Beeb.com, BBC Wordwide’s commercial web service, is promoting
itself as ’Britain’s premier shopping site’ with an estimated pounds 10
million planning and buying drive through Michaelides & Bednash and New
PHD.
Beeb.com began life as a content site but has inched into
e-commerce,with music retailers selling CDs on the Top of the Pops site,
for example. Now the BBC is preparing to rake in even more revenue with
a marketing push designed to encourage potential retailers to set up
shop online, as well as pulling in advertisers and e-shoppers.
The BBC has redesigned the site and is planning to launch a series of
branded shopping guides, based on its TV shows and magazines.
The Gardener’s World site, for example, will offer tips on gardening as
well as shopping opportunities, while users can book flights through the
Holiday website.
Beeb.com’s sales team is searching for retailers to come on board but
sales and marketing director David Atter is confident big names will
come forward, stating that retailers are ’falling over themselves’ to
get involved.
Atter uses M&B for planning and New PHD for buying. However, he has now
handed the two agencies pounds 10 million to spend on a TV, radio and
online campaign to rebrand beeb.com.
’The net is no longer just about e-mail and content-driven websites,’
said Atter. ’Beeb.com is the e-commerce service provider of the BBC and
our mission is to get everyone shopping online.’
The move defines the distinction between Beeb.com and the BBC’s public
service website BBC Online.
