Making your brochure work
Most areas use a single “work-horse” unit—a brochure which contains every fact, figure and photograph they can locate. And from a practical point of view, smaller areas are restricted to this approach.
The work horse, of course, is a one-shot proposition. You throw the bait into the pond and wait for the skier to bite at your ticket window. The same unit can be used to service solicited and unsolicited written inquiries.
You might try a “qualifier piece,” which solicits response and a request for further information. One of the real advantages of the qualifier is the added reach you can achieve through using a less-expensive solicitation piece in larger volume. For those areas desiring to produce a good mailing list for direct mail advertising, specific merchandising needs or even market research purposes, the qualifier is a natural. You’ll be surprised at how many people don’t respond to your qualifier. But knowing how many inquiries convert to revenue should help you determine the effectiveness of this brochure as a medium.
Timing and distribution vital
Regardless of which approach you select, it is timing and distribution which influence the effectiveness of your brochure more than anything else. Even area operators often forget the time-lag between when a skier first thinks of visiting a resort and actually does. Distribution at ski shows in October and November is none too early, especially if your leaflet is a qualifier type. In fact, for destination areas, distribution to last year’s lists, travel agents and for special pre-season promotions, you should be “on the street” by August at least. This being so, planning should actually begin a year in advance, especially if you anticipate any special photographic needs. Further, if you have a summer clientele which might convert to winter revenues, it makes sense to have your winter-oriented literature available by early summer.
Shrewd distribution can deliver revenues. If you look outside your operation for help in distribution, be sure to use people who understand something of the idiosyncrasies of our industry. Western and Far-Western ski areas, for example, have had phenomenal luck in dealing with ski-oriented transportation companies.
Paying for the brochure doesn’t always have to be a one-man show either. Camelback in the Poconos of Pennsylvania produces an excellent booklet-type brochure but allows area businesses to participate. Camelback influences the content of these ads for continuity while the extra revenue enables the area to print in four-color throughout and enjoy a press-run larger than they could normally justify.
Another approach is to allow local businesses to place a stuffer in your own leaflet. If you can keep your total package under postage-weight limits you’ll offset some of your own production costs and the participating businesses will pick up the postage.
One way to control cost and allow for added distribution is to print in some combination other than the traditional four-color approach. One of the most effective, yet inexpensive, information pieces I’ve ever seen (to replace a four-color brochure) was produced on a small offset press and featured one ink, brown, and six different 4″ x 9″ pieces of differently colored textured stock. Each color was assigned to a different subject area. Ski school information and photos were brown on blue, rates went on beige, etc. Then, the six separate and distinctly different units were inserted into a 4¾″ x 9½″ envelope, itself in a distinctive colored, textured stock. The entire information package stood out from the crowd. It was snappy in appearance and contained plenty of information. It was a very creative work-horse which was also a self-mailer. And it was priced to fit a small budget.
To be sure, with this method (just as with four-color) you must carefully watch to determine what the total package will weigh when stuffed and ready to mail. Otherwise, your cost per unit can easily double because of postage—not four-color printing.
If you can’t tear yourself away from the idea of a four-color brochure, here are some points to consider: Your four-color leaflet is nearly worthless if the photographs you have to work with are of poor quality. If you can’t afford to hire a top photographer (who understands skiing) yourself, consider pooling his talent with local businesses who have need of similar visual material.
Next you need good photo separations. If your color separations are of poor quality, you’re much better off using black and white material.
Another way to justify the expense of four-color is to pay enough to get good color photos and separations and then, through multiple use, reduce the cost to a reasonable figure. Whereas the separations from the front panel of your leaflet might not be able to be used to produce a poster, there’s no reason why they can’t do double duty in an oversized postcard, in a special flyer or in a magazine advertisement. And, you can logically use the aerial view from the brochure to produce a trail map handout.
Finally, if you don’t have the knack for producing a brochure, don’t. Give it to a printer who is experienced in both designing and printing leaflets. And search carefully—your friendly local print shop may not be right for the job either.
