The Council was also shortlisted in four other categories making it the most prominent local authority at the event. The Council has now had 16 nominations in five years in the showcase for the best work of the communications industry in both the public and private sectors. The Gold winning website now goes forward to the CIPR President's national Grand Prix in January 2009.
The redesigned website was launched in 2007 and featured significant improvements on what was available previously:
- Frequently used services given prominence for easy access;
- Accessibility was addressed so that users could choose the size and colour of text;
- Clearer navigation throughout;
- Cost savings for the Council with a typical online transaction costing £0.17 compared with £4.00 for a telephone transaction and £7.81 for face to face;
- Increased number of visitors - from an average of 91,000 per month before the re-launch to a current average of 170,000 per month, nearly a 90% increase.
Cllr Linda Gow, Leader of Falkirk Council said: ‘Falkirk Council has consistently achieved valued recognition for its communications work and the awards represent the best in Scotland.
‘Competing with the private sector to communicate successfully with your audience isn't easy as they often have far greater resources available but I am pleased to say that we can deliver our communications well, at low cost and still make an impact.
‘The website makes accessing Council services easier and helps residents get the most from Council services in a simple and cost effective way.'
Carol Matthews, chair of the CIPR Scotland said: ‘The PRide Awards showcase the excellent PR work being done in Scotland and the contribution this makes to business and society. Having faced a rigorous judging process, to come out on top is a tremendous achievement and I congratulate all of this year's winners.'
The four other categories where Falkirk Council was nominated were: Best Use of Photography or Design; Low Budget; Best Newspaper or Magazine and; Scottish Public Sector Team of the Year. All the categories were judged by senior PR professionals across the UK.
Source: Falkirk Council Press Office
