World Cancer Day, Thursday 4 February, is a day dedicated to getting the world thinking about and taking action against cancer, in all its many horrible forms and guises.
As a charity committed to helping men live happier, healthier and longer lives – with prostate cancer and testicular cancer at the heart of our funding priorities – it is only natural that we at the Movember Foundation would want to make noise on this day.
That’s why this year we have partnered with Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer Care and Anthony Nolan to create a united front on World Cancer Day. We wanted to put out a simple, unified message: no matter how complex it seems, we can all do something about cancer.
Each of the charities is also uniting on a simple fundraising approach – we are asking people to make a donation in return for a wristband to be worn on the day. Each charity has a band in its own colours, and the funds donated go to each charity separately, but this joint approach means more people can quickly understand our message and take action together.
Collaboration is something we ardently believe in at the Movember Foundation. Within the context of research, it guides our funding strategy. We need to ensure collaboration across researchers, institutions, governments and other charities, to maximise investment and increase our research capabilities. Personal interests such as profit, competition, rivalry, or recognition need to be put aside to achieve the greatest collective gain.
The same is true within cancer support services – we need to pool ideas and resources to deliver the best possible experience to those going through the biggest challenge of their lives, and to help their families.
Collaboration is not always easy, and in the creative sphere it can be particularly challenging. Each of the four charities brought different audiences, mission statements, objectives and values to the equation. And at a fundamental level each charity uses different language, logos and colour palettes too. So arriving at a common creative approach was not straightforward.
In those early meetings, it’s fair to admit we hit a few false starts in trying to establish our common ground and shared agenda, let alone the finer points of messaging. Ultimately we had to really think about our charities in the simplest possible terms to get to the basic themes that unite us, and it was also through considering other collaborative models – such as the DEC for example – that the solution to these challenges became evident.
In a genuine collaboration the only way forward is to set ego aside and ensure that the cause takes centre stage. That’s why our shared creative has been so simple and straightforward.
There has been a brilliant response to the campaign, showing the public has a real appetite for this kind of approach. Our postrooms have been running full tilt delivering Unity Bands across the UK and beyond, and social media has lit up with tens of thousands of posts sharing our hashtag #ADayToUnite. So we believe this collaboration has been hugely beneficial to the four charities involved, helping each reach new audiences through our combined reach.
However, ultimately it is the cause that will benefit most through this partnership, as the message will have come through clearer and louder than ever before. We have reminded people that cancer is a common, shared enemy we face – and one we can and will beat if we continue to unite against it.
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