The British Heart Foundation has topped a poll of charity sector brands, with 41 per cent of the vote.

More than 1,200 charity communications professionals and supporters voted in the poll, which was run by CharityComms to mark the launch of a new guide to charity branding.

Macmillan Cancer Support came second with 32 per cent of the vote and led the poll in the early stages.

Vicky Browning, director of CharityComms said: “The number of votes we received for our light-hearted poll shows the strength of passion that great brands inspire. Yet there’s still debate across the sector as to whether or not branding is a worthwhile investment.”

The new guide Branding Inside Out is free to download from the CharityComms website and includes case studies and offers advice on creating and maintaining a charity brand. It is the second in a new series of best practice guides, the first was as guide to portraying beneficiaries and service users.