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February 2009
Answering Brochure
Distribution Questions
You Never Thought to Ask
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Little Boxes Please remind your printer to band your brochures in bundles. Paper bands or rubber bands are fine. No plastic wrap. Brochures in a bundle should face the same direction. The maximum weight of each box should not exceed 40 pounds. The side of the box should be marked with your name and the quantity of brochures inside.
THANK YOU!
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How Many Brochures
Do I Need?
(back by popular demand from last month's newsletter)
How I wish there was a simple answer. Wouldn't it be great if I could take your zip code times your age and divide by number of employees?
However, the answer
is really based on requested regions, thickness of your brochures, popularity of your business, attractiveness of your brochure and if lodging staff are promoting you.
For rough estimates of quantities needed for your initial delivery, and resupply numbers, visit our Website.
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Info Booth, Rest Stop, Visitors Ctr. So many names for the same place. PP&D is currently putting together a report describing the ones in our region and focusing on how they handle Brochure Distribution.
Here are a few. Please let me know what we are forgetting:
VT State Info Centers:
(see article to bottom- right)
Alburg Welcome Ctr.
Rt 89 Georgia No.Bound
Rt 89 Georgia So.Bound
Rt 89 Williston So.Bound
Rt 89 Williston No.Bound
Montpelier State Info Ctr
Rt 89 Sharon No. Bound
Rt 4 - Fair Haven Wel. Ctr
Rt 91 Guilford Wel. Ctr
Rt 91 Newport
Rt 91 Bradford
Vermont:
- State St -Montpelier City -
Info Booth (PPD Br)
- Rt 100 Waterbury Ctr
Info Booth (PPD Br)
- Newport Info Booth
- Quechee Gorge Info Ctr
- Woodstock Info Ctr
- Woodstock Info Booth
- Swanton Info Booth
- Morrisville/ Lamoillle Co. Info Booth
- Jeffersonville Info Booth
- Rt 7 Rutland Info Booth
- Burl. Airport Info Desk
- Lk Ch. Chamber Info Ctr.
- Stowe Area As. Info Ctr
- Mad River Chamb. Info