10 Questions on Advertising… with Paul Davies, director of marketing & audiences, BBC

Buuut, before we do get into it… I couldn’t resist. How would he fare on The Traitors? (“I’d be out straight away; I’m a terrible liar”). On Gladiators? (“I would love to have a go, but I’ve seen first-hand how big they are and that’s not going to work!”). On Race Across The World? (“I went interrailing with my family last year so I think I’d be quite handy at it – even if the only checkpoint we had to get to was just the buffet car!”)

Now we’ve got the important subject out of the way, over to Paul…

1. If you could go back and relive one day in your career, which would it be?

It was November 2024, the day my team picked up Team of the Year at a major industry awards ceremony. It was something we’d worked together towards as a team – the pride in the room, the smiles and the joy was just phenomenal.

There’s a trophy cabinet in the BBC full of BAFTAs and other high-profile TV and film awards, and we got the award put in that cabinet. It was really exciting to see it in there and it was actually a nice way to help reposition the influence of marketing with the organization – so there was an element of pride, but importance too.

2. …Now tell us about the day that still gives you nightmares.

Many years ago, I was runner-up in a job that I really wanted. I’d spent six months being interviewed, doing tests, going through countless rounds, and I came second. It was really hard and really frustrating. But I believe that things happen for a reason, and it taught me a lot. It taught me about resilience and grit, and if I hadn’t had that experience, I might not have ended up with the job I have today at the BBC.

What’s more, one thing I particularly learned from that experience was after asking the employer for some feedback – after all, I’d committed six months to this process. And I was ghosted. I learnt the importance of kindness and making sure that interview candidates have a really great experience and that their efforts are recognised, even if they aren’t successful.

3. Who gave you the piece of advice you still live by – and what was it?

I spent seven years on the board of Punchdrunk and the piece of advice that really sticks out was what that company talked about a lot: ‘fortune favors the brave’. I really like that phrase and try to live my life by it – because I do think that life is about adventure and endeavour and putting yourself out there.

4. What piece of work done by someone else are you truly jealous of?

I always love looking at others’ work and a brand I think absolutely nailed a line and thought is Specsavers’ ‘Should have gone to Specsavers’. I love the fact it’s a line their brand can be very playful with – I’ve seen them apply it brilliantly reactively in press and relate it to popular culture, I think it’s so exciting when a brand finds a meaningful platform like that, and then stays consistent to it. It’s so easy to drop these things and ‘find the next new thing’ and I think they’ve stayed true to it masterfully.

5. What’s your elevator pitch to people thinking about getting into the advertising industry for the first time?

The reason I love the industry is that it’s a blend of head and heart. It’s art and science. You get to live the best of both worlds. It’s subjective, but it’s also objective, and I think that juxtaposition is what makes the industry so fun and exciting. It’s a brilliant industry for people who want to have fun and be playful, but at the same time enjoy technology and data. That’s special.

6. Considering 97% of the UK uses the BBC, give us a secret to understanding the nuances and needs of so many different types of audiences. How do you keep up!?

I think you’ve got to have a passion for it. You have to love understanding what makes an audience tick. But in my position, you’ve also got to love culture. You’ve got to love music and content and podcasts and sport and education and charities… the list really does go on! It does make it hard because the scope really is very broad, but I find that if you’re really passionate about those areas, it doesn’t feel difficult to keep up, because you’re naturally interested and naturally applying your brain to these topics on a daily basis.

Part of the joy of the BBC is that we are universal – we do have something to offer for everybody – so the beauty in my role is being able to take that and deliver it in a marketing plan that truly engages audiences.

7. Your team is constantly recognized as one of the best in the business and you’re known to be a big champion of them – what’s the key to building such a formidable marketing function?

There are a lot of ingredients. But I would say it’s about having a genuine belief in developing and nurturing others. And then having the energy to commit to meaningful activities and tasks and actions that take a team on a journey. That’s not for everybody. It takes a lot of energy and commitment and drive. But I’m very motivated to build capabilities in teams, helping people develop their skillsets and careers, but also by the endeavor of having a lofty goal that you can achieve as a team together.

8. In addition to your role at the BBC, you’ve held a number of positions as a trustee in the arts sector. Tell us why the creative industries still hold such importance.

I worked at Microsoft for 13 years and one of the things I could see was how the impact of AI was changing the world of work for so many people. And AI does amazing things – but one thing it can’t replace is original thinking. So that’s an important human skill. And I feel that for the future of people’s careers, it’s really important to develop creative thought, because that’s where future jobs will be.

That’s why I’ve been so invested in the creative industries through trustee work, because I believe in building creativity in young people. It’s a differentiator in the future.

9. Thinking about your time at the BBC and at Microsoft and Direct Line, what’s the secret to a strong brand-agency relationship? What’s always been your one ‘non-negotiable’ when working with external partners?

There are two things. Number one: the agency has to love the brand as much as the client. They’ve got to love and use the brand as much as I do. Number two: it’s about the team. I need to see a very strong chemistry within the team, because that unlocks amazing performance. I always think about diversity of strengths, but similarity of spirit. Everyone needs to be striving for the same thing for the brand.

10. We’re starting a BBC Hall of Fame and you have to put in a show from your childhood and a show currently on air – what are you selecting?

The show from my childhood that I’m going to put in is Top of the Pops. Thursday night. 7 o’clock. It’s Top of the Pops! It’s really hard now to imagine a world before the internet where there really weren’t many surprises, but when you sat down for Top of the Pops, you had no idea who would be on it and no idea what they were going to do. It was the talk of school the next day. What’s more, it was family viewing, which then became so rare. We’re lucky at the BBC that we’re having more family viewing moments – things like Gladiators have brought generations together – and I love that.

Then to pick one currently on air… I’m going to go with some modern-day classics, which are the Julia Donaldson animations we have on iPlayer. iPlayer is the only streamer to have the entire Julia Donaldson universe, and similar to Top of the Pops, it’s made for shared viewing. They’re such beautifully crafted films. I do think we’ll look back in time at them and continue to celebrate them. They’re stunning pieces of work.