The Brochure isn’t dead…yet

There was some great discussion on the Linkedin forums and Facebook last week following my post on Is the Theatre Brochure Dead. I loved reading all the different points of view on the topic. On the whole, most agreed that there is still a place for some kind of printed marketing collateral, but the concept of a brochure had mixed reactions.

For organisations relying heavily on philanthropic donations and subscription seasons, the brochure is still perceived as having important value. However, for smaller companies with a more diverse funding base, the brochure is less critical (and it can save money not to print one).

One of the key things to come out of the discussion was that using CRM effectively can reduce reliance on traditional printed material. Customising marketing messages to previous buyers via email or direct mail can generate a good return on investment and offers more flexibility than a broader approach. However, it’s not so straightforward when it comes to attracting new audiences, and arguably, there is still a strong case for traditional printed material here. This has got me thinking now about Audience Development, so stay tuned for some more thoughts on that one next week.