Why am I seeing adverts on Wirral Council’s websites?
Wirral Council is looking at ways to raise income in order to sustain its services. The council has decided to offer the opportunity to advertise on this website to suitable businesses and organisations.
Wirral.gov.uk receives on average over 250,000 visits every month. It provides a powerful channel for local and national organisations to promote themselves to the people of Wirral.
The advertising campaigns that appear on the website have been selected by Wirral Council. We manage our own online advertising and do not place tracking cookies when you view adverts on our website. An advertising protocol is in place that strictly prohibits a number of types of advertisement.
Interested in advertising on our websites?
Local businesses can advertise on Wirral Council’s website and reach thousands of local people each month. Your business will be advertised on targeted pages on our website.
Digital advertising is vital nowadays to reach potential customers as most people spend hours each day searching for products and services – which they could find locally.
If you would like to place an advert online with Wirral Council contact us at marketing@wirral.gov.uk.
Advertising policy
All advertisements are subject to approval. The council reserves the right to refuse to promote or to remove any advertisement, which is considered inappropriate.
All adverts must adhere to the codes of conduct laid down by the Advertising Standards Authority and must not conflict with the council's aims and priorities. The Advertising Standards Authority's code includes provisions that marketing communications:
- must be legal, decent, honest and truthful
- must not bring advertising into disrepute
- must not bring the council into disrepute
- must conform to the code
- must respect the principles of fair competition
Advertising will also be subject to the code of practice on local government publicity and the requirements of the Financial Services Authority.
Prohibited advertisements
Most products and services may be promoted on the council's website, however, some specific categories of products and services are prohibited. The Council will not carry advertisements for:
- contraceptives and associated products and services
- political parties or where content is considered to be of a political nature
- religious organisations or a religious nature
- gambling services
- adult sexual or pornographic services
- tobacco or smoking related devices
- alcohol - where it encourages excessive or underage use
- any communication that discriminates on the grounds of race, religion, sex, disability or age.
- manufacturers and distributors of weaponry and related products
- high interest or payday loans
In addition to any rights the Council may have, the Council shall be entitled, not to carry or continue to carry and where necessary remove the whole or any part or parts of an advert, in the following circumstances and without liability or having to tell the advertiser, if in the Council's sole discretion it considers:
- the advertisement is unlawful, misleading, offensive or inflammatory
- the advertisement conflicts with the contracts of the Council or its partners
- the advertisement conflicts with the aims or policies of the Council or its partners
- the advertisement is situation inappropriate, for example adverts for fast food or alcohol in leisure centres
- the advertisement is prejudicial or discriminatory against any group or individual - including, but not limited to; age, race, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation or nationality
- the advertisement interferes with a user’s experience online or puts a user at risk
- the advertiser has contravened any of the regulatory requirements of the Council
- the advertisement is likely to expose the Council to claims, prosecution, criticism or disrepute or cause the Council embarrassment
- the advertisement infringes the legal rights of others, and or infringes the intellectual property of others
The promotion of any advertisement on the website is not an endorsement or recommendation of any form from Wirral Council of that advertiser's products or services or of any company or organisation.
The council is not responsible for the quality or reliability of the product or services offered within any advertisement. The council would never knowingly run an advertisement that is misleading, offensive, untrue or fraudulent.
The council does not accept any responsibility for errors, omissions or for any consequences arising when visiting third party websites when following an advertising link.
Tell us what you think
The council will be monitoring how the advertisements affect our customers’ experience on this website. Please tell us what you think about the advertising by contacting us at websitesupport@wirral.gov.uk.