A Digbeth-based digital agency has been enlisted to redevelop Birmingham's official tourism website.
Marketing Birmingham has appointed TAK!, located in the Custard Factory, to give www.visitbirmingham.com a £55,000 makeover following a four-way pitch.
The website provides information on things to see and do, places to eat and drink, and where to stay in Birmingham and will be relaunched in June.
Dave Hodgson, marketing director at Marketing Birmingham said: "TAK! was the smallest of the agencies to pitch for the contract, but presented by far the most innovative ideas.
"We loved their approach and their focus on making the website relevant and user centric.
"They are clearly experts in their field and had thought about the long-term development of the site, not just a quick fix.
"They incorporated Web 2.0 technologies in their proposals as it is an important way of facilitating user-generated content but did not overload on gimmicks just for the sake of it.
"They also proposed future extensions of their ideas to really add value and ensure that the website will be flexible enough to keep evolving."
The Visit Birmingham website was created to encourage people to come to the city.
The new design will aim to place Birmingham at the forefront of digital technology. It will be stylish yet simple and will incorporate a fresh look with an innovative content strategy to engage with, retain and guide users.
The project will also see Marketing Birmingham's corporate website www.marketingbirmingham.com being refreshed, to reflect the dynamics of the organisation and provide a valuable resource for the company's Champions and Commercial Members as well as national and international media with an interest in the city.
Lisa Smith, online campaign manager at Marketing Birmingham said: "The online team at Marketing Birmingham was created towards the end of last year and has enabled the company to take a more focused approach to an ever growing channel within tourism - the internet. We will be working closely with TAK! to position Birmingham at the cutting edge of technology and promote the city to a global online audience."
TAK! is an independent digital agency based in central Birmingham. Its work is regularly featured in national and international publications and was recently recognised with a Webby Official Honoree Award and SWSW Award. Clients include Thomas Tallis School, Ikon Gallery, Tesco/THQ, LG, Orange, Red Bull and Topshop.
Dom Murphy, creative director at TAK! said: "We are proud to be chosen as the digital agency to deliver the Visit Birmingham experience. Marketing Birmingham saw the potential and passion in our ideas and we're excited to work with such a forward thinking team to represent and promote this grand city."
