Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33720096
06/06/02
Tourism Brochures To Boost Business
Archived Document: This Extension bulletin is no longer
available from the publishing State and may contain
outdated information.
Source: Minnesota
Authors: Breneman, Don; Koth, Barbara; Kreag, Glenn
ID: CD-FO-3273
Year: 1987
Funding for development of this publication was provided by
the Minnesota Office of Tourism.
Each year, thousands of travel and lodging brochures make
their way into the hands of prospective Minnesota visitors
from all over the country. Brochures that are crisp
eye-catchers are read, reread, jotted on and often generate
new business. But for every successful brochure, there are
hundreds of yawners that get thrown away without a second
glance. These never reach the pile of information collected
for "the next getaway ."
Travelers often "buy" their vacation experience sight
unseen. Brochures are the primary sales tool for many
tourism businesses and communities. They are clues to what
the customer can expect. The largest share of a marketing
budget may be allocated to brochure production. But too
often, despite dependence on brochures, little thought goes
into the preparation. Often the result is a weak print
piece that can hurt rather than help business.
Developing a brochure is only one facet of your total
marketing program: be clear about its purpose. A
comprehensive marketing plan is a systematic way to bring
your product or service to the market. Integrate promotion
so that each method builds upon the others. A brochure
doesn't stand alone.
Five steps are necessary to develop better business and
community tourism brochures:
- Outline the brochure concept.
- Write the text (copy).
- Decide on graphic design and layout.
- Define production responsibilities.
- Develop a distribution plan.
The Brochure Concept
Sales appeal is the single most important element in your
brochure. It means creating a mood or image about the place
or event that makes people want to be there. Without this
appeal, which motivates the reader to take some purchase
action, a brochure simply becomes informational.
Sales appeal comes from defining "the concept." To create
a brochure that convinces readers to act, you need to
clearly state brochure objectives, product image, and the
target market you aim to reach.
Determine Objectives
Why do you need to develop a brochure? What do you expect
it will accomplish in combination with other promotion
strategies? Write down these key objectives. Be sure they
state specific actions which are measurable and include a
time frame. The more specific you are the easier it will be
to select the information you want to include. These are
examples of well-thought out marketing objectives:
- To increase mid-week (Monday- Thursday) overnight stays
in the community by 50 percent.
- To inform potential guests of expanded ski rental
services and to attract three groups of 20 or more skiers
in December and January.
- To increase average weekly occupancy at a bed and
breakfast to 50 percent during the fall season (Labor Day
to November 15) by booking retired couples from the Twin
Cities.
- To book 500 advance reservations from vacationers
traveling the Lake Superior Circle Route in summer.
Once you have written your objectives, go back and make
sure you can measure success by setting up a program to
track results. You may need to re-examine and to re-adjust
individual components, like brochures, to see how they fit
with your overall marketing plan.
Create an Image for Your Product
What is special about your business, your community's
attractions and services that would make visitors choose
it? Ask your present guests why they come or what they
enjoy most about their visit. What are you selling? What is
your niche in the hospitality industry? What business are
you in? We've all heard the story about how railroads lost
their competitive edge when they failed to realize they
were in the transportation (people service) industry, not
the railroad business. Write down these ideas about image
and refer to them when composing your brochure and
targeting guests.
Tourism in the 198O's is an international marketplace.
Choice of vacation destinations is unlimited and consumers
are bombarded with suggestions. You need an "extra edge" to
distinguish yourself from the competition as tourists make
their travel decisions. That is why you see resorts that
emphasize their success as a `sailing center,' bed and
breakfasts that feature home-grown foods, and gift shops
that display the work of local artisans.
Many Minnesota towns are building their own image. Mankato
bills itself as a "Wellness Capital," building on health
and fitness interest. Milan, in its brochure, features
Norwegian arts and crafts and hunting opportunities.
Hutchinson is organizing around the railroad image to
capitalize on the existence of one of the few private rail
lines in Minnesota. Communities in the southeastern corner
of the state make different appeals: Spring Grove -
Norwegian heritage, LaCrescent - the apple capital, and
Caledonia - history in a natural setting.
