BBC Studios transforms its global digital news brand

BBC Studios is undergoing an extensive transformation of its global digital news brand under the guidance of Jennie Baird, the organisation’s chief product officer, as part of efforts to enhance international consumer engagement. Speaking at the NewsTECHForum in New York, Baird outlined the substantial overhaul of BBC.com, which aims to modernise the platform in light of increasing economic pressures and to attract a more global audience.

Launched nearly three years ago, Baird’s initiative is pivotal for BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the UK public service broadcaster. With public funding facing potential cuts, the aim is to leverage the site to secure commercial revenues that could offset such losses. Baird said: “The goal for BBC Studios is to be able to contribute back commercial returns that can offset any potential future loss in public funding or reduction in public funding.”

Prior to the revamp, BBC.com presented a chaotic user experience. Baird described it as having a cluttered visual appearance, with excessive advertising competing for attention with written content, images, and navigation elements. “Being slow is the worst thing you can be on the internet, for your consumer but also for your discovery engines like Google,” Baird explained. This clutter resulted in what is commonly referred to as ad blindness, where users struggled to discern actual content.

To address these challenges, the focus was on simplifying the site by reducing the amount of code and advertisements. Baird shared that the redesigned BBC.com houses only one full ad in view at any given time, creating a premium feel that directs user attention to relevant content. “Here’s a great piece of content, and here’s a great advertiser that is supporting this content,” she said.

The strategic overhaul also aimed to foster user familiarity with the news source, which is critical for a brand like the BBC that seeks to turn casual visitors into habitual consumers. Baird noted that users often encounter news stories from social media and aggregators, which leads to uncertainty about the source of the news. The previous version of BBC.com operated through multiple disconnected sites, making it difficult to track user interactions and preferences.

As part of the revamp, Baird’s team developed a new content management system (CMS) using WordPress VIP, allowing for a more unified presentation. The layout now features a structured homepage with broad categories and subcategories revealed only when a relevant vertical is engaged.

The site now also includes a “Watch Live” feature that is prominently displayed, permitting users to access live news coverage easily. In addition, Baird introduced a live coverage aggregator page to ensure visitors do not miss out on fleeting updates, a vital tool for a global organisation that covers events across different time zones. “We created this live aggregator page so that you could see all the things that were live, whether they’re live now or maybe they were live while you were still asleep,” said Baird.

The redesign process was carried out by two small teams stationed in both New York and London. Baird emphasised the importance of conveying a cohesive vision throughout the organisation, highlighting that collaboration was essential to successfully execute the project. “Articulating and selling that vision is incredibly important,” Baird noted. “We needed everybody in the organisation to believe that they were part of this and that they would contribute their piece.”

Adopting an Agile methodology allowed the teams to remain adaptable while also outsourcing specific tasks to agencies with expertise, thereby streamlining processes. Baird also stressed the value of learning from imperfections, adopting a pragmatic approach of balancing quality and efficiency.

Looking ahead nearly a year after the completion of the site overhaul, Baird reported promising signs of progress toward increasing habitual users. “We’re really moving toward increasing our weekly habitual users, as opposed to our daily or monthly users,” she stated. The initiative includes encouraging users to register for accounts, newsletters and notifications to foster a first-party relationship that will allow the BBC to deliver content and advertisements targeted to their preferences.

Baird concluded by asserting the necessity for independent publishers to maintain direct relationships with their users, thus enabling them to curate personalised experiences while enhancing marketing efforts for related products and services. As digital media consumption continues evolving, strategies like those implemented by BBC Studios will be crucial for news publishers seeking to adapt and thrive in this dynamic landscape.

Source: Noah Wire Services