BBC StoryWorks expands into India

BBC StoryWorks, the global content marketing team within BBC Global News, has expanded into India with staff now based in the country for the first time as part of its wider growth across the Asia-Pacific region.

Based in New Delhi, Ankita Bakshi has been appointed as Creative Solutions Producer to deliver content for brands that appeal to the BBC’s audience. Bakshi will be working directly alongside Regional Sales Director Vishal Bhatnagar in building out the BBC StoryWorks capabilities in India, capitalising on the advertiser demand for content-led partnerships.

This support was previously provided to Indian brands by the BBC StoryWorks team in Singapore. The expansion is in response to increased demand and a desire to provide local clients not only with access to better local insights but also to the international experience and knowledge of the BBC StoryWorks team globally. Hiring expertise on the ground provides all of these things as well as in-market servicing and the flexibility for a quick turnaround.

Richard Pattinson, Global Head of BBC StoryWorks, said, “This is a great move for BBC StoryWorks and it will really strengthen our position in the region to be able to service clients on the ground in India. The world-class quality of our content combined with our valuable audiences (English and local languages) are of attraction to select Indian advertisers and with an increased demand for branded content from Indian-based clients for national and international campaigns, we needed to have an asset in market to meet client and agency needs. BBC StoryWorks has seen a steady growth since its launch in 2015 and this hire is part of a large expansion across Asia-Pacific this year, including more senior hires in Singapore and increasing staff in India and China, with further markets to follow. BBC StoryWorks is playing a contributing role in more than 65% of advertising sales revenue in the Asia Pacific region, a sharp increase on last year.”

Bakshi added, “I’m delighted to be joining the BBC StoryWorks team in New Delhi. India is an exciting and rapidly growing market and I look forward to offering our local clients a more personal and bespoke service, building on our insights to enable them to maximise the impact of the campaigns we deliver.”