BBC Worldwide hires Pottermore’s Anna Rafferty to head up digital marketing
The BBC Worldwide has made a significant appointment to its marketing team, hiring former Penguin Digital managing director and Pottermore director of product, creative and content, Anna Rafferty.
Anna Rafferty will now look after digital marketing globally for BBC Worldwide
Rafferty will start at the BBC’s international and commercial arm at the start of 2017 as director of digital marketing.
In the new role she will set the digital plans and marketing launches for major brands, including BBC Brit, BBC Earth and BBC First, as well as titles such as Top Gear and Doctor Who.
Reporting into Jackie Lee-Joe, BBC Worldwide’s chief marketing officer, she will be part of managing the BBC’s direct-to-consumer offerings, including leading the short-form and social content editorial production unit BBC Worldwide Digital Studios, and pushing forward the digital innovation agenda at the business.
Lee-Joe, said: “The pace of evolution in the digital and mobile media world is terrifying to some but thrilling for others who not only see the opportunities – but have the requisite skills to grab them. Anna’s one of those people and her track record in developing storytelling skills, embracing new forms of content and communication, and building direct and meaningful relationships with key audiences and partners is exactly what we need to ensure that our brands cut-through at every level.”
The business is ramping up its digital offerings globally, announcing earlier this year that it would test a paid-for BBC subscription service in Singapore. BBC Worldwide quietly launched it last month, using the plan to simulcast the Sherlock series as a teaser.