Blood cancer UK aims to Connect people through blood cancer at Christmas by normalising the disease, not shying away from the difficult conversations and allowing people living with blood cancer to enjoy Christmas the way they want.
Blood Cancer UK was exploring potential strategies to improve their Christmas offering.
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Blood Cancer UK, is a UK-based charity dedicated to funding research into all blood cancers including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma, as well as offering information and support to blood cancer patients.
UNDERSTANDING AUDIENCES
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Existing supporters, those living with a diagnosis and their carers and close loved ones.
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Those with a diagnosis but not aware of Blood Cancer UK. Friends, family and colleagues of people affected by blood cancer, including bereaved.
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Those with an awareness of blood cancer but no strong emotional connection. Healthcare workers, researchers, and more distance contacts of Tier 1.
SURVEYING A COLDER AUDIENCE
MARKET RESEARCH
The market research explores Christmas donation drives and initiatives, products curated by various charities and non profits to understand where the BCUK propositions will sit.
Fundraising innovation proposition
Sponsor a Researcher
How might we highlight our ongoing research to centre the ever-present challenge of blood cancer in a way that feels hopeful and relevant at Christmas time, and reassures our community that we don’t take a break over Christmas despite the festivities?
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Research is a key focus across all audience groups
We know research is important to our current supporters, and was referred to frequently during lived experience interviews. We are also seeing research resonate with Tiers 2 and 3, including those who don’t have a prior awareness of Blood Cancer UK
Blood cancer still impacts us, maybe more so, at Christmas
Although our community would like to have a ‘normal’ Christmas, blood cancer is ever present and especially when undergoing treatment.
Christmas is a metric of time passing, and a reminder of time left
Coming at the end of the calendar year, Christmas reminds us of time passing. For those living with blood cancer, and their loves ones, it prompts them to think about the time they have left. This can catalyse a desire for impact and a renewed interest in research, as well as a look ahead at the coming year and what we can accomplish.
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Blood Cancer doesn’t take a break over the festive season, and neither do we. Across the festive period we have leading researchers working on cutting edge treatment while looking ahead to an ambitious 12 months of ground breaking research. Sponsor our researchers this Christmas and help fund the next year of valuable research into blood cancer. You’ll receive a Christmas welcome back and quarterly updates across the year. Finally, next Christmas, you’ll receive a summary of the impact you’ve facilitated over the last 12 months
Christmas TV
How might we raise awareness around the experiences of those living with blood cancer while showing our support and providing an opportunity for families to get together over the Christmas period?
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Many individuals and families will have to isolate over Christmas
We know that during treatment our community are immunosuppressed, and they and their families will isolate to avoid exposing them to anything harmful.
Family time and traditions are held dear
Our community told us they view Christmas as a time to prioritise family, enjoy the moments and build cherished memories and traditions together.
And, Christmas should still be festive and joyful
Christmas is still an important occasion to come together, celebrate tradition and be hopeful. Everyone wants to overcome the barriers presented by blood cancer to come together and celebrate with their loved ones and make the most of the festive season
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Christmas can be a lonely time for people undergoing treatment and living with blood cancer. Come together in support of the blood cancer community and join us on December 12th as all across the UK we gather to watch Home Alone, together.
Either watch at home with your family, or invite your nearest and dearest to a festive watch party while raising awareness of blood cancer and much needed funds for blood cancer UK to continue our life saving research.
Festive token of thanks !
How might we offer tangible and appealing Christmas products which recognise our community’s support, and which could be gifted to loved ones, while remaining close enough to our cause that they sit comfortably with our bereaved followers?
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When considering donating as a gift, having ‘something’ to gift is key
We know that our audience would consider making a donation as a gift for a loved one, especially when the material focus of Christmas feels a bit too much. However, we still like to have ‘something’ to mark our gift, and to actually ‘give’ our loved one.
Our audiences value tangible representations of their support.
Both our audiences and our colleagues have told us that tangible opportunities to display support or fundraising tend to resonate well - whether that’s something to hang on a tree, display on your person, or light up in the window.
Opportunities to honour the memory of a loved one are welcome
We know that for those who have lost a loved one, Christmas is a time to honour their memory. Dedications and candles have proved popular, and a festive memento linked to Blood Cancer UK can serve to mark their presence and support the cause simultaneously.
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Tangible, festive manifestations of the donation you’ve made - beautiful enough to gift, but tempting enough to want one of your own too.
Gift Guide
How might we help loved ones navigate the difficulty of supporting someone with blood cancer at Christmas, in a sensitive and helpful way, that reflects the experiences of our community and avoids being overly flippant?
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There’s heightened tension around materialism
While we saw a desire to provide the best Christmas possible, this was heavily caveated with an avoidance of unnecessary materialism - taking away from the ‘true meaning’ of Christmas and the focus on quality time together.
Loved ones want to provide the best Christmas they can
For those supporting people with blood cancer, it's all about keeping their spirits up, making them feel good and making it the ‘best Christmas.
Gift giving can be a particularly tricky challenge to navigate
Gift giving is a delicate art at the best of times, and whether their loved one is newly diagnosed or has been living with blood cancer for years, their diagnosis throws a whole new lens on gifting. We know this is a challenge for friends and family, and want to help them navigate this.
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It can be really difficult to choose a gift for a loved one undergoing treatment or living with blood cancer. Blood Cancer UK have curated recommendations from our community to find gift ideas that will be especially relevant for your loved one. Whether it’s a particularly warm wooly hat to protect from the cold or a little travel bag of luxuries to bring into hospital. We’ve put together the ultimate Christmas gift list created by people living with blood cancer. We’ve also included a range of 12 gifts for the whole family!
LAUNCHED IDEA
