Project brief
Project nameCannes Young Lions Competition 2013 - Print

Key contact

Hilary Cross

Telephone

020 7840 4696

Background
What we do
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. We are a source ofsupport: providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. We are a force for change:
listening to people affected by cancer and working together for better cancer care.
Our brand idea and values
Macmillan is a life force for everyone affected by cancer. This brand idea underpins and drives
what we do. It encompasses the idea of energy and a team to effect change for people affected bycancer. Our values are: We are personal, We demand better, We are practical experts, We
are open and We inspire others.
The Macmillan brand has been transformed in the past seven years, kick-started by our 2006
rebrand. Our brand has enabled us to reach far more people – particularly those affected bycancer – deepen relationships and dramatically increase our influence. It has powered our growth
in income and influence and protected us in a tough economic climate. And happily, throughout
this growth, we have maintained our position as one of the most trusted charities in the UK with thevast majority of customers having overwhelmingly positive perceptions of us.
Our space in the market
We want to own the ‘living with cancer’ space in the market. By this we mean from the moment
someone suspects they have cancer right through to whatever their outcome is – including living
after cancer and dealing with the long-term, often significant, consequences of treatment andsurgery, as well as dying of the disease. With growing prevalence of cancer – there are currently
over 2 million people in the UK with cancer, there will be 4 million by 2030 (due to better treatments
and an ageing population) - the need for Macmillan’s support will only grow.
Our brand proposition
In 2011 we developed a new brand proposition to help us articulate the challenge people living withcancer face, our offer to them and its benefits. It articulates that we recognise people get support
from, as well as giving support to, Macmillan. It helps us to communicate our purpose in the world
in a more compelling and consistent way.

1

The Challenge
For a 100 years Macmillan has been a national, UK charity. However, it is increasingly importantthat we are relevant beyond the UK. As service delivery changes and technology allows, we areengaging with an increasing number of English-speaking people from overseas. For example, 30per cent of those registered on our online support community, 24 per cent of visitors to our website
and 22 per cent of those accessing our cancer information pages are from outside of the UK.
We also have self-management tools such as our genetic risk assessment tool Opera which arerelevant worldwide. We are also developing services with corporate partners such as Skype andBoots, who have international reach and we want to appeal to other global companies who may
partner with us in providing services in future. There will also be international companies andwealthy individuals who, in time, could support us financially – both ex-patriot communities andinternational audiences who directly benefit from our support.
Campaign Objectives
The objective is to create a print ad campaign which will raise awareness of the high-quality cancer
information available on our website and our vibrant online community of people supporting eachother through their cancer experiences. Our primary objective is to create an international
advertising campaign to raise awareness of these services amongst English-speaking
audiences. The campaign needs to work across international boundaries with the aim ofgrowing our audiences in these priority markets: US, Canada, Australia, and amongst
English-speakers worldwide.
Primary Audience
People diagnosed with cancer who live outside the UK.
What do they currently think?
If they know about us at all, they will probably only be aware of our Macmillan nurses. They arelikely to be unaware of the range of digital services available.

2Call to action
You can find a wealth of trusted cancer information and a community of people who understandwhat you’re going through at www.macmillan.org.uk
Tone of voice and brand identity
Our tone of voice is clear, simple and easy to understand. It is personal, inspiring, straightforward
and active. It is conversational, not corporate.
Our brand identity guidelines can be found here:

http://be.macmillan.org.uk/AboutOurBrand/Howwelook/Home.aspx but we are happy for you
to explore how to stretch and flex our guidelines if it will help us to reach an international audience
more effectively.
Mandatory Inclusions
Macmillan Cancer Support logo and website address www.macmillan.org.uk

Good luck!

3