Tag: United Kingdom

United Kingdom – The commissioning team at BBC Studios Social is inviting independent producers of all sizes and backgrounds to propose unique short-form proposals. These concepts strive to broaden and improve existing intellectual properties (IP), captivate devoted fans, and capture the attention of new audiences across digital channels. 

The available production opportunities currently span multiple key brands in the BBC Studios Social portfolio and are available online. Regarding Kids & Family, commissioners are actively looking for fun activity-based material for the hit show Hey Duggee, as well as engaging concepts focused around cuisine and family-oriented entertainment for the internationally recognized Bluey franchise. Furthermore, suggestions targeting a younger demographic are welcomed for the digital-only humour program Funny Parts and the automotive Top Gear.

Regarding factual and unscripted programming, BBC Earth is actively looking for ideas that capture the wonders of nature in appealing ways that work for its new vertical channels. For BBC Earth Science, a wide range of concepts covering subjects including sustainability, space exploration, and the complexities of the human body are also being sought out. 

Chris Allen, director, digital content development at BBC, said, “In an increasingly competitive and fast maturing digital-first market, BBC Studios Social are committed to finding, developing, and partnering with the best independent producers and new talent globally. We love our world-class brands, and we’re super excited to share them with you to deliver new formats, new talent, and new ideas that are critical and commercial successes. Whether silly comedy sketches, or a mind-bending science documentary, we hope this will be the start of some beautiful creative partnerships.”

Australia – Content management system Storyblok has announced its plans to expand to the US and the UK markets by next year. Despite the rapid expansion internationally, it will remain a fully remote company: all over 230 employees work across over 45 countries. 

Storyblok will launch a US entity in January 2024 to continue supporting the explosive growth in the market. The company will also create a dedicated UK entity to establish its local presence later in 2024.

Some of the company’s clients include DIRECTV, Crunchyroll, Red Ventures, DW Drums, AppFolio, and BlackLine Systems; as well as US tech companies like Netlify and BigCommerce, and agencies such as Americaneagle.com, CI&T, and Royal Cyber.

Julia Doria, US sales director at Storyblok, said, “Our research shows that 75% of US businesses report improved KPIs, revenue growth, and productivity since switching to a composable, headless CMS. Even with those high satisfaction numbers, only 22% of US businesses are using a headless CMS for their content operations. The opportunity in this market is massive, and our success so far gives us a lot to build on as we help companies create better digital experiences.”

Meanwhile, Dominik Angerer, co-founder and CEO of Storyblok, commented, “Despite a difficult economic environment, our rapid growth in the US proves that businesses realise an investment in composable content management actually saves money. A Total Economic Impact study conducted by Forrester Consulting revealed that Storyblok provided a 582% ROI over a three-year period and paid for itself in less than six months. Results like that will continue to fuel our growth in the US and internationally.”

Singapore – Singapore-based global communications agency Redhill has announced its expansion into the United Kingdom, and appointing Loriann Luckings-Marwood as its director for its UK office. This follows months after its previous expansion to the Middle East and Africa in April this year.

Through establishing their presence in the UK and by tapping into the expertise of their global network, Redhill’s aim is to provide local clients with strategic communications solutions to enter new markets and expand their global footprint and global clients to enter and deepen their market presence in the UK.

Within the first month of its operations, starting September 2022, Redhill has secured The Powder Shampoo as its first client along with a number of projects and new business opportunities in the pipeline that are expected to materialise later this quarter.

Jacob Puthenparambil, CEO at Redhill, said, “The decision to expand into the UK was the next logical step in our global business growth strategy. By establishing our presence in the UK, we are now better able to service local marketers and welcome global and regional brands and clients to the UK.” 

He added, “We could not be more pleased to have Loriann join our team. Her extensive experience, deep technical expertise, excellent understanding of the UK market and local market relationships with stakeholders and the media will be instrumental in providing the highest level of service to our clients seeking integrated communication solutions.”

Meanwhile, Loriann will focus on establishing the UK market, driving local expertise and cross-market collaboration to orchestrate broader capabilities for clients and accelerate business growth in addition to hiring new talent.

With nearly two decades experience in the communications industry, Loriann has established a strong track record in planning, leading, and executing integrated communications strategies. She specialises in retail and consumer brand communications, and throughout her career, has delivered insight-informed integrated campaigns for renowned brands such as Microsoft, eBay, and the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.

Tavy Cussinel, managing director at Redhill, said, “Loriann is not just a consummate public relations professional – she also knows the communications industry inside out and is deeply passionate about storytelling, which is a must in creating authentic connections and meaningful impact. She brings a wealth of experience from working with some of the biggest brands in the world, and her drive to create and connect in new, innovative ways is a perfect fit with the Redhill DNA. I believe that Redhill UK could not be in safer hands with Loriann at the helm, and I am excited to see it grow.”

London, United Kingdom – Green Park Content (GPC), the global content marketing and brand publishing agency, has appointed William Goodenough, former chairman and co-founder of global design agency Design Bridge, to be the new chairman of its board of directors.

Goodenough will have the new appointment as an additional role, continuing as the governor of Goodenough College in London and Gresham’s School, as well as a trustee of conservation charity Norfolk Rivers’ Trust.

Goodenough brings with him his extensive experience in the industry. Prior to selling Design Bridge to creative transformation company WPP in 2019, he has previously held many senior leadership roles within the business, such as head of sales, managing director, and CEO, as well as chairman.

As part of his new role, Goodenough will be leveraging his expertise in building management structures, skill sets, and systems to significantly scale the GPC brand across its global offices, including London, Jakarta, and Singapore, as well as New York, and Sao Paulo.

Commenting on his appointment, Goodenough said that he is honored to join Green Park Content and to work with its world-class team and global clients. 

“I’m really enjoying working with Green Park Content to help drive its industry and thought leadership status in SEO-driven brand publishing and search, to power client-centricity, and to ignite growth. I am proud to be part of the exciting and transformational journey ahead.”

Meanwhile, Sven Lung, founder and CEO of Green Park Content, commented that they are honored and thrilled to welcome Goodenough as the chairman.

“After successfully founding BRANDALLEY as the top private sale operator in the UK with more than 15 million members, I founded Green Park Content with the goal to help brands become media brands by implementing brand publishing strategies. Will brings with him an amazing proven system that is already helping us to grow and break our own ceilings and deliver global scale,” said Lung.

Green Park Content APAC’s Managing Director Marcelo Bittencourt shared that everyone is receptive to Goodenough’s advice that comes from his decades of entrepreneurial success and his extensive list of achievements in the industry. 

“Will’s appointment as chairman has raised the bar for our scale and growth plans significantly, and this is just the beginning. With Will’s guidance, we have a very clear business roadmap that allows GPC to be well-positioned for strong future growth in APAC and globally,” said Bittencourt.