Internal Revenue Service and Siegel+Gale Win ClearMark Grand Prize Award From the Center for Plain Language

NEW YORK, May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internal Revenue Service and global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale received the 2011 Grand Prize: ClearMark Award from the Center for Plain Language for improving the clarity, effectiveness and efficiency of the notices that the IRS sends to taxpayers. The awards were presented on April 28, 2011, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100120/NY40758LOGO )

The ClearMark Awards (http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/clearmark2011/) recognize the best in clear communication and plain language, honoring the documents and websites of government, non-profits and private companies. In selecting the Simplified IRS Notices project for both the Grand Prize: ClearMark Award and the Revised Document: Public Sector Award, the international panel of independent judges cited significant improvements in language and design. The awards specifically recognize two of the first notices released to the public in 2010: Additional Child Care and Account Notice.

(View the before and after versions of the notices:

Additional Child Care before: http://www.siegelgale.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/CP08_before.pdf

Additional Child Care after: http://www.siegelgale.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/IRS_CP08_after.pdf.

Account Notice before: http://www.siegelgale.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/CP21A_before.pdf

Account Notice after: http://www.siegelgale.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/IRS_CP21_after.pdf.)

"This was a mammoth task for the IRS, which sends out more than 200 million notices every year," said Irene Etzkorn, Siegel+Gale's executive director, simplification. "Looking at the before and after, you can quickly see that the notices are much clearer and more straightforward, focused on helping taxpayers understand their responsibilities. To date, the IRS has revised 85 notices into plain language. Nearly 90 million of these new notices are now in circulation, providing taxpayers with IRS communications that are easier to comprehend and simpler to use."

The IRS used a writing style guided by the principles of "Inform, Respect and Suggest," and applied a consistent framework and clear design that allows taxpayers to quickly determine the purpose of the notice and the action required.

Annetta Cheek, Ph.D., chair of the board of directors of the Center for Plain Language, said, "The IRS has worked hard to overcome its image with Americans, and these two revised notices are a sign that the IRS has changed."

The Center for Plain Language (www.centerforplainlanguage.org) is a nonprofit organization comprised of individuals who encourage the use of clear, concise language in business and government.

More information and images pertaining to the Simplified IRS Notices project can be found on Siegel+Gale's website: http://www.siegelgale.com/case_study/internal-revenue-service-2/.

About Siegel+Gale

Siegel+Gale (www.siegelgale.com) is a global strategic branding firm committed to building world-class brands through elegantly simple, unexpectedly fresh strategies, stories and experiences. With Simple is Smart as its operating philosophy, Siegel+Gale delivers powerful services in brand development, simplification, research and digital strategy.

Since its founding by branding pioneer Alan Siegel in 1969, Siegel+Gale has helped drive business results for brands such as Aetna, American Express, Bank of America, China Youth Development Foundation, Dell, Dow Chemical Company, The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the Internal Revenue Service, The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Microsoft, Motorola, Pfizer, Qatar Telecom, SAP, Sony PlayStation, Yahoo! and the YMCA.

Siegel+Gale has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Hamburg, Dubai, Shanghai and Beijing and strategic partnerships around the world as a member of the Omnicom Group of companies (www.omnicomgroup.com).

Contact:
Camille Priselac
CooperKatz for Siegel+Gale
917.595.3042

SOURCE Siegel+Gale