For some reason, a lot of people think brochures are dead because they figure they’ve got a website and why on Earth would they EVER need a brochure?

There are all the cons:

• it takes a lot of time to plan, write and produce
• it requires skillful graphic designer who understands print production
• it requires printing, which can get expensive
• it seems to out-of-date the day after it’s printed

But, what many people forget is that brochures have not lost their value in the marketing and sales process because they provide (sometimes the only) the tangible and visual representation of a brand.

If you were going to purchase a car, maybe a Mercedes-Benz. It’s ridiculous to think that a nice, slick, 4-color, glossy brochure won’t make a solid impression on the buyer, and is in fact a strong marketing tool in helping to reinforce the quality brand that Mercedes stands for.

Mercedes tells you they have the best engineered cars in on the road and it’s only natural that they would want to provide brochures and marketing materials that position their brand in EXACTLY that way – showing the potential buyer why they have the best cars.

The branding logic is, if their brochures are this well-done and impressive, what must their cars be like?

What do your print materials say about your company? Do they say Mercedes or Yugo?