The print brochure is roaring back, experts at the big LERN conference say. The print brochure has a new and improved life in both lifelong learning and in the print catalog industry in general, report print catalog experts Paul Franklin and Julie Coates.
Franklin says more catalogs were mailed this year than last year, and the numbers are about even with the years prior to the great recession. Coates notes that in Canada, more Canadians trust print brochures than email messages.
And five or more years after some programs started to eliminate their print brochure, LERN has still not received ONE nomination for increased registrations without a print brochure. No program has even ventured to write a success story without a print brochure, while many others are moving back to the print brochure.
There’s been some changes with print brochures in the field of lifelong learning. Today print brochures are:
1. More targeted in distribution.
Perhaps the biggest change is that catalogs are being more targeted.
2. Online registration is a preferred ‘given.’
People receiving print catalogs still buy online. Most print brochures in the field of lifelong learning try to move people to online registration, and online registration has been going up year after year.
3. More color, more visuals
Many brochures are now four-color throughout. And there’s more communication, and more effective communication, with visuals. Testimonials have photos of the participant. Sections or categories have images. The Table of Contents page has a lot more visuals.
4. Less copy
Today the website is the place for tons of copy and everything-you-wanted-to-know. Print brochures often drive people to a web site for more info and to register online.
And that means less copy in the print brochure. What remains is the best marketing copy to engage the readers. A lot of the ‘nice’ copy is gone. The critical info is still there.
5. New media gets integrated
Digital brochures are now standard on most web sites. And new school media such as videos, social media, and QR codes are being integrated into the print brochure.
Look for the print catalog industry to keep testing, changing and refining the print catalog moving forward. Catalogs are likely to change, and lifelong learning brochures as well, with new technology, testing and the reality that Gen Y keeps growing as the biggest generational audience in the market.
