Cancer Research UK - Brand Refresh

I keep seeing the new Cancer Research UK logo popping up everywhere I go at the moment – I absolutely love it! It’s so bright and colourful! It really catches your eye!

I’ve already mentioned “Collective Force” briefly but I have seen some rather sceptical comments about the logo and I wanted to explain the reasons behind the brand refresh in a bit more detail.

First of all, I think it is important to note that Cancer Research UK as a charity is not changing. It is still the same charity that has played a vital role in doubling success rates in the past four decades. It is still the worlds leading charity dedicated to pioneering research into preventing, treating and curing ALL TWO HUNDRED types of cancer.

It’s the brand that is being refreshed. Chief Executive Harpal Kumar explains the need for refresh here: “We’re living in a golden age for cancer research, our understanding of the disease is increasing at a faster pace then ever before, and more people are surviving thanks to the work we do. However, our scientific ambitions are being limited by our ability to fundraise at the level we are striving for”

The charity has changed its logo and its style of communication to enable it to be more accurate at reflecting who and what the charity is: “ A collective force of supporters, scientists, doctors and nurses coming together to beat all cancers.”

“The change is more then simply a new logo – it’s about who we are, how we do things and what we’re here to achieve.”

The new logo is a C made of different coloured spots and shapes – some small and some large. This symbolises the charity’s role and ambition. The different spots make up a bigger picture symbolising everything and everyone coming together against a common enemy – CANCER. United we are stronger. We are all in it together.

The original logo was created a decade ago when Cancer Research Campaign and The Imperial Cancer Research Fund merged to form Cancer Research UK. Since then, the world has evolved and become a lot more digitalised. Research, which included input form a cross section of supporters, indicated that the brand was looking old and outdated. This needed to be addressed as there are so many charities out there now and people have more choice about who they give their hard earned cash to. Cancer Research UK is a charity that received no government funding so your generous donations are vital in allowing them to carry out the incredible work they do every single day.

COST

80p in every £1 donated to Cancer Research UK is spent on scientific work. This is incredible and not many charities can match it.

During this financial year, £687,000 is estimated to be spent on the brand refresh. This is about 0.2% of the annual income for the charity – do not despair – your generous donations are being spent on finding cures for all cancers, not on the brand refresh.

I hope I have explained the rebranding to you and that you agree with me that the new logo is fantastic. I dedicate a lot of my spare time to Cancer Research UK and I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t 100% believe in what they do and how they do it. I wouldn’t write these blog posts if I wasn’t sure they have the backs of their supporters and the people affected by cancer.

xxx