BBC hires Absolut CMO as inaugural chief brand officer
The BBC strengthens its position by appointing Charl Bassil, an experienced FMCG marketer, as its first Chief Brand Officer, in response to significant challenges
The BBC has announced the appointment of its inaugural chief brand officer, Charl Bassil. The search for the role commenced in May and concluded with the selection of Bassil, who has served as the CMO at Absolut Vodka for the past five years. Bassil is slated to assume the position in March 2024. Prior to his tenure at Absolut, Bassil was with Pernod Ricard, the parent company of Absolut, since 2013. Before that, he held various marketing and general manager positions at SABMiller, where he worked on brands such as Carling Black Label and Amstel for over a decade.
His previous experience with FMCG brands played a crucial role in his appointment, said Kerris Bright, the BBC's chief customer officer, who Bassil will be reporting to.
The BBC emphasized the significance of brand in driving growth when it announced its search for a brand chief in May.
The job ad for the role specifies that Bassil will define the organization's 'priority brands' with the most potential for growth. This will likely involve flagship programs and IPs, positioned for commercial growth by the for-profit wing of the BBC, BBC Studios. BBC Earth content has been utilized as its flagship brand across social media.
The BBC must develop a strategy for brand building that goes beyond its owned and operated channels in order to properly convey the value of its brands, which are integral to the perception of the broadcaster as a whole. This approach, as outlined in the job ad, will involve adopting a digital-first strategy to enhance audience value across new channels.
Bright emphasizes the importance of creating a strong BBC brand that aligns with the broadcaster's public service values, fosters audience growth, and is cherished and esteemed by all. Therefore, the addition of Charl's expertise to the BBC will aid in further strengthening our iconic global brand.
Bassil's role at the BBC will involve driving audience value and defending the perception of the BBC's value among the British public in light of a potential decrease in the license fee. The BBC recently announced an expected funding gap of around £90m due to a smaller-than-expected increase in the license fee, which will impact content budgets and the wider creative sector in the UK. The consequences of this will be confirmed as the BBC works through their budgets in the coming months.
Bassil's responsibilities are limited by funding constraints for the BBC's content strategy. His goal of creating a comprehensive brand strategy for the BBC, engaging global audiences, gaining fan support, and driving growth on digital platforms, will be affected by the cost-saving efforts the BBC is now required to make. Bassil's emphasis on developing a brand strategy that reaches across digital channels will help protect the BBC's concept of a "valued daily habit", which measures audience willingness to pay the license fee.
Previously, the UK government has expressed interest in re-evaluating the use of the license fee as the BBC's funding source. Due to shifting audience habits towards streaming and social video consumption, the government is now considering alternative funding options for the BBC. Bassil has referred to the BBC as "the envy of the world".
"I am thrilled to be starting a new phase in my career, working with the BBC to ensure its continued relevance and provide value to all in a media market that is constantly evolving," he remarks.
Bassil is set to manage a team of 250 individuals and oversee a budget in the multimillions, as outlined in the original job description.
