Although the advent of the Internet has reduced the need to produce brochures, just as we still have magazines and newspapers, we still need brochures. Nothing quite replaces the impact of having the printed piece in our hands, whether we bother to read it or not. Most people "look" at brochures, absorbing the overall presentation with either a favorable or unfavorable first impression. With that experience as the crux of the matter, if a business determines the need to produce a brochure, it is vital that it make a strong, positive first impression, which usually translates into the need to invest in a quality effort.

What size brochure is most effective?

Because of the Internet, a brochure, like an ad, can simply serve to whet the appetite of the reader, promising full details by visiting a website address. However, some may claim that postponing the buyer's decision for a later time may be counterproductive. It may make more sense to seal the deal while the buyer is holding your brochure. With that reasoning, a brochure then needs to be comprehensive, presenting as much information as a web site. For businesses with ample budgets, that may be an acceptable option. However, brochures have a way of becoming obsolete because of changes that inevitably occur with the passage of time.

When is it best to produce a brochure?

If you are offering a product or service for a limited time at a special rate to a specific market, a brochure can deliver that message more efficiently than a web site alone provided the brochure reaches its targeted market. That would mean utilizing direct mail as a method of delivery or handing them out at a trade show or other appropriate event. For example, a client who sells specialty car accessories finds that dealers are lazy about going to his web site and prefer to receive a brochure in the mail so they can call him to order in quantity. He quips, "How else would they know that I'm running a sale unless I hit them over the head with it by way of a comprehensive product brochure that reaches their desk at work?" A plastic surgeon, on the other hand, needs to hand out an impressive brochure about his services and qualifications after a patient consultation. The brochure, in this case, continues the sales process after the meeting is over. Every situation is different so the business client needs to assess his predicament carefully before investing in a quality brochure.

Above: A large laminated four-page brochure was created
for a computer trade show to introduce to a high-tech market
a metalworker's ability to design and produce large quantities of
custom external fabrications to house inner high-tech components.