Some tourist areas use a slogan in all their advertising to
build an image. The Gunflint Trail Association says,
"Follow the Trail to a Natural Adventure." When you see a
Park Rapids area promotional piece, the "Land of Legend"
theme is prominent. "Make it Mankato" offers variations on
a theme that sells different aspects of the community "Make
it Scenic/Recreational/ Entertaining/Informative." Avoid
overused cliches like "best kept secret" and "a friendly
town."
Select a Target Market
By identifying a business or community image, you have
reached the first step in targeting prospective customers.
Use the objectives you have set and the image you wish to
project to help determine who your audience is for this
brochure. What type of people will find your image
attractive? Who will be able to stay during the time period
you have specified? Think of your audience's age, marital
status, education, income level, residence, interests, and
lifestyles. Here are examples of target markets:
- Young couples in their mid-2O's through late-30's without
children, who enjoy active outdoor recreation in a natural
setting. They live within the surrounding four state region
in an urban area and want full service accommodations,
including the option of food service or individual
kitchenette facilities.
- Birdwatchers in the Upper Midwest who are interested in
birds that can be seen along the Mississippi, driving tours
to view wildlife, and tips on locations, timing, and
photography. This is from a Winona direct mail brochure
sent to regional Audubon Society members.
- Retired people from Duluth and the Twin Cities looking
for a group transportation/accommodations package. They
enjoy family style meals and local guided bus tours, and
can travel mid- week.
It helps to think back to determine who guests have been in
the past and why they've chosen your facility. You might
even do a phone or written survey with them or run some
group interviews with visitors to the area. Are these the
type of customers you wish to continue to attract? If
evaluation shows that earlier brochures generated little
business, you may have been appealing to the wrong
clientele. If repeat business is low, you may have given
people the wrong image or failed to provide experiences
they sought. Remember, brochures are developed to attract
new business, not old.
Figure out the size of the market you identify. Is the
market segment large enough to justify the cost of printing
brochures to reach your objectives? Is the market
accessible through the use of brochures? Decide how best to
place brochures in the hands of prospective visitors.
The Text
Decide what you want to say. One way to do this is to write
out everything you would like to tell the world about your
business or community. Then edit it and keep only the
essential information that does the following:
- Contributes to the accomplishment of your objectives. To
increase mid-week sales, don't emphasize the Sunday morning
brunch special.
- Accents your image. A "get away from it all" resort in a
natural setting shouldn't boast about direct dial phones in
every room.
- Appeals to your target customer. Don't mention the miles
of snowmobile trails to cross-country skiers.
Leave the written brochure text in a drawer at least
overnight. When you come back to it, you'll be able to pare
it down even more. Show the draft version to someone who
knows nothing about your place. Have them tell you what
they read that interested them most. Revise the text
accordingly and reorganize the information to become the
brochure's cover, interior, and final panel.
The Cover: A Sales Opener
The cover is as far as many brochure readers go unless
they're strongly enticed to read more. The brochure cover
should immediately attract attention and set it apart from
other brochures in the rack. Focus on your product image by
using a simple, uncluttered design that depicts the mood or
experience a visitor might anticipate. A photo,
illustration, or graphic can set your brochure apart. The
Cass Lake area uses an eye-catching reproduction of a chalk
drawing with a Northwoods theme this season.
An "involvement line" that lures the reader to open the
brochure is often effective. One Minnesota resort uses
"Calm down.. ." (on cover), "and find the peace and beauty
of the Northern lakes" (inside panel)."
Campground: Your invitation to..." is another example.
Decide where you want the brochure to be displayed and
design it for those standards. For rack displays, the upper
third of the cover must attract attention. If you have a
strong cover photo or drawing, the logo might have more
impact inside or on the back panel. The business name and
area location should go on the front cover.
The Interior: Expanding the Message
The interior of the brochure should expand the message and
blend with the cover image. This is where the product is
sold.
