Probably the least favoured form of advertising by consumers are flyers and brochures. While most consumers seem to put up with radio and television ads as a necessary evil, they often feel affronted by advertising left in the mail box.
Flyers and brochures can be distributed by direct mail (which involves companies creating mailing lists for their customer base) or by neighbourhood drops. Their purpose is to convince the reader of benefits they can offer in regard to lifestyle and well-being.
Flyers and brochures differ from their airwave counterparts in that they are often issued by local companies. Their costs are generally low and they can be generated using simple computer software programs. They are often sent out by small start-up businesses as well as larger corporations.
Flyers and brochures can come in many shapes and sizes:
• Real-estate brochures for houses sold or for sale in the area
• Notifications of gym or yoga classes offered in the area
• Local tradesmen looking for jobs
• Takeaway menus
• A local schoolchild looking for babysitting work
Exercise: Pretend you are starting up a small business of your own (babysitting, selling t-shirts, designing skateboard graphics). Create a brochure to distribute in the local neighbourhood. Think about:
• Your main message
• Size of the pamphlet and how it will be folded
• What sort of language you will need to use
• Whether you’ll include an image
• Where your name and contact details will appear
Advertising Unit 