(28 June 2008 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: The BBC Global News' worldwide search for digital agencies to join its new roster for international marketing has concluded with the incumbent agency, Agency Republic, winning a place alongside newcomers to the BBC's international business, Play.

The agencies beat competition from across the world to join BBC Global News in promoting its programmes and presenters to an international audience of 233 million.

The BBC Global News roster will work on the BBC World Service, which broadcasts on radio, TV and online, and BBC World News television.

Campaigns in the forthcoming year are likely to promote a range of language programming including English, Arabic, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese, and will seek to bring new audiences to the BBC's increasingly sophisticated online offer.

She says, "Diaspora audiences are increasingly important to Global News – people who speak a language are connecting with countries and cultures through the BBC, even when they live thousands of miles away. And the audience too is increasingly online-savvy – they have high expectations from us.

"It's fantastic that technology is enabling really creative and innovative digital marketing campaigns so we can exceed those expectations and win more audiences to our exciting online offers."