Matt Butler is a Digital Planner for BBC Studios and works on campaigns for shows like BBC Earth and Top Gear, to help bring them to new and wide-reaching audiences. In this episode Matt gives us a look at what the role of planning involves. Covering:
- How Matt became a brand planner, before moving into digital strategy for the BBC
- What the role of a strategist really means, ultimately working out what the objectives are, distilling them and working out how to get to the end goal
- What his role involves specifically, like campaign planning for a TV show, original commissioning for digital, partnerships – editorial & commercial
- Why planning & strategy is often given the “thinking” label and why it has now moved into a more collaborative role
- How working groups help bring together different teams across different disciplines
- How sharing responsibility can help to protect thinking time
- Highlights from Matt’s work to date, like relaunching Top Gear and helping it appear to a younger audience as well as sustainability content for BBC Earth
- The challenge of growing existing brands to new audiences, without alienating core audiences and the importance of knowing how to sell this to an existing team
- The benefit of research
- Why new digital channels offer an exciting proposition for brands, away from traditional platforms like apps and websites
- Why brand and digital shouldn’t be seen as two separate disciplines and how to extend your skillsets if you fall more into one camp
- How populating popular culture can be an effective brand strategy and knowing the zeitgeist in order to grow via word of mouth
- How imposter syndrome led Matt to work on a side project, providing training resources for those starting in the industry
- How side projects can free you of restraints, allowing you to try new things
Listen here on Apple Podcasts.
Show notes from episode 9
- Connect with Matt on Twitter
- Nothing Beats a Londoner – Nike advert
- BritBox
- Seven Worlds, One Planet
- Blue Planet II
- Explained – Vox series on Netflix
- StratStack (formerly Open Strategy)
- Jonathan Colmenares on Twitter
- BBC Earth’s website, Instagram, and YouTube
You can connect with me at beth@bethgladstone.com or on Instagram.