Breathing new life into a national treasure

As viewing habits shifted and digital platforms took over, BBC Children in Need faced two pressing challenges. The iconic telethon, once the charity's main income driver, was losing viewers as audiences moved to BVOD and SVOD platforms. And public expectations were changing: people no longer just wanted to give, they wanted to see where their money went. The idea of a charity black hole was something Children in Need needed to address head-on.

We focused on reinvigorating Children in Need's presence across the UK, nationally and locally, and across the full BBC ecosystem. Building on the BBC's ambition to engage communities more meaningfully, we created a season-long strategy rather than one centred on a single night, using platforms like iPlayer and regional networks to reach audiences on their terms.

To future-proof income, we developed long-term partnerships with national brands, offering them not just media space but purpose-driven storytelling and local legacy. By aligning brands with real impact in areas like mental health and poverty, we turned traditional sponsorship into long-term collaboration.

At the heart of the strategy was a new national and local approach: telling real, local stories that showed the impact of donations in people's own communities. These stories countered the black hole perception and drove stronger emotional engagement, rolled out regionally at scale across BBC platforms and social channels. We also looked beyond the BBC, negotiating partnerships with TikTok, X and influencers to reach younger, digital-first audiences.

By diversifying the brand's broadcast footprint and building deeper partnerships, we helped mitigate declining telethon viewership and supercharged corporate income. Most importantly, we re-established Children in Need as a charity working in every corner of the UK, showing clearly how donations change lives and reminding the public that this national treasure still lives and breathes at a community level.