Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33729801
06/06/02
Marketing Your Community Park and Recreation Recreation Resources: Developing Brochures
E1931
by Maureen H. McDonough and Gary Ackert
Department of Park and Recreation Resources
Michigan State University
Cooperative Extension Service
Whether you are the director of a nature center, a
recreation programmer at a local community center or
involved in community tourism development you need to
promote your organization to attract visitors, users and
customers. Promotion can also help you build clientele
and generate financial support.
While there are several tools to use in promotion, many
groups choose to create a brochure. Some people think it
is easy to "throw together" a simple brochure, but when
they try to make one, they find out it is not. Others
choose to turn the task over to an outside group of
professionals to do it for them. The first approach often
leads to disaster while the second may not produce the
best brochure for you.
Good brochures can be created by anyone, if some basic
principles are understood and followed. This bulletin
will help you understand these principles and get you
started on the road to designing a great brochure.
The Pros and Cons of Using Brochures
Before you get started, ask yourself a very important
question. Is a brochure the best tool for you to use to
accomplish your objectives?
Brochures have certain advantages:
1. They are a "mobile" form of communication. People take
them home and show them to others. This mobility also
allows them to have a long term effect unavailable
through other media.
2. Brochures often get into the word-of-mouth information
system and are passed to others from the person who
originally picked them up.
3. Brochures have souvenir value. They communicate long
after any personal contact is over.
4. Brochures allow you to contact more people for less
money than one-to-one communication.
5. You can develop a series of brochures that allow you
to target a wide range of audiences.
These advantages make brochures useful in certain
situations. You might consider using a brochure when you
want to create a general image of yourself or if you need
to reach a widespread audience with a general message.
Brochures are useful when you cannot have personal
contact with people or as a follow-up to personal
contact. You might use one when you want people to have
something to remember their visit or to pass on to
friends and acquaintances. Finally, they can be useful
when you need to pass on reference information that
people will need such as a map or dates and times.
Brochures may not always be the best choice, however.
1.If not distributed carefully, they can wind up in racks
with other similar brochures. The chances of someone
picking up your brochure decreases in these situations.
2.Brochures often reach a very limited audience who
actually read them even if they are widely distributed.
People tend to use informal sources of information to
make decisions and these informal sources are usually
someone that is perceived as credible. Brochures alone,
therefore, may not persuade someone to visit you.
3.Brochures are impersonal. They do not allow the reader
to ask questions.
4.Brochures must be targeted at specific audiences to be
effective. This takes good planning. The audience you are
trying to reach may not use brochures to get information.
5.Brochures are overused and the public has become
oblivious to them in many situations.
It is important to carefully consider all pros and cons
before you invest in a brochure. Once you decide that
brochures are the best tool for you, however, there are
ways that you can make them great and overcome some of
the handicaps associated with them, The rest of this
bulletin is devoted to helping you do just that.
Step I - Consider the Audience
The first step in developing a good brochure is to think
about who you are trying to reach. To communicate
effectively with those people or your audience, you need
to understand their needs and interests. These needs and
interests are based on many factors including age, sex,
place of residence, and level of familiarity with your
service, facility or product.
But, in addition to knowing demographic characteristics
of people such as you might find in the census, it is
important to understand what those characteristics mean
in terms of people's interests and what they need to
know. For example, if you are trying to reach urban
families, it is not enough to know how many urban
families there are and where they live. You must also
know what urban families like to do, what appeals to
them, and what they find entertaining and humorous.
Another important piece of information you need to know
is how your audience gets their information. Different
audiences get information from different sources. Not
only will this be important to you in determining whether
to use a brochure, but it will be critical in determining
where and how you will distribute your brochure. If urban
families do not get information from information centers,
then you would not want to distribute your brochure there
to reach this audience.
Step 2 - Setting Your Purposes and Objectives
Now that you have decided who your audience is and the
best way to reach them, it is time to set purposes and
objectives for your brochure. To create an effective
brochure, the purposes and objectives for the brochure
must be clear and concise. The purposes and objectives
become both guidelines for developing the brochure and
the measuring stick by which you see if the brochure has
done its job.
Objectives are what you want to accomplish with your
brochure, so they need to be very specific. Objectives
are statements of what you want to have happen once you
have made and distributed this brochure. Clear, concise
objectives will help you evaluate the effectiveness of
your brochure.
