Background and Context:
Cancer Council Australia has developed a successful licencing program where a quality, affordable and innovative range of sun protection merchandise is marketed under the trusted Cancer Council name, generating royalty income for CCA.
Aim:
Providing affordable products in line with health messaging which generates an income stream to fund research and patient support.
Strategy/Tactics:
To work with commercial partners to provide a range of branded merchandise including high SPF sunscreens, sun protection cosmetics, eye wear, clothing, hats, and recreational shelters. Initially the products were targeted at the Australian market and sold in supermarkets, pharmacies, department stores, convenience stores, and Cancer Council retail shops, amongst others. All products are independently tested to meet Australian regulatory guidelines for product quality. We have subsequently expanded into the international market.
Programme Process:
A licensing manager at Cancer Council Australia, on behalf of the Cancer Councils and their retail units, sources products and negotiates with distributers to license products which fit the anti-cancer health messaging of Cancer Councils.
Costs and returns:
The program has enabled CCA to generate substantial royalties from the sales of these products, and extend the Sunsmart educational messaging through over 6,000 outlets across Australia and 23 countries. In the last 10 years, licenced merchandise royalty income has increased 4 fold. The costs to CCA are essentially the salary of the licensing manager. More recently, CCA and some commercial partners have begun to collaborate with cancer organisations in other countries to develop local programs with combined education strategies, and sharing of royalty income from sales in the local market.
Outcomes/What was learned:
This fundraising strategy results in a strong return on investment, with risks largely borne by the licensees. It has provided an opportunity to strengthen the Cancer Council brand awareness and extend the health messaging into the retail sector.