The BBC has a strong core identity, putting audiences at the front and centre. However, it felt its brand narrative did not encapsulate who the BBC were as an employer, and the people that set them apart. Wiser worked with the BBC to drive improvement in three key areas: its value proposition, talent attraction and diversity and inclusion. After conducting extensive internal and external research, the conclusion was that the BBC was still very recognisable, but had lost some of its appeal. A high proportion knew the brand, but only 39% felt they would want to work there.

The strategy was to shift the focus from on-screen talent to the creators behind the scenes. The ‘This is your BBC’ framework was built based on the research, introducing an individual sense of ownership for the brand and putting the people behind the programmes in the frame. An employer brand book was created, including brightly lit portraits that are diverse, modern and celebrate off-screen talent. All with the tagline: ‘This is your BBC. Personal to each of us, shared by all of us.’ The employer brand toolkit includes workshops, a launch video from the director general and a training presentation. The careers website puts BBC’s content and people at the heart of the brand, and a @LifeattheBBC Instagram account allowed employees to share and scale the message.

To shift perceptions towards the BBC as more of a digital brand, Wiser created a playful digital extension to the brand, and using the new framework ran a series of integrated campaigns across outreach, organic social and paid media. As the organisation celebrated its centenary, the new employer brand generated more than 3 million additional paid impressions, a significant improvement in employer brand trust and increased likelihood in wanting to work for the BBC.