorgeErgatoudis, head of Radio 1.

2. Creativity means losing control

Ultimately with such a roster of musicians there was something of a balancing act in maintaining the BBCs own creative vision with the views of each individualmusician. This meant taking a fluid approach to the project was crucial. "This was not a campaign where we felt in control all of the time. It was a constant act of three-dimensional chess. The biggest learning from that is you need to give artists their creative space," explains Caldicott.

3. Leave your ego at the door

In line with this approach success was dependent on leaving egos out of it and respecting each individual artist. While the wonders of CGI and editing meant thatnot all the egos (or the 'talent' as they are also known) were in the room at one time, there was a nonetheless delicate balance to maintain, As Caldicott says:"When you work with this level and calibre of artist you have to take their views into account. This has very much been the result of working with artists and withtheir labels."

4. Embrace collaboration

Advertising is an industry that has been built upon the cult of personality. Many a marketing director has successfully built their profiles upon the creative work of


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others. But in the drive to take ownership of major projects, marketers are at risk of creat ive self-destruction. "Dont take a project like this all on your ownshoulders or you will get subsumed by details," warns Caldicott, who credits the contribution of fellow BBC marketers Claire Jullien and Rhion Leadbitter ascrucial to the project's success.

5. Dont let your critics hold you back

You could envisage the headlines before the content had ever seen the light of day: God only knows how much the BBC spent on its corporate video. As AdamSherwin exuberantly declared in The Independent : "With its message, that the BBC owns the entire musical waterfront and license- fee payers would do well toremember that, it is the kind of propaganda film an autocratic regime sensing that its legitimacy is crumbling might produce."

In many respects marketers at the BBC would be forgiven for sitting on their hands, or at the very most twiddling their thumbs while steadfastly maintaining thestatus quo. Instead the team was supremely ambitious in scope, scale and vision for the project.

"Music says something very fundamental about who we are and we really built on that; it is a unique platform," explains Caldicott. Here is a campaign thatsucceeds because the end result is greater than its composite parts. The idea, and the creative endeavor it demanded, transcends the realms of a traditionalcelebrity campaign and that in itself should be applauded.

Read next

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This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk

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3 Comments

Kathryn Okada

I dont see this as an ad it seems like something morethan that. Its captivating and magical and it really draws you in as a viewer.Most ads now a days are annoying and quick and you sit there and either muteit, change the channel, or exit out of the browser window. We live in a worldwhere advertisements are a nuisance and we want nothing to do with it. I thinkBBC did a wonderful job branding a branch of their channel one specificallyaimed for music. Its a good way to introduce (or reintroduce something)because it gives it a new perspective. It shows all of these different artistscreating a beautiful cover of a classic song and mixing in a little bit of their personal styles as musicians.

Sure, TV campaigns are great, but the truly great commercialslive out on the internet on Youtube where things are easily shared and havethe ability to replay with the click of the mouse. When watching thetelevision, people just want to see a specific show, not the 20 minutes of advertisements found in an hour long episode of, say, Greys Anatomy. Whenwatching shows on the internet, people will go out of their way to ensure acommercial free viewing. It could be through adding an extension that blocksads or illegally downloading a commercial free version. At least with Youtube,people are actively seeking out short videos to hold their attention.

amanda hunter

agree with Martin Ballantine: this is not an example of content marketing

Martin Ballantine

Yes, yes, but...it's *still* an ad and NOT content marketing. WTF that actually is. Emperor's New Clothes...etc. etc.

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god only knows_ how the bbc pushed the boundaries of content marketing by @nickykc

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