Be brief. Say what you have to say simply and naturally,
with the right balance of facts and emotion. Use strong
words and action verbs. Write as one person would tell it
to another and direct information to "you" the reader, not
to "people" or "everyone." Cover pertinent facts, but don't
get so bogged down with details that your product's
uniqueness is lost. Avoid using too many vague adjectives
such as "wonderful," "tremendous," "the best," and
"indescribable." Exaggerated claims arouse suspicion. Say
it in terms your customers will understand. A 200 -acre
lake may mean something to you, but "acres of sky-blue
water" is something guests can picture.
Link features to benefits that satisfy your guests'
vacation needs. Planned children's activities (a feature)
free a block of time for parents (a benefit). No television
or phones (a feature) contribute to peace and quiet (a
benefit). Being near shopping (a feature) offers the
opportunity to purchase local arts and crafts (a benefit).
Leave the reader with a strong impression of what it would
be like to stay at your lodge or in your community. Focus
on the total experience rather than on specific facilities
and amenities:
- "Wake up each morning to sparkling lakes, pine forests
and the sounds of nature all around. Relax in comfort,
swim, sunbathe, enjoy a game of golf or tennis.. ." (resort
brochure).
- "Return to the peaceful, quiet countryside. Relax in
rooms of white wicker, floral wallpaper, antique furniture,
soft handmade comforters on comfy beds. Reminding you of
the days when you stayed overnight at Grandma and Grandpa's
house" (rural bed and breakfast brochure).
- "Patient photographers may capture moose, white-tailed
deer, black bear, timber wolf and the spectacular bald
eagle on film" (outfitter brochure).
Before your potential guests can respond, they must have
enough information to act on. Five points are critical in
brochures for private businesses:
- Type of facility: Include details on the seasonal nature
(opening and closing dates) of your operation and your
special focus (skiing, fishing, family retreats).
Accommodations: Explain fully the size and type of
facilities, and all equipment and services provided for the
advertised rate.
- Recreation opportunities: Tell guests how they can spend
their time on the property. When marketing to families,
provide information on fenced playgrounds, supervised play
areas, safe beaches, swimming instruction, lifeguards, and
evening or rainy day activities.
- Regional attractions: Sell the local area as well as your
facility. Vacationers become interested in a region before
they select a particular place to stay. Nearness to a state
park or a museum might entice customers. Mention historic
sites, outdoor recreation, arts and crafts, shopping, and
nearby events and festivals.
- Prices: Print rates on a separate page or card that's
inserted with your brochure. When prices change, you can
quickly and economically reprint the rate sheet without
having to throw away money for outdated brochures. The
insert could also state charges for additional services
such as motors, babysitting, and equipment rental, and
include a simple map of the property. Name, address, phone
number, and logo should also be prominent on the insert.
Communities should develop separate brochures for tourism
and economic development. Information on utility costs,
police and fire protection, the educational system,
industrial parks and major agribusinesses rarely interests
tourists and should be omitted. Economic development
brochures that cover that information have a different
purpose and approach.
Final Panel: Closing the Sale
The back panel should close the sale by encouraging action.
"Make reservations now!" Call this toll-free number/send
for more information!" Be imaginative in giving the reader
a way to respond. Perhaps you could offer a special rate,
the free use of equipment, or discount coupons for main
street businesses to guests who mention they have read your
brochure.
On the back you may also wish to include directions such as
the number of miles your location is from key cities, the
mass transit service available, and a small line-drawing
map. Always include your mailing address and telephone
number. Another option is to use the back panel as a self-
mailer.
Graphic Design and Layout
This involves you and your printer as you make decisions
about typeface, style, colors, artwork and design. Graphic
designers, perhaps associated with the printer, can help
with brochure layout and paste-70, and may even be able to
write or edit the text. You specify your needs and their
responsibilities.
