60 Seconds with Dan Heaf

Dan Heaf is responsible for driving a unified global digital strategy and consumer vision across BBC Worldwide's digital portfolio; everything from branded consumer services such as TopGear.com and GoodFood.com, to apps, games and VoD. In addition, he is responsible for the organisation's consumer digital facing services, including the successful portfolio of brands on Facebook and international channels on YouTube. Heaf also works collaboratively across BBC Worldwide, Global News and the BBC's Future, Media and Technology division, ensuring effective co-ordination, shared knowledge and information.

Q: You are speaking in the session titled The Digital Fight for the Net Generation'. It has been described as a conflict of Deep & Local (national broadcasters) vs. Thin & Global (YouTube, Netflix et al). Is that a fair summary, or is it more complicated than that?

A: It's more complicated. The ambition of all broadcasters and distributors is to have large global TV franchises. BBC's global brands such as Doctor Who, Top Gear and Dancing With The Stars continue to grow in sales and profits year-on-year. However, we also recognise that this is not enough. To be relevant in any given market to compete against linear and digital services you need to include a mix of local content to maintain and engage new audiences. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Google understand this as well as BBC, Discovery and Disney.

Q: From a BBC perspective, how is the battle going at the moment?

A: It's not a battle! We operate right across the digital and traditional media value chain. We pride ourselves in generating the maximum value for both the BBC and for the rights holders we represent. New digital (ours as well as 3rd parties) continues to provide a new source of growth. Our digital revenues have risen from 8.1% to 13% over the last 3 years.

Q: All the language regarding this subject seems to be couched in terms of conflict. Is that a fair summation? Or are there more benign, cooperative futures possible?

A: The evolution of TV from a distribution and a format perspective has only just begun. It's a very exciting time to be working in media with all kinds of creative possibilities. It should be viewed more as the Renaissance than a war! BBC Worldwide have always been committed to serving audiences on whichever platform they choose to access our content and it is something all traditional media companies need to engage with to meet those challenges.

Q: How important is it for broadcasters to become genuinely transmedia? And does that have to extend all the way back into the commissioning process?

A: I don't think this is all that important yet. With the odd exceptions (think Oscars, Superbowl, The Voice) I'm yet to see transmedia really meet a consumer demand. Social networks that facilitate conversations around content are meeting this challenge today. In the future I think broadcasters will have to be smarter about using multiple platforms to capture audiences and encourage them to move between services. From Facebook, to YouTube, to BBC iPlayer to iTunes.

Q: What are the barriers to establishing that sort of production environment? Is it simply a case of resources?

A: I don't believe it's a resource issue. If there was a consumer need for lots of transmedia content then both commercial and public service broadcasters would be providing it.

Q: Is monetisation of digital still a problem?

A: No, not from a BC Worldwide perspective. Over the past three years we have watched our figures grow from 8.1% to 13%. BBC Worldwide's digital division has now established itself as a substantial and recurring source of profit for the business.

Q: What projects have you seen, BBC or otherwise, that have really leveraged the power of social media? Has broadcast really got to grips with this technology yet, do you think?

A: From a BBC perspective our key brands have definitely leveraged the power of social media and we're very comfortable engaging with our audiences within this space. For example our latest figures - July 2013 (at time of going to press) witnessed some fantastic results. Top Gear: Reached a milestone moment of 1m fans on Twitter which coincided with the eve of the end of Top Gear series 20. The Top Gear Facebook page now has over 13 million fans. Elsewhere Walking With Dinosaurs: Facebook engagement grew by 75% this month (0.97% to 1.70%) largely driven by bespoke content created purely for Facebook and our BBC Earth page has secured just shy of 80,000 fans.

Q: What is the status of Project Barcelona? Did it get caught up in the scrapping of the Digital Media Initiative?

A: No. Project Barcelona did not get caught up with DMI. It has never been part of that initiative. As for the status of Project Barcelona, it is currently in a planning phase and requires the support of a wide range of stakeholders such as UK producers and the BBC Trust, all of which the currently engaging with.

Q: From the BBC portfolio, what brand most exemplifies the approach you would like to take forward over the next few years?

A: BBC.com reaches 58 million consumers outside the UK and funds international news gathering. It is available across all platforms including mobile which currently attracts 21 million unique users a month and generated 144 million page views in May, a 2% month on month increase. Our ambition is for BBC.com to represent the full range of BBC content in every country in the world.

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