Need Ideas for Measuring the Results of Brochure Placements

Hi! I haven't visited in awhile - really like the new forum!

My question is regarding measuring the results of a promotional campaign when you have a limited budget for printing.

Here is the scenario...

Full-color brochures are to be used in this vacation activity promotion, and they are to be placed in various locations thoughout the state (welcome centers, rest stops, hotel lobby racks, etc.) and also used in different ways (rack cards, direct mail, inserts, etc.).

We want to measure the results of the various locations where the brochure will be placed/distributed but we can only print one run. Therefore, we can't use promotion codes or anything that requires more than one version of the brochure.

Using different paper is one idea if we were including a coupon with the brochure but a coupon is not planned at this time. What usually happens is the person picks up the brochure and then calls or comes by.

The person usually gets the brochure on the way to their vacation spot, so they don't have a chance to visit the website. It's a spontaneous decision to do the activity.

We know we could ask "how did you hear about us" or "where did you pick up our brochure?"

What other ways are there to measure the response rates of the various locations that the brochure will be placed? We are stumped beyond what's mentioned above. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Business Development Coach Dianne
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In the brochure...give prospects a REASON to call a "Recorded Message".

Set up a with a Voice Mail service that will give you a Toll-Free number and... EXTENSIONS.

Then...give callers a REASON to leave their Name & Address or phone #.

Then you can have "Ext 123" for "Location 1"...."Ext 124" for "Location 2"... etc....so you can tell where the calls are coming from.

I do this with Ads...where each ad has a different extension # so I can easily tell which Ad is pulling the best.

Don Alm
The NEW "Midas Report".
25 Unique Ways to Make Money from Home
http://www.donalm.com

[GordonJ]

Hi Dianne,

I had a similar problem. Went to the rubber stamp store (Key shop in many areas) and got a stamp.

Had the kids stamp the brouchures. We used the one where each time you stamped it rolled over or you could set it to print one date/code/6 digit number....

I'd have one made up that said something like AUTHORIZATION CODE or something like that.

There are about a million and one stamp places online. Something like this one:

http://www.1stopsquare.com/automatic.html

If you don't have any kids in the house or neighborhood, consider using your local WORKSHOP for Mentally Retarded or Developmentally Disabled....they do great work at very affordable prices.

Some places might use 100 brochures, others 10. A stamp will tell you where they were located.

Good luck and thanks for stopping by.

Gordon

Hi Dianne:

Actually a very simple solution is available.

You said only one print run and that is okay......the printer can sequentially number each piece even though it is only one run....if your printer can't then find a different one who can. It is just the same as printing tickets for a lottery or draw.... the number advances by 1 for each ticket- so it would be for each brochure printed.

When you provide a batch of them to a location or purpose (such as direct mail) you simply record the number sequences assigned to that location or purpose.

When the brochure comes back in you know exactly where it came from.

The easiest way is to box a small area that includes the sequential number and in the box offer them a simple but mouth watering incentive to contact you to get the incentive using the sequential number for authorization to receive it.

By entering your number sequences in a database you can quickly track and build stats for the promotion. (you might need to get a developer to write a small program for this, but it won't take much, and should be able to get it done for less than a hundred dollars on rentacoder....other option is if you are close to a college or university to contact the computer sciences faculty and see if they have any advanced students that would be capable of doing it, and paying the student to do the script)

The only complicated part to this is accurately recording the number sequences and where they went to.

Cornell

Thank you to everyone for all the ideas! Within these gems is a great solution to the problem.

Being able to measure results is so important...and often set aside when an easy way to do it can't be identified. Can't thank you enough for taking the time to share your idea.

Much appreciated!

Take care,
Business Development Coach Dianne