"We turned falling telethon viewership into long-term brand strength - driving partnerships, growing income, and reconnecting the nation to the difference their money makes."

The Challenge 

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. 

Public expectations were changing. People no longer just wanted to give, they wanted to see where their money went and the tangible impact it had. The idea of a “charity black hole” was something Children in Need needed to address head-on. 

The Solution 

We focused on reinvigorating Children in Need’s presence across the UK - both nationally and locally - and across the full BBC ecosystem. 

We built on the BBC’s ambition to engage communities more meaningfully, creating a season-long strategy rather than one centred around a single night. This included 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 our strategy was a new national/local approach - telling real, local stories that showed the impact of donations in people’s own communities. These stories helped counter the "black hole" perception and drove stronger emotional engagement. We used tech and content tools to roll these out regionally at scale across BBC platforms and social channels. 

We also looked beyond the BBC to grow reach, negotiating partnerships with TikTok, X, and influencers to connect with younger, digital-first audiences and reframe the brand for a new generation. 

The Results 

By diversifying the brand's broadcast footprint and building deeper, more meaningful partnerships, we helped mitigate declining telethon viewership and supercharged corporate income, delivering long-term value and local storytelling opportunities for partners. 

We reframed what “broadcast” could look like, using celebrities and programmes audiences already loved to keep the charity relevant and visible. 

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.