Not for Profit

Children’s Medical Research Institute

Brand benchmarking research to inform brand positioning, marketing and communications strategy

The challenge

Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) approached McCrindle in 2020 to conduct its brand benchmarking research which had previously been conducted with another research company. CMRI is a leading medical research institute best known for its fundraising campaign Jeans for Genes which is a vital source of public fundraising for the charity.

CMRI tasked McCrindle with collecting helpful insights to measure and track the public awareness and perceptions of both of their brands to ensure the charity can sustain strong donations in an increasingly crowded not-for-profit market.

The Marketing and Communications team required reliable and helpful data that spoke to key brand health metrics including awareness & familiarity, perceptions and warmth, as well as understanding the level of perceived linkage between the Jeans for Genes campaign and the purpose for which those funds are being raised. Benchmarking these key brand metrics against similar charities was also an important part of the brief as was the ability to use the survey to test concepts and messaging for fundraising campaigns.

The Solution

McCrindle bolstered the existing survey to provide more tailored brand insights for CMRI and also helped convert the two-yearly existing study into a more targeted survey that could be run annually to provide more timely feedback to inform marketing and communications activities.

A nationally representative survey of 2,000 Australian adults allowed for robust brand insights to be drawn and tracked over time, while also providing the opportunity to segment findings by key demographic and psychographic profiling.

Deliverables

A mixture of comprehensive reports and more simplified slide decks have been used over time to accommodate different requirements and audiences who will be using the data within the organisation. In all cases McCrindle provided clear, concise and jargon-free insights that facilitate action from the respective stakeholders. This has also included presentations to staff and board incorporating the brand research along with McCrindle’s research on the broader social trends and changing landscape for fundraising charities.

"As a charity raising funds to help find cures for genetic diseases affecting children, passion fuels our team, but we understand that intentions alone aren't enough. We rely on solid data to track the progress of our brands and help define strategic plans, which is why we value the research conducted by McCrindle. McCrindle's presentation of data goes beyond numbers, offering compelling insights through concise, inspiring communication. These insights strengthen our campaigns and provide data-driven recommendations, fostering meaningful discussions and boosting Board confidence in our strategic decisions. McCrindle's expertise in the NFP sector and ability to tailor the research to our specific requirements has been invaluable. Their reports and presentations always stimulate great discussions and we’re grateful to have them as a partner in our work."

－ Dana Elliott, Brand & Marketing Manager