Delivering government campaigns
The Government Communication Service (GCS) delivers strategic, audience-led campaigns and sets world-class standards for implementation and delivery.
On this page:
- Set up a government campaign website
- Digital brand safety in advertising
- Real-time bidding
- Guidance on cookies and privacy compliance
- About campaigns
Set up a government campaign website
We give guidance to government departments on the GOV.UK campaigns offer.
Digital brand safety in advertising
The SAFE Framework introduces new standards for digital brand safety in HM Government advertising.
- SAFE Framework: the 4 principles for HMG Brand Safety
- Completing a SAFE assessment form (GCS members access)
Real-time bidding
Guidance for all government marketers and department Data Protection Officers (DPOs) on the use of programmatic real-time bidding (RTB) advertising. Written by the Media and Marketing unit of Cabinet Office:
- Real-time bidding guidance (GCS member access)
- Obtaining opt-in consent on your campaign website (GCS members access)
Guidance on Cookies and Privacy compliance
Cookieless future
Steps that campaign managers, implementation, and privacy teams can take now to ensure they are prepared for the ‘cookieless future’.
Facebook-related privacy notices and cookie banners
This guidance is for those who work on and deliver government campaigns that use Facebook’s advertising products to support the delivery of their campaign, and which involve sharing data with Facebook.
Facebook-related privacy notices and cookie banners (member access)
Direct Marketing guidance
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) are UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.
New direct marketing guidance for public authorities
On 4 August 2021, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published guidance for public authorities on the use of ‘direct marketing’ approaches to deliver communications. The new guidance applies to all GCS campaigns which are planning to use direct marketing approaches in their campaigns.
Read about the ICO guidance (member access)
About campaigns
Through campaigns, communications professionals play a key role across government in:
- changing behaviour by encouraging people to lead healthy, safer lives
- ensuring operational effectiveness of government by informing people about public services
- enhancing and maintaining the reputation of the UK and responding in times of crisis, including promoting interests internationally
- explaining government policies and programmes to clarify legal or statutory requirements
Contact
The cross-government campaigns team is a small unit based jointly in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Cabinet Office. With experts drawn from all communications disciplines, it delivers campaigns on issues of priority for the Prime Minister or where a cross-government effort is essential to success.
The role of the team is:
- consultancy and best practice (behaviour change, marketing expertise, low-cost campaigns)
- campaign strategy and implementation
- troubleshooting and creative development
- government to government consultancy overseas
- professional assurance (formally ERG) to ensure money spent on communications is effective and provides value for money for the taxpayer
- protect, advise and ensure the effective usage of the government’s identity and brand