Learnings from Breast Cancer Now’s Afternoon Tea campaign

The evolution of Afternoon Tea

The campaign's history stretches back to 1998 when it began as 'Strawberry Tea' during the Wimbledon fortnight. Fast forward to today, and it's become one of the UK's fastest-growing mass-participation fundraising events. In 2023, they saw a remarkable 66% increase in income, and in 2024 continued to break records across all key metrics.

What makes this success even more impressive is that it was achieved despite significant challenges, including:

• The impact of COVID-19 on in-person events
• An over-reliance on Meta (previously 92% of their digital spend)
• The ongoing cost-of-living crisis
• Competition for attention during a busy summer of events
• Recent changes to privacy and targeting in digital advertising

A multi-channel approach

One of the most interesting aspects of their success has been their evolution from a Meta-heavy strategy to a more diverse digital approach.

The team shared how they've created a robust multi-channel strategy:

• Website optimisation: Their new mobile-first website has increased conversion rates by 3.5% between 2022 and 2023 (site redesign by Manifesto)
• Channel diversification: While Meta still drives significant results (73% of signups), they've expanded to include Spotify audio, contextual display, and demand generation campaigns
• Email marketing: Through improved targeting and deliverability, they saw a 74% increase in registrations from email
• Creative testing: Regular testing of images and copy has helped identify winning combinations, with close-up shots of scones becoming a campaign staple, particularly combined with the always popular debate about jam or cream first!

Q&A insights

We had brilliant questions from the audience, and here are some key takeaways:

Platform performance

• Spotify advertising has shown promising results, with their self-serve platform offering free voice-over services and regional accent options
• TikTok is being explored for upper-funnel activity, showing competitive CPMs but still being tested for conversion-focused campaigns
• Meta's recent restrictions on health-related advertising are pushing the team to explore new targeting strategies

Campaign management

• The recruitment period runs for about four months, with budgets front-loaded to secure early sign-ups
• The campaign sees a mix of individual and workplace participants, though individual fundraisers currently dominate
• Fulfilment is managed through an external provider, with digital versions of all materials available online

Budget considerations

For charities working with limited budgets, the team advised:

• Focus on doing fewer things well rather than spreading budgets too thinly
• Start with channels where your audience is most likely to engage
• Build incrementally, testing and learning before expanding
• Make use of Google Ad Grants where possible

Looking ahead

The success of Afternoon Tea demonstrates how traditional fundraising events can be transformed through digital innovation. The team's approach to testing, learning, and adapting has created a sustainable model for growth, even in challenging circumstances.

What particularly struck me was their focus on building community. Whether through their stewardship programme, supporter stories like Cetti (who progressed from a small COVID-era event to becoming a campaign ambassador), or their multi-channel engagement strategy, they've created something that people want to be part of.

For any charity looking to grow its digital fundraising, the key lessons are: understand your audience, test consistently, be willing to adapt, and always keep the supporter experience at the heart of what you do.