Short paragraphs with plenty of "white space" containing no
text are most appealing to the eye. Guide the eye with
bigger type, subheadings and "bullets" that summarize major
points. The following information is presented with
bullets:
- Don't use all capital letters. A more readable
appearance can be obtained by using a bold or italic print
instead.
- Provide some visual diversity by using photos of various
sizes.
The physical presence of a brochure refers to the type of
paper and folding used. If your brochure is to be displayed
in a vertical rack, select heavier paper (60 pound stock
more) so it will remain upright.
Multiple colors attract attention. Nevertheless, effective
brochures can be designed in one ink color by using
attractive paper, clean line art, and sharp black and white
photos.
Photographs
Good photos and art will direct your message. Short blocks
of text related to the photos will create a stronger
message than contrasting images. Do not write about the
serene lake and then show a picture of a stormy lake with
whitecaps.
The Minnesota Office of Tourism maintains a slide library
for tourism industry use free-of-charge. It is also a good
idea to maintain a personal up-to-date file of 35mm format
photos. A professional photographer is usually a good
investment, but you are the only one who can be there at
just the right time to capture certain scenes.
Good photos are not hard to obtain if you keep the
following points in mind:
- INVOLVE PEOPLE. You are selling an experience and want
prospective customers to imagine themselves having fun at
your facility. There is nothing more boring than empty
cabin interiors, vacant campsites, and deserted beaches.
Even the idea of solitude can be portrayed effectively by
placing one person in the foreground of a scenic setting.
Be sure to get a signed photo release from guests who are
recognizable in the photos. No fee is necessary.
- Use active pictures. Show people involved in activities,
not just staring at the camera. This is particularly true
for fishing. The stringers of dead trophy fish so often
seen in Minnesota brochures are just that-dead. Capture the
fishing experience in ways everyone can participate:
reeling in a walleye, children with cane poles in a stream,
cooking fish over an open fire, or grandpa baiting a
child's hook.
- Avoid outdated photos. Cars and clothing can date scenes.
- If you are going to use color, shoot slides. Reproduction
quality is not as good with prints. Slides can also be used
for sales presentations and sports shows.
- If you plan a one-color brochure, use black and white
film, which has greater contrast and sharpness.
- Use only clear focused photos.
Production
Determine use and then approximately how many brochures to
have printed. Decide how many you will need to distribute
in response to phone and mail inquiries. What participation
in sports shows or speaking engagements do you plan? Which
Chamber of Commerce offices and travel information centers
will be most effective for distributing your brochure?
Estimate quantities needed for any direct mail campaign.
Will you contact travel writers or has the region planned
a familiarization ("fam") tour? A rule of thumb in the
private sector is that the average brochure generates a 3
to 4 percent response. If your objective is 50 new
inquiries, plan to print 1,100 to 1,250 brochures. These
projections may be revised depending on your overall
marketing budget and cost per copy.
In selecting a printer, ask to see several examples of
publications that are similar to yours. Always consult with
a printer on such things as use of color, paper, brochure
size, the style of type, and number of panels. If you plan
to mail your brochure, the weight of paper will affect
postage costs. Check with the post office in advance.
Consider the advantages of bright colors vs. earth tones,
glossy finish vs. matte, single panels vs. double size
foldout, and two color vs. four. Consider using different
colors of ink and paper if you are not printing a
four-color brochure. Paper sizes that are in the printer's
regular stock and standard formats save money. If you pick
an unusual size or design, you pay for cutting, folding,
and wasting paper. The more brochures printed, the less
cost per item.
After selecting the brochure format, ask the printer to put
together a dummy brochure. Get at least three written bids
from at least three different printers. Also get estimates
for alternatives: different paper, different quantities,
use of illustrations or photos, etc.
The written bids and the final printing contract should
specify:
- Delivery date.
- No printing or cost overruns. To avoid overcharges,
specify in writing the number of brochures as stated in the
bid proposal, not to exceed a set dollar amount. If the
printer has an overrun, you can make arrangements to
purchase or to reject the additional copies.