Step 3 - Deciding on a Distribution System
Decide how to distribute your brochure BEFORE you start
to design it. The requirements of your distribution
system will often dictate the size and shape of the
brochure. For example, a brochure for a travel
information center rack must be a certain size. Once you
determine where and how to distribute your brochure, be
sure to determine if there are specific requirements for
your outlets.
When deciding on how you want to distribute your
brochure, it is important to know how and where your
audience gets information. Traditionally, people have
distributed their brochures in information centers and
travel agencies. However, many people get their
information from word-of-mouth or from more informational
sources. Friends and gas station attendants are examples
of these sources. Make use of these sources. Be creative
in deciding where and how you want to distribute your
brochures to take advantage of these sources.
For example, your organization has an event scheduled
that you want to promote with a brochure. You can pass
them out by hand in the various shopping malls and the
business districts of your area. Contact local newspapers
and arrange to have your brochure used as inserts. Send
it home with visitors as a souvenir of their trip. Then
they will show the brochure to friends and relatives, and
extend your range of promotion. They will also have your
brochure when they plan their next trip or vacation. In
this way, brochures can be good for developing repeat
clientele. These are only a few suggestions of ways to
distribute your brochure. Use your imagination to devise
additional methods.
Step 4 - Developing Your Theme
Writing a brochure is like telling a story. just as a
story has a theme that ties all its different parts
together, so a brochure needs to have a theme that ties
all of its different parts together. The theme of your
brochure is the same as the main point that you have
decided to tell people. Another way to think about themes
is to think about your product. What is it you are trying
to sell via your brochure? Your product is your theme!
All text, photographs, or drawings should relate directly
to your theme. Otherwise, you will be presenting more
than one idea. This makes your brochure confusing and
hard to follow.
Let's go back to the previous examples. Themes could be
developed directly from purpose.
Step 5 - Developing Your Message
Once you have decided on your theme, the next step is to
develop the actual content of your brochure. Develop your
message around your theme and get the point across in a
clear and understandable way. This section deals with the
principles that need to be followed to help you do this.
Principle I - Keep It Short
Remember that long-winded teacher you once had in school?
That teacher would talk all period long when the main
point of the lecture could be condensed into five
minutes! That was boring! Well, your brochure could end
up like that teacher unless you keep it short and to the
point.
Many people try to jam as much information as possible
into one brochure. It is a common belief that this tactic
is cost-effective. It isn't if the brochure isn't read,
however! The point of the brochure may be missed or the
reader may become so bored that it is thrown away. Either
way, the brochure is ineffective and money and time hive
been wasted putting it together.
There are three things that can be done to avoid this
problem. Limit your information to that which is
absolutely necessary to get your story across. Remember,
the most important thing to get across is your theme.
Decide on which points clearly communicate your theme and
limit the information to these points only. For example,
you decide to do a brochure on the winter birds found in
your area. The theme is "What our wintertime visitors
eat." Limit the brochure to the types of food eaten by
winter birds that visit your area. References to any
other birds or other kinds of food eaten by birds would
be inappropriate for the brochure.
The second thing that you can do to help keep your
brochure brief is to avoid filling it up completely with
text or pictures. This is a common problem. Do not be
afraid to leave blank areas, or white space. By leaving
white space the brochure looks less crowded, is more
attractive, and it is easier for the reader to focus on
the material presented.
The third thing that you can do is use short simple
sentences. People will be able to better understand it
and will be able to read it faster. After all, which of
the following would you rather read?
People prefer to visually interpret sets of important,
informative, and thought provoking ideas in diminutive
blocs of unadorned, latitudinal rows of type-written
terminology.
OR
People like to read messages that are short, simple, and
to the point.
Principle 2 - KISS IT!
We do not mean that you should actually kiss your
brochure. KISS means "Keep It Super Simple." That means
that the brochure needs to be brief and also simple to
read and easy to understand. For example, by using short
simple sentences you keep the brochure brief and simple
to read.
Another problem is clutter. Clutter is defined as
cramming so much unrelated material into your brochure
that there are no empty spots left. Limiting your
information and leaving white space reduces the problem
of clutter.
One problem that is not solved by keeping it brief,
however, is the problem of jargon. Many times, when
people put together a brochure, they use a lot of
terminology used by people in the same business, but
which may be confusing to the public. Avoid using jargon
AT ALL COSTS! if you cannot avoid it, be sure to explain
what the terms mean.
Which of the following is easier to understand and read?
