Everyone recognises that government is a fact of life. It's an important institution, part of our social fabric, and there to help us when we need it.
However, our consumer research at Directgov tells us that people find government complex and it can be intrusive. The public tell us that accessing government information and services is similar to searching for that elusive needle in a haystack. We listen to our audience: they admit that it's hard to know everything you need to know and what you're entitled to. We agree.
Directgov offers easy access to essential government services and information, in an impartial, accurate and up-to-date manner. We don't offer opinion and we're not party political. Our new promotion focuses on some of the main things you can find and do on Directgov - such as taxing your car, learning about new skills and finding job vacancies.
Our ambition for Directgov is to make the website famous, we want to be the first site you think of when it comes to accurate, impartial and up to date government information. We also need to make the Directgov name popular, by which we mean the number one government website which people turn to, and trust.
Television advertising works and is an effective way of building recognition. Directgov's new national advertising campaign launches today and uses the memorable slogan 'I'd go Direct, gov' to the soundtrack of the song It Must Be Love.
The messages in the advert focus on what our users consider to be essential and at the core of Directgov: namely employment, taxes, benefits, education and official documents. We see well-known faces in a series of situations which we have never seen them in before: Kelly Brook driving out of a lorry park at night, advising two onlookers where they can find out about getting new skills. Christopher Biggins as a new-born baby advising on tax credits.
At the start of 2009, we had 11 million visits to Directgov per month, by the end of the year it was closer to 20 million visits a month and we have ambitions for this to increase in 2010.
Directgov's new TV advert is directed by Steve Bendelack, (The Royle Family; The League of Gentlemen; Little Britain and Mr Bean's Holiday.) It features the well-known faces of: Suggs, Nick Moran, Christopher Biggins, Honor Blackman, Janet Street-Porter and Kelly Brook. The voice-over for the government advert is provided by Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren.
Mike Hoban is director of communications and engagement at Directgov
