Macmillan Cancer Support looks to AI to drive sign ups to "World's Biggest Coffee Morning"

Sep. 10, 2019

Macmillan Cancer Support is using artificial intelligence (AI) to drive sign ups to its ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ event on 27th September.

The UK’s leading cancer support charity is working with technology platform Automated Creative for the second year in a row, with the aim of encouraging people to sign up to host their own Coffee Morning to fundraise for Macmillan via the charity’s website.

Automated Creative uses machine learning to repurpose existing brand assets and optimise them as digital advertising. It kicked off the project by undertaking a full content audit for Macmillan, analysing the charity’s existing assets to determine the visuals and copy that would have the greatest impact on the target audience.

During the campaign period, which runs until late September, Automated Creative will use its ‘Creator’ tool to generate a limitless number of ad variants which will run across digital channels including  Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and display. The content is continually optimised based on ongoing user feedback and results, with the overall aim of reducing Macmillan’s cost per acquisition (CPA).

The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event which  sees more than 200,000 people take part in a day dedicated to cuppas and cakes. It raises vital funds for Macmillan to help the charity continue to be there for the growing number of people living with cancer in the UK. Last year alone, almost £27 million was raised.

Macmillan joins a growing client list for Automated Creative, which includes GSK, BOSE, and Unilever. The business was founded in 2018 by Tom Ollerton, former innovation director at social media agency We Are Social.

Imogen Stead, senior marketing manager, Macmillan Cancer Support commented:

“Automated Creative’s proven results in making content work harder to drive traffic and conversions were impossible to ignore. I’m confident that working with a team who understands the importance of creative as well as the opportunities that technology presents will help us reach more people and make this year’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning a huge success, enabling us to continue to support people living with cancer.”

 

Automated Creative’s Tom Ollerton said:

“We’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with Macmillan on this important event. Attracting people’s attention in the digital world can be difficult with the huge quantity of content in circulation, so it’s essential to stand out. This is particularly true within the not-for-profit sector when you’re often looking to convert a specific action, in this case, the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning sign ups. The term ‘artificial intelligence’ may sound futuristic and a bit of a gamble but in fact it’s the exact opposite. Our technology can help ensure that every word and image will have the maximum possible impact and offer the best value for money.”