Demonstrating commercial value for Macmillan

Macmillan already had a strong record of corporate partnerships that raised money and awareness for the charity. What it lacked was fresh, robust evidence for prospective brand partners on how association with Macmillan shapes customer behaviour, trust and loyalty. To grow the partnerships programme, Macmillan needed to answer the question every brand asks before signing off a partnership: what does this actually deliver.

We combined a quantitative survey of over two thousand consumers, using System 1 implicit testing, with in-depth qualitative interviews. The implicit testing captured how quickly people associated a brand with Macmillan's values as well as whether they agreed, surfacing instinct rather than considered opinion. Interviews with people living with cancer, those affected by it and those with no personal connection added texture to the numbers, showing how different partnership types land in daily life.

Awareness of brand-charity partnerships proved low, yet appeal was high. Fundraising partnerships felt familiar and easy to support but transactional. Purpose-led and service delivery partnerships felt more meaningful, though participants often struggled to explain what they actually delivered. Trust and purchase intent rose across the board when a partnership was visible in stores, on products or communicated with clarity. As one participant put it: "There's got to be some sort of connection between the brand and charity."

The research gave Macmillan a reliable way to identify the brands most likely to benefit from partnership. It also gave prospective partners clear commercial evidence, from strong gains in purchase intent to measurable increases in loyalty and advocacy. Macmillan can now enter partnership conversations backed by evidence of what a shared cause is worth to both sides.