Situation
As a global broadcasting giant, the BBC operates across a vast network of international offices, from New York and London to Delhi and Singapore. However, this global footprint had created a challenge of fragmentation: regional teams were working in silos, using conflicting approaches when responding to client briefs.
Without a shared language, the BBC struggled to bridge the gap between creative and commercial teams, leading to inconsistent pitch quality and a missed opportunity to leverage the full range of its international talent.
To win more business, they needed to replace regional friction with a unified, high-performance sales culture.
Solution
Working in close collaboration with the EVP of International Advertising, True & North helped the BBC embed a three-step methodology for responding to briefs.
To create the change they needed, we delivered a series of Nail the Brief workshops across five global hubs: New York, London, Delhi, Singapore, and Hong Kong. These sessions replaced regional habits with a consistent global standard, combining interactive workshops with virtual and in-person coaching. By working on live client opportunities, teams practiced unpacking complex briefs and getting to the root of a challenge, before ideating game-changing activations.
This wasn’t just training; it was a global alignment of the BBC’s most valuable talent under a single, high-performance methodology.
The results
Stronger Brief Responses
Over 90% of participants reported that the ‘Nail the Brief’ framework directly helped them provide better, more strategic brief responses.
“We are all on the same page on what the client is trying to achieve. This sets a solid foundation to build a creative idea.”
VP Storyworks Content Studio
Breaking Down Silos
Over 85% of participants reported working more collaboratively with their colleagues after the workshops.
“The team are more confident in their responses and work in a more collaborative manner.”
VP Storyworks Content Studio
Become Better Partners
“We’ve become better at partnering with customers to help them invest in better solutions to get the kind of results they are already looking for.”
Sean O’Hara
Executive Vice President of Advertising, BBC Worldwide
Winning More Business
“We’ve won more business as a result of working with True & North.”
Sean O’Hara
Executive Vice President of Advertising, BBC Worldwide
Sean O’Hara, EVP International Advertising BBC
