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BBC Worldwide ups Claude London to digital director, consumer products
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide is expanding the remit of Claude London, who becomes Digital Director, Consumer Products with immediate effect.
Reporting directly to BBC Worldwide MD consumer products Paul Dempsey, Claude will build on his previous role to execute an international eCommerce strategy for the business, as well as driving growth in the digital delivery of BBC Worldwide’s Consumer Product’s video output – both download-to-own and electronic sell through.
In addition, Claude will continue to partner with Consumer Product’s video, publishing, licensing and audio and music businesses, retail clients, and the rest of BBC Worldwide to create next generation, innovative digital consumer products that utilise the latest consumer technology and platforms.
In his previous role as BBC Worldwide senior VP global digital properties, he was responsible for encouraging the business to push digital boundaries, pioneering BBC Worldwide’s work with Facebook and other social media platforms as well as stewarding BBC Worldwide’s web and mobile properties such as TopGear.com and GoodFood.com, resulting in treble the number of visitors coming to these sites. He also created and delivered innovative partnerships between BBC Worldwide’s high profile brands with cutting edge digital operators in the mobile, connected TV and social media space. This includes the association between Dancing with the Stars and the world’s largest online community for teens, Stardoll, as well as the recently announced partnership between GoodFood.com and Ocado.
Prior to that, Claude was the VP of Digital Operations at Warner Music International, where he was central in driving digital commerce expansion outside the US.
Dempsey said, “As the Consumer Products Division continues to deliver on its strategy of extending fans’ enjoyment of their favourite shows, our digital business is becoming an ever more vital part of our ongoing success.”
London said, “This is a very exciting time to be working in this space as we look to make BBC Worldwide’s great content available to audiences in new and ever more exciting ways.”
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
