Competitive Advantage Case Study

Using Online Presence to Gain Competitive Advantage: The BBC Way

OR

Abstract:
Since its on-line foray in 1998, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has over the years transformed its on-line venture from a news and programme support service to UK's leading-content based website. By 2004, it had 525 websites with over two million pages of content. Its contents span society and culture, soaps and teen chat to science and nature. With its broader news content enhanced by audio and visual aids, BBC attracts a majority of newspaper readers, both online and offline. The viewership of BBC's news website increased from 1.6 million weekly users in 2000 to 7.8 million users in 2005. This has led to a 30% decline in total newspaper readership since 1990 and their on-line sites are believed to face extinction due to the rapid decline in advertising revenues.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss the competitive strategies of BBC
• To discuss the potential challenges that BBC Online might face due to rapid increase in various content service providers

Keywords : British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC); Internet content provider; On-line content market; Newspaper readership in UK; Mandatory TV licence fee in UK; Competitive strategies for BBC; John Birt; Core Competency & Competitive Advantage Case Study; BBC Worldwide; BBC News Online; Beeb.com; UK Internet demographics; Content production system of BBC; Independent review of BBC Online; Market operations of BBC Online; Interactive technology in BBC