Leaflet Distribution

Corporate Communications

This section is without doubt one of the most important on this website, and may well be a great insight to many Corporate Communication Managers who are charged with organising public information publications.

County Council Publications

Councils by law now have to produce and distribute communication material to inform the general public of County Council policy and schemes.

These County Council Publications are produced by all County Councils and are distributed every *** months.

However, many of these publications, which should go to every household in the area, are being distributed using normal leaflet distribution methods, which as we have said is a mass marketing method, not a method which offers 100% penetration, but does offer distribution at very low rates, especially as these publications are multi page A4 publications.

The Corporate Communication Managers that are charged with these distributions to be frank are using a tool that is not designed for this job, and issues arise when 100% penetration is not achieved.

These Distributions are often carried out using this method due to financial restrictions, or on the advice of advertising agency's and print industry middlemen, but very often these people will not take the blame when distributions are not as hoped.

Utility and Public Sector Communications

What Should Councils Expect To Pay ?

• firstly, leaflet distribution offers a penetration level around 70-80% penetration, not 100% as hoped.
• secondly, Council publications are multi page A4 publications, far heavier than the normal single side A5 leaflet that is often used, quite often 64 times the paper volume and weight.
• third, this process should not be down to cost, but is a public service, not a chance for a middleman to make easy money.

You should explain your needs and also explain that you are prepared to pay the correct rate for your specific needs.

Leaflet Distribution is not the virtually free service that many people seem to believe, why do Corporate Communication Managers expect to have their media delivered for around 4p per item when if posted it would be around 50p as a absolute minimum.

Distributors need to visit every house, do you really think that can be achieved with a multi page publication for just 4p per household ?

Perhaps the printer or middleman has said it is possible, but I can guarantee, his company is not doing the distribution, and that he will be making a healthy profit on it.

Councils should be paying around £100 per thousand for a typical 32page A4 Council Publication.

Anything less, then I would suggest they are not carrying out correct care of duty.

Do Not Entrust Print Managers To Organise Your Distribution, often they will make more profit on the distribution that the distribution company itself.