Macmillan Cancer Support: Brand strategy and identity

Restoring the superpowers of UK's most loved charity.

In 2018, Macmillan Cancer Support launched a new brand strategy and identity that kicked off a different way of telling its story: more human, determined, emotional, and connected to its roots.

In the Brand Strategy team, my job was to shape our brand, ensure consistency and drive creative excellence across all our campaigns. I worked closely with our internal Creative Studio, top agencies like AMV or McCann London and partners like Boots or M&S.

I also lead and executed exciting projects that helped us deliver our brand strategy. Below are some of my favourite.

Tone of voice:
Finding one voice for 6.5M people

The objective: To get everyone at Macmillan Cancer Support to write and commission copy that was powerful, consistent and aligned with our values.

Solution:

• We turned a huge set of old rules into simple principles we could all live by.

• We shifted from the 'tone of voice police' to a model that nurtured ownership.

• We defined one strong voice, simple and inspiring enough that everyone could write with it.

Skills:

• Strategic thinking

• Training and workshops

• Development of guidelines

• Creative direction

• Copywriting

Messaging strategy:
Decluttering our story to spark a new movement

The objective: To help a fragmented organisation with more than 100 departments tell our brand story in an emotional and coherent way.

The solution:

• We audited all our messaging, and then we simplified, distilling it to the max. And then we did it again.

• We shaped one unique story that brought forward the real experiences of the people we support. A story only Macmillan could tell.

• We put that narrative to work in a playbook full of inspiring examples.

Skills:

• Strategic thinking

• Analysis

• Stakeholder management and collaboration

• Development of guidelines

• Concept development and copywriting

• Training and workshops