Launch of “A Perfect PLanet”

Through solid planning and ability to adapt, good presswork, accurate storytelling, solid partners, and a successful digital event, the launch of “A Perfect Planet” turned out as a great success in Norway. Despite that the series was broadcasted on BBC Earth, a niche channel on Norwegian linear television.  

Initially, it was planned for physical launch-events both internationally and in Norway, but like most things in 2020 and thus far in 2021, the events had to be digitalized. This offered new challenges, but also opportunities, especially considering the content and implementation of the launches. For a visually spectacular series made with masterly production technology, pre-screening on cinemas with quality sound has been the usual way of making buzz around for these productions.  

For the launch of “A Perfect Planet”, which shows us how fantastic our planet is, but also the consequences of how we treat it, the somewhat toned-down launch seemed like a suitable solution whilst the world is in chaos and a state of emergency. 

The main objectives were to gain interest and build up expectations before the launch. Additionally, we wanted to increase awareness of the niche channel BBC Earth and make sure that “A Perfect Planet” got the viewership it deserved.  

During the autumn it was quickly determined that it would not be possible to host a physical launch event. Therefore, we had to think in new ways on how this could be done digitally, and how we could make it worthwhile and interesting to attend. In a time where the home office and digital tiredness ruled, the thought of another Zoom or Teams event might not tempt in a hectic and unpredictable everyday life.  

Our goal was therefore to make the event as short and relevant as possible, make the guest list exclusive and give all the attendees a possibility to watch the first episode whenever they wanted to, before the event. We also made sure everybody got a digital “goodie bag” with exclusive content like behind-the-scenes material, bloopers, footage, and a greeting from Sir David Attenborough. 

Former general secretary of WFF and current CEO in Rev Ocean, Nina Jensen, hosted the Norwegian event. She held conversations with producers Huw Cordey and Doug Anderson, the film photographer Tom Rowlands, who oversaw the Norwegian filming and guided all the participants through the series and the stories behind production. The audience could also ask questions during the talk. 

It was important with active media contact both before and during the launch. This was done by facilitating interviews with the production, including Sir David Attenborough. We also worked continuously with media contact in the form of press releases and sharing of video content, both before and after every episode. Besides, to succeed in drawing viewers to BBC Earth we could not just focus on the quality of the series, we also had to profile the channel. Therefore, the channel, time, and date were included in all press material, such as press releases and film clips from the show.  

We also made an editorial partnership with the magazine “Natur og Foto”, which has an interesting and relevant audience for BBC Earth. Together we arranged a photo competition on Instagram, where the winner got awarded with an exclusive 1:1 course with Rolf Steinmann, film photographer for “A Perfect Planet”. The prize also included getting the photo published on print in the magazine.    

Furthermore, we entered paid partnerships with five different influencers that contributed to creating attention around the series. With an increasing need for genuine and real social media posts, it was important to find the right profiles that had an actual interest in the show and made content that engaged their respective followers. The profiles applied different methods, but all created content that received great engagement.  

The PR-activities resulted in broad coverage by national, regional, niche, and local media, on TV, print, and online platforms. Media outlets like NRK, VG, Dagbladet, Nettavisen, ABC Nyheter, Vi Menn, Forskning.no, Adresseavisen, MSN, Avisa Nordland, Agderposten, Dagsavisen and Klassekampen covered the matter. In total, the editorial reach was over 9 million, and all of it included channel information and airtime – which was an important objective.  

The launch event was a success and everyone who participated is opinion leaders in subjects like environment, media, politics, business, and education. The feedback from the audience has been exclusively positive and resulted in positive mentions on social media afterward.  

The photo competition that we co-hosted with Natur og Foto caused great engagement on Instagram. In addition, it enabled BBC Earth to build relations with a relevant and important target audience. 

The influencer-marketing campaign functioned very well and resulted in a reach of 500.000, with 11.000 likes and comments.  

Most importantly, the premiere had close to 500 percent more viewers than usual at this time at BBC Earth, and “A Perfect Planet” was the most viewed show on the channel during the whole period.