Sometimes outdated forms of marketing come back in style. Two examples are marketing brochures and podcasts. Why have these two traditional marketing materials made a comeback?
One reason brochures are going strong in the paperless digital world is that they are cost effective. Compared with other forms of marketing, brochures are a relatively budget-friendly option. Printing in bulk also helps reduce the unit cost of your brochures.
Another reason print marketing brochures are popular is that they contain a lot of information. Customers and potential customers can learn a lot about your company, products or services all by reading one simple brochure. Whereas digital marketing has strict character limits, brochures can contain a lot of information all in one convenient package.
Print brochures are also beneficial because they leave a lasting impression. Customers quickly scroll past your social media posts and online ads, but brochures are designed to endure. You cannot delete a brochure the way you can delete an email. This makes brochures more memorable than other forms of marketing and helps build trust for your brand among your core customers.
Starbucks has an effective online brochure. It is beautifully designed and showcases the iconic coffee brand’s products. You can learn more about the company’s food and beverages as you flip through the animated pages of the digital brochure.
Podcasts are popular in part because they fit into our busy lives. With the dominance of smartphones, you can take podcasts with you anywhere and listen to them anytime. This makes podcast listening to the perfect multitasking activity. Whether you are commuting home from work or cleaning up your apartment, you can make your task more enjoyable with a podcast.
Another element of podcasts’ popularity is that people love hearing stories. Scientists have found that hearing stories releases oxytocin in our brains, a neurochemical linked to happiness. There is a podcast for every personality type and passion, so people can easily find stories that spark their interest.
Podcasts also have a huge following because they are becoming more and more professional. The early days of podcasting were dominated by amateurs, but all of that has changed as millions of people consume podcasts every month. Some popular examples of highly produced professional podcasts include Serial, This American Life and StartUp. The quality of the shows is what drives listeners to return again and again. The intimacy of the medium also builds trust, as listeners grow attached to the podcast hosts.
One example of a popular branded podcast is The Message from GE. The science-fiction podcast was an eight-episode fiction series that featured cryptographers trying to decipher a message from an alien. The company’s podcast was downloaded millions of times and became the number one show on iTunes. It, of course, included GE products as important parts of the story.
Interested in developing your own marketing brochure or branded podcast? Get in touch with the experts at the Borenstein Group, a Top DC marketing agency. We can get started right away.