- Who has responsibility for layout, composition, and
pasteup? You will want to give the final approval on
layout. Remember changes get more expensive as the job
progresses--typesetting, camera-ready copy, and proofs.
- Whether you or the printer will keep all the artwork,
paste-ups, color separations, and photographs. You will
usually want to retain possession and have them returned to
you.
Distribution Plan
After the brochure is printed, it's critical to have a
distribution system in place to get them to the individuals
you intend. Keep track of the number of brochures that go
out in each promotional activity --inquiries, sport shows,
travel information centers, direct mail, etc. This detailed
information helps to build a solid evaluation program.
Evaluation begins with these kinds of questions: "how did
you find out about us?" and "where did you see our
brochure?" The inquiries can be made during telephone
conversations or when guests check-in. When you can link a
guest to a specific promotional activity, you can begin to
calculate costs per inquiry and costs per reservation for
each method. The Extension Bulletin "Evaluating Your
Tourism Advertising Campaign" offers specific evaluation
techniques. The results help you to fine tune the brochure
distribution system and to integrate the brochure into the
overall marketing plan.
Resources
The Minnesota Extension Service offers a brochure critique
service for businesses and communities in the Minnesota
tourism industry. If you want comments on the
effectiveness of an existing brochure as a marketing tool,
work through your local county extension agent or contact:
Bud Crewdson
Minnesota Extension Service
248 Classroom Office Building
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN 55108
(612) 625-3157
You will receive two brief forms to fill out and to return
with three copies of your brochure. Communication
professionals will review your brochure and send you a
written critique on its strengths and weaknesses, layout,
photos, graphic, copy, and concept. The critique takes
about six weeks and there is no charge.
The Tourism Center staff with the Minnesota Extension
Service offer ongoing educational programs and research for
the tourism industry on small business management and
community tourism development.
Small Business Development Centers (26 offices statewide)
and Area Vocational and Technical Institutes (34 AVTIs
statewide) throughout Minnesota may also provide
consultations or educational programs on small business
management skills:
Small Business Development Center State Office
College of St. Thomas Enterprise Center
1107 Hazeltine Boulevard, Suite 452
Chaska, MN 55318
(612) 448-8810
(800) 247-0864
AVTI Program Information Services
Capitol Square Building
550 Cedar Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
(612) 296-6481
(800) 652-9021
The Minnesota Office of Tourism makes duplicate slides
available free- of-charge to the tourism industry. To view
the thousand of slides in the library, set up an
appointment prior to your visit:
Photojournalist
Minnesota Office of Tourism
(612) 297-2209
(800) 625-9747
Excellent reference books on brochure development are
available at many libraries under the marketing or
advertising subject area.
Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in
agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30,
1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Patrick J. Borich, Dean and Director of
Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota, St.
Paul, Minnesota 551 08. The University of Minnesota,
including the Minnesota Extension Service, is committed to
the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its
programs, facilities, and employment without regard to
race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age,
veteran status, or sexual orientation.
Copyright 1987 by Minnesota Extension Service, University
of Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of these
materials may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any
language or computer language, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual
or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
Minnesota Extension Service, Distribution, Room 3 Coffey
Hall, 1420 Eckles Ave., University of Minnesota, St. Paul,
MN 55108.
CREDITS
Donald Breneman is an Extension communication specialist,
Educational Development S.ystems, University of Minnesota.
Barbara Koth is an assistant Extension specialist, Tourism
Development, University of Minnesota
Glenn Kreag is a tourism/recreation agent, Minnesota Sea
Grant Extension Program.
This folder is based on two previous Extension
publications: "Brochures to Boost Business," Thomas Mock,
1981; and "Planning Tourism Brochures," Donald Breneman,
1985, in Managing Small Resorts for Profit.
The authors gratefully acknowledge contributions from
Cheryl Offerman, Marcia Naber and Colleen Illg, Minnesota
Office of Tourism: and Karen Floss, Minnesota Sea Grant
Extension.
This information is for educational purposes only. References
to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU
Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise
a commercial product or company.
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