ABSTRACT
Brochures, like other marketing communication tools, can serve a number of important functions for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Before writing, editing, designing, and printing any brochure, it is important to consider a number of questions, issues, and guidelines about the piece:
What function do you want the brochure to perform for your company? Brochures are used at trade shows. They are placed in waiting rooms. They are sent to people who want more information about your firm. They are used as leave-behinds after seminars. And they are integrated into sales presentations, media kits, and direct mail campaigns. Sometimes, they have a single use; other times, they have multiple uses. I have consulted with many entrepreneurs who say they want a brochure but have no sense of what they will do with it. Don't put the cart before the horse. Your brochure should fit in with your overall advertising and marketing plan. It should never be the other way around.
Is your brochure something you plan to use once, or do you plan to revise it periodically? If you plan to update frequently, you may elect to create a company newsletter. Or you may decide to use a folder-type brochure that can hold sales mate-rial, letters from satisfied customers and reprints of relevant trade articles. This under-utilized format is very versatile and it can grow as your business grows. It can also be filled with different materials and be used for a multitude of purposes.
Will the brochure be used in a direct mail campaign? If it is, you need to consider the size of the envelope it will fit into and you also need to be aware of the weight of the piece and the postal costs you will incur with various kinds of brochures.
When considering the size of the brochure, you must think about several factors. First, as we noted earlier, while most brochures are designed to fit in standard business envelopes, there are some drawbacks to this format. For example, some people react negatively to the standard 8 1/2 × 11 two-fold because they see this format so frequently. Second, larger formats that fold in unconventional manners can produce a more powerful impact and increase the reader's involvement with the printed piece. Give some careful thought to the impact you want to make with your printed piece and choose a size that will present your company and products in a flattering manner. Don't restrict yourself to a traditional twofold brochure.
Who will be reading the brochure? Are they people who already know about you, or are they people who are unfamiliar with your venture? As with all marketing communications, a different tone may be required depending on your audience.
What is going to appear on the cover of the brochure? Traditionally, many businesses place the company name on the cover of the brochure. In a lot of cases, there is nothing wrong with starting the brochure this way. In fact, in a lot of situations, this is the only reasonable and logical way to begin a brochure. On the other hand, it is often useful to view the cover of the brochure as being analogous to the headline of an advertisement or the first five seconds of a commercial (see Figure 22). As in these sales messages, you must grab your reader's attention and compel him or her to open the piece and scan its important elements. To a large extent, people will judge your brochure by its cover. So make it as appealing as possible.
What kinds of pictures and graphics will liven up your bro-chure and make your story more interesting? A brochure that is all copy tends to be quite boring and unattractive. Intermingle text with photographs, charts, and graphics.
Which colors will project the image you want to portray? Remember, colors have a wide range of psychological meanings. Choose tones that fit your industry, your office decor, your target audience, the mood or feeling you want to set for your reader, and the image you want to project and maintain for your company.
The same holds true for the typeface or typefaces you choose for your brochure. In some instances, you will want to mix and combine typefaces to highlight certain segments of the brochure. Other times, you may want to use the same typeface throughout. The typeface should also fit in with your logo and with other printed materials you have created for your company in the past.
What kind of paper is most appropriate for your brochure? There are hundreds of different paper stocks from which you can choose. You must decide whether you want a glossy stock, flat stock, or textured stock. In making this decision, you must again consider the image you want to project, the cost and availability of the paper, and the size of the brochure. Have your printer or graphic artist show you samples of different paper stock.
The printing costs on brochures can vary widely. I suggest that you get at least five quotes on every printing job of this kind. As you will discover, some printers specialize in various kinds of projects. Work with a printer who has produced the kind of brochure you want for your company. Look for a printer who has all the equipment needed to print, fold, score, staple, and bind your job in-house. Working with a printer that has these kinds of capabilities will save you time and money.
The same holds true for the writers, artists, photographers, advertising agencies, and public relations agencies assisting you in developing your brochures. Look for people who have produced the kinds of pieces you would like your company to have. Furthermore, make sure you work with people who will keep you informed of how the brochure is progressing through each stage. This will help to avoid any surprises or disappointments when the job is finished.
Many antrepreneurs havh produced theit own brochures in-house. While computer technology has made this possible for a number of firms, my own feeling is that communications professionals still seem to produce better products than do non-professionals. After all, these people are apt to have the technology as well as the training and experience required to produce a quality printed piece. You may find it valuable to rough out a brochure on your personal computer or desktop publishing system and use it as a rough draft to show your agency, artist, or marketing consultant. However, I have seen very few in-house brochures that were as good as those created by professional designers and graphic artists.
