As the show’s primary market on linear broadcast is the UK, TikTok’s aim is to broaden the IP’s accessibility globally. Additionally, as the linear audience is majority older (45+), our strategy seeks to engage new and younger audiences and keep the brand’s viewership growing. In short, our target audience is global, younger viewers (18-24 year-olds). 

Key strategies include repacking and elevating moments from the programmes extensive 31-series archive, using bespoke editing, sound effects, and dynamic subtitles, and allowing the content to feel native to the platform. Our approach always begins with a detailed breakdown of quarterly activity across various entertainment strains, our team then dives into Norton’s archive to ensure the right content is paired with the event.

In addition to this pre-planning, we have our finger on the pulse of trending subjects and talent and often introduce last-minute changes to schedules to maximise reach and performance, such as posting a clip of Vanessa Kirby when the cast of the new Fantastic Four film was released. 

The Graham Norton Show’s TikTok output is very reactive to current trends and events in film, television, music, and sports, with some key examples including:

•  This touching Friends moment published following the passing of Matthew Perry, amassing nearly 15 million views. 
• Using this bite-size (no pun intended!) moment to jump on the #girldinner trend
• Leaning into the huge popularity of Barbie with archive of Margot Robbie (5.1M views), and Ryan Gosling (3.2M views), and Kate McKinnon (1.7M views)
• Celebrating the release of The Tortured Poets Department (3.1M views)
• Getting hyped for Dune Part 2 with Austin Butler (7M views) and Zendaya (4M views)

While roughly one third of output is ‘evergreen’, the other two-thirds are in someway reactive to output, even tangentially, to maximise SEO, like releasing Mark Hamill Star Wars interview content during the release of the Disney+ series Star Wars: Ahsoka, despite Mark not appearing in the programme, or Naomi Campbell content to celebrate Fashion Week.

Unlike many American talk show competitors such as Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Graham Norton show does not have access to talent for original digital output, behind-the-scenes skits, or games with the host. Instead, our strategy relies on repackaging Norton’s vast archive and leveraging talent by reacting to trending celebrities and topics (For example, Adam Sandler’s style evolution to celebrate the release of ‘You Are SO Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah!’ or Jessica Biel’s cheat meals as part of the viral ‘girl dinner’ trend). Despite the SAG-AFTRA strikes that stifled performance across most talk shows between July through October, The Graham Norton Show’s TikTok increased output from 8 to 30 posts per month, effectively filling a gap in the market for new entertainment content. 

Results 

Overall, we have smashed all our objectives for the brand channel - and in just three years The Graham Norton Show has become the largest UK talk show account on the platform, with 2.9million followers and 139.3million likes.