Use f8 at 1/30
OR
Set your camera's f-stop at f8 and its shutter speed dial
at 30.
Principle 3 - Legibility/Readability
Making your brochure readable is as important as making
it brief and simple to understand. One very important
consideration is spacing. Try to keep your margins and
the spacing between your pictures and text as consistent
as possible. People's attention will be drawn to the
areas where there are inconsistencies and they may miss
important information.
The lettering or type style you choose also influences
the readability of your brochure. Use both lower and
upper case type. People are used to reading a mixture of
lower and upper case type in books and magazines. Avoid
using flowery or ornamental styles of type. These can be
very difficult to read. The style that is most often used
and recommended is the Roman face style of type.
Type size is just as important as type style. Do not make
it too small or too large because it will be harder to
read. The sizes that are most often used are 10 point or
12 point type. Check with your local printer or
typesetter for examples of different sizes. One final
word on type: be consistent in the size and style you
choose to use.
Be careful when choosing paper. Avoid glossy or shiny
paper because they tend to reflect light which makes them
hard to read. Bright colors also should be avoided.
Colors such as bright red or bright yellow make it hard
to concentrate on what you are reading.
Finally, carefully select ink colors. Certain ink colors
are difficult to read, especially in combination with a
clashing paper color. Try out any unusual combinations to
test their legibility BEFORE you make final decisions.
Principle 4 - Unity
"United We Stand - Divided We Fall" is one of the most
famous sayings of all time. It especially applies to
brochures. Each brochure needs to have one unifying theme
that is carried throughout the brochure.
All the different parts of your brochure need to be tied
or united with your brochure theme. For example, your
community is putting on a community pride week. The theme
is "Central City Is Your Kind Of Town." All information
to be used in the brochure must deal with why "Central
City Is Your Kind Of Town." What is so special about
Central City? What does it have to offer that other
cities in the area do not? All information should be city
oriented. The message is not oriented to an individual
business or service unless it is an example of your
theme.
Principle 5 - Flow
Have you ever been lost in an unfamiliar city or state?
The same thing can happen to someone with a brochure that
does not flow smoothly. Flow is the ease with which the
information moves from point to point and section to
section in an orderly and logical manner.
Brochure layout can influence the flow of the
information. You need to be very careful about arranging
the information to insure proper flow. One way to do this
is to make sure that your information is arranged from
left to right and from top to bottom, just like a book.
Principle 6 - Attention Getters
One of the most frustrating things in life is to try to
talk to someone who is ignoring you. Getting a person's
attention and keeping it is the most important part of
communication. This is especially true of a one-way form
of communication like brochures. The reader cannot ask
questions or interact with the brochure as they could
with another person. Because of this limitation, it is
extremely important that your brochure is able to get and
hold someone's attention. This is why your brochure needs
to have some strong attention getters like humor, color,
catchy phrases, and unique photos or drawings and
questions.
The most important place for a strong attention getter is
on the front cover. The front cover of your brochure
serves three very important functions:
1) It is the initial point of attraction.
2) It identifies you to the reader.
3) It gives the theme of your brochure to the reader.
Since it is the initial point of attraction, your cover
needs to be creative and attractive. If people do not
like it, they are not going to pick it up and read it.
Put your strongest attention getter on the front cover.
The cover should also identify who you are. A person
should not have to read the entire brochure to find out
who is producing it. Through your attention getter and
your identification, your reader should have some idea of
the services you provide.
Finally, your front cover needs to give the reader an
idea of what the rest of your brochure is about. This
will help your readers decide from the beginning if they
want to read the rest of it.
For example, you may run a charter boat service. You
decide on a theme of "We work hard so you don't have to."
The front cover might look like this:
1) Attention getter Working Hard For You. Working Hard in
bold-faced print.
2) A picture showing your people at work with customers.
3) The name of your service.
You can also use attention getters throughout the
brochure to keep the reader's attention. There are many
things that can be used to get attention. Which one you
choose will depend on the topic of your brochure and on
your personal preference. The most commonly used
attention getters are catchy phrases, questions, and
appealing pictures.
Catchy phrases and/or questions are good for raising
people's curiosity or for getting them to picture
themselves participating in the activity, They need to be
very positive, suggestive, and activity-oriented.
You want to use these kinds of phrases or questions to
make people think "I want to try this" or "Let's go there
for our next trip or vacation." These kinds of phrases or
questions are used in commercials and ads all the time.
An example would be something like this: Canoe the fast
lane: Ail Sable River! An example of a question might be:
"Looking for a relaxing weekend get away? Lake Of The
Four Hills, What relaxation is really all about!"
Whenever possible, make your phrases or questions
personal. Use words such as "you" or "yours." Aim these
phrases or questions at specific needs of your audience.
This will help them see that you can help fill their need
and give them added incentive to try your service. A good
way to build action into your phrasing or questions is to
use active words so that people can imagine what you are
telling them about (energetic paddling, heart pounding
experience, a tranquil afternoon).
An appealing picture can make your reader feel a part of
the activity. These kinds of pictures need to show the
activity close-up, with people taking part. Be careful
not to use items in your pictures that could date them.
Do not use things that will change with the styles of the
day or that soon might be obsolete.
Step 6 - Format
Your brochure's shape, size, and general style, make up
its format. It is the layout of your information. It
influences the flow of your information. It will how
brief, simple, and readable it will be. Basically, every
step and principle that has been described so fir either
is influenced by, or has an influence on, your brochure's
format. In short, format is your brochure.
There are five points to consider when deciding on your
format: size, shape, paper color, paper type, and
folding.
A brochure's size is influenced by the amount of
information that needs to be communicated and its
purpose. The effect of the amount of information is
fairly obvious. The more you need to communicate, the
larger your brochure will be. To keep your brochure as
brief, as simple, and as readable as possible, it is
absolutely necessary to keep the amount of information to
a minimum. The size of your brochure then will be as
small as possible. This is necessary because it is easier
to use and read a brochure that is not so big that it
takes two people to use it. The use of the brochure also
has an affect on its size. If you are sending it home
with visitors, then your brochure can be fairly large. If
people are going to carry it with them, you may want it
to be pocket-sized.
When considering the shape of your brochure, try to be as
creative as possible within your limitations. If it has
to fit into someone's pocket there is not a lot you can
do with it. If you do not have any limitations such as
this, then be creative. Try to make it look like the
topic of the brochure. For example, if you were doing a
brochure on birds, you could shape your brochure like a
bird house or a bag of bird seed.
Paper color and type are important. Pick colors that
relate to your theme but avoid dark colors. Make sure the
paper is heavy enough to stand up to the abuse it will
receive at its place of distribution. For example, if
your brochure is outside, it will have to withstand the
weather.
Finally folding is an important consideration. Using too
many folds can break up the flow of your information and
make it very difficult for people to read it. The most
common way to fold a brochure is to fold it into thirds,
creating a six panel brochure. However, be creative in
your folding. Try out different styles of folding and
then pick the one you think is best. Look at other
brochures for ideas or ask your printer for examples.
Publication Tips
Now you know what you want to say and what you want your
brochure to look like. But you are not finished! You
still need to get it printed. Here are a few ideas to
help.
1) Set your cost and time limits.
2) Talk to several printers to get your best written
price estimate.
3) Check on type setting and paper cost.
4) Keep in constant contact with your printer throughout
the printing process to:
- oversee the production of your layout.
- make decisions covering the selection of the pictures
and art work to be used.
- keep up with any necessary changes or revisions that
need to be made.
- organize and schedule printing time.
Remember, this is YOUR brochure! Investing time in the
production process will assure that your brochure comes
out as you want it.
Resources in the Community
Unless you have lots of experience producing brochures,
you will probably need some help in developing your final
product. Here is a list of resources that you can go to
get help:
1) A local graphic designer.
2) A local printer.
3) A local University or college.
4) Other organizations with brochures already in print.
5) A local library for books on how to make brochures.
6) Local high school graphics classes.
7) Newspapers.
8) Industries with graphic departments that may donate
time and assistance.
9) Art stores
Conclusion
If you have learned nothing else from this bulletin,
remember this: your brochure represents YOU! Make it good
and make it count! Remember a good brochure is:
1) Audience targeted.
2) Has clearly stated goals and objectives.
3) Distributed where your audience will get it.
4) Theme oriented.
5) Brief
6) Simple
7) Readable
8) United in purpose and content
9) Flows easily,
10) Has a well thought-out format
Finally, if you do not oversee the production of your
brochure, and it does not turn out like you wanted, you
are responsible. Therefore, get involved with the
production of your brochure front the word GO. Remember,
your image is worth it. Good Luck!
Other Sources of Information
Levine, Mindy M., and Susan Frank, 1984. In Print.
Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
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
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