i buy  for our store andi  have to have  real catalogs…..  i cant  deal with digital…..  maybe im the oddball….but i  look  thru,  come  back,  mark  stuff…show  it  around  to my  staff,  then  decide  what i want to order…. if  they drop the  catalog i probably  fall off  their  buyer list……….

and a huge   turn off  for me with  the  wholesale  companies… is  …im their customer, they have sold to me, they  have my email….and  they want me to   look at their   internet stuff….BUT…FIRST I HAVE TO  REGISTER..  thats  just   so  wrong…why  did they email me  in the first place…..they know im a  customer…i never do it….old  and  crankky,  ????  i guess…..  i didnt  grow up with digital….dont  give me any  uneccessary  hoops…. 

In my experience selling higher ticket items, informative, glossy paper brochures are a must.  While customers do come in and say the website brought them in, they almost always ask for a brochure before leaving.

To answer your three-part question; my opinion is that customers prefer a nice paper brochure over digital.  In regard to efficiency, well, digital is obviously more efficient.  As far as serving the purpose; they both do, however, I believe a nice hold-in-your-hand quality brochure has more of an impact in generating desire.

I am very old school but I am in favor of digital. Green speaks volumes for most people and they can print it out themselves if they wish. It’s also very convenient to zoom in on a certain page as necessary to get a better picture of the product and/or quality. You also always know where to find the brochure/catalog when the time comes to look at it again.

@krmcgee

Hi I tried to click on the company link but for some reason i can;t access your website. I have noticed that you named it reverse engineering. I am not sure about what that means but the name makes me feel curious. So usually if you are attracting someone through the name you need to continue the process: Continuing the process can never be with a sticker. I personally would have thrown that sticker away. I have much more important things to think about and to deal with then a sticker – so what am trying to say is you have a good name as a starting point. the second step will be attracting the potential clients further by giving them something memorable, your business card should be as exciting as the name, your website experience should follow the same pace and slightly more to always push to the next level which is “Generate Sales”. You can go green and save the nature but you can never underestimate the potential clients expectations especially the savvy clients.

@krmcgee

I tried to click on the company website link but it is not directing me anywhere. send me the right address to inquiry@eddysleiman.com
What I am trying to say is that you need a full communication strategy that will allow you to proactively prepare your communication materials which usually starts with a business card. Yes it is true that we are in the digital world but still a business card that is a bit different can make a difference and you will have plenty of time to do your follow and make sure that your data are digitally recorded or listed on the client’s database by sending them an email as part building the relationship process.

Most businesses underestimate the importance of the creative approach and they perceive it waste of money. Trust me it is not. I will reply your email and you will see my digital signature how iconic it is and how memorable is to any person who receives it. I have tied myself to an icon that represents me, my character, my behavior, how ethical i am, etc and you should do the same. Your business should be a reflection of who you are so you can passionately take it to the next level…Please let me know if this was of any help and of course am ready for any further information you need.
Good Luck!

@trudyd1474

Thank you for the generous feedback. Paper distribution is not only for those who are not very advanced in using the Information technology. It is more about having something dimensional to look at something that you would really enjoy carrying it around at your convenience ex you can read a print out if you are in your garden, walking in a plantation field, sitting in a park and getting inspired etc

Am not saying digital is wrong but everything is becoming digital and it is nice to break this tech wave by something that would make you feel that you still belong to the planet earth and not to start wars if you know what i mean.

But of course I do respect your preference.

@danielmckean

We are absolutely on the same page Daniel. The client or teh decision makers in that prospect should listen and take seriously into consideration the advice of the marketers if they really care about communication their brand / service to the right audience.

The platforms and mediums will of course vary from a product to another and from a consumer to another we all know that we all have different tastes and interests.

The communication strategy’s role is to define those elements and then the efficient implementation and execution of that specific strategy is what will shape the real prospect of the business.

Cheers!

@danielmckean

Precious words Daniel. I was addressing the core and ended up passionate in expressing myself…I dream communication and branding

We both know that marketers tends to be looked at as the people who spend the money but this is definitely not me. I am very much a result oriented person and every penny to be spent should be aligned with a detailed monitoring process to ensure that ROI is being achieved otherwise I would immediate measures to divert the remainder of that budget into a Plan B.
Bottom line is always what you will be blamed for or rewarded at and the balance as you said is what will make the ultimate success…but allow me to say that if it was an overwhelming success it is good for the marketer to have an extra percentage on his / her annual budget to go wildly creative :- just once in a while. All the best I really enjoyed this conversation let me know if you are ever in London, would love to meet you in person.Eddy

@elanawinfrey

The budget would be a concern here. These decision can’t be for granted. What we are trying to address is the importance of really knowing your audience and how carefully your communication strategy should be crafted to reach this audience and acquire new market share.

EX: if you budget for a flash designer and developer and then you need the input of the initial creative director who has created your corporate identity and your VIG then this is all extra money while your audience might simply not like it. and the same applies on the print. So it is not really about having it all to make sure we please everyone on your own expense, but more about knowing what you need and what your audience expect and produce accordingly. 

@amyhallbiz

I am also an environmentalist and an active member in many go green and sustainable living organisations but I am good at balancing between both. What do i mean with balancing?

1- Use recyclable material when printing.2- Define whether your audience would be expecting a print or digital. It is not about what you want in your business it is about what you want and what your audience expect. If you have no audience you have no business.3- You can always join the groups who plant trees and you will feel great planting instead of cutting

Please let me know if the above is constructive or if you disagree with it. 

All the best!Eddy

@eddysleiman  I’m lucky, I’m a webmaster so I work on the web. I think it would be odd if I had a paper brochure. I have recently added QR codes to my business cards so that people can go directly to my website from my business card.

@elanawinfrey

On the right track Elana. My only comment is that when your product is a high end product then you would need to go for a top quality graphics and print. So we are talking offset printing and not digital. Offset printing is always more expensive and therefore the biggest the quantity the better the price. But as long as you are not targeting that segment you will be doing great. All the best!