Callie Bryan
Senior marketing manager
BBC Studios
Being at the forefront of culture is absolutely vital in Callie Bryan’s role at BBC Studios, where she leads on the Doctor Who brand globally.
Given the nature of her role, she identifies connection with fans as being paramount, and believes this represents a huge opportunity for marketers to drive growth, warning that shiny communications campaigns without resonance will not cut it.
“Authenticity and community building are key to driving genuine brand advocacy,” she says. “For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, authenticity matters far more than polished ads.”
As well as craving authenticity, younger generations are also the first cohort to be truly digitally native, she notes. This means marketers must be able to use “technological innovation while preserving authentic human connection”.
This is something Bryan herself is skilled at. Her nominator describes her as possessing “a precious skillset of deep brand understanding, coupled with connectedness to culture and audiences, while delivering tangible commercial returns to the business”.
Driving action across teams is something Bryan excels at, according to her nominator, who says she inspires others and leads cross-functional stakeholders - often those more senior than her - across a complex, matrixed culture.
“ROI is more important than ever for marketers as budgets are increasingly scrutinised, however, brand identity and creativity cannot be sacrificed in favour of efficiencies.”
“She leads with diplomacy coupled with bias for action and market delivery,” her nominator says.
Bryan's skills in driving results have been shown through achievements such as leading on the recent partnership with Disney to drive a bigger audience for Doctor Who. Her talent for building connections with audiences, was showcased as she led the creation of a consumer products range for Doctor Who from “screen to shelf”.
Having been at the BBC for three years, Bryan has made a big impact in the organisation. Prior to joining the broadcaster, she worked as a media planner at NBCUniversal, and before that at agency Essence, now EssenceMediacom.
Developing a specialism is something that has helped Bryan thrive, and she advises anyone looking to pursue a career in marketing to do the same, as “deep expertise” can set you apart in a crowded field.
“That said, it’s equally important to stay curious and open to learning new skills and exploring emerging channels whenever possible,” she says.
Looking to the future, like many marketers, she identifies balancing creativity and the need to deliver results at pace as a key challenge.
“ROI is more important than ever for marketers as budgets are increasingly scrutinised, however, brand identity and creativity cannot be sacrificed in favour of efficiencies,” she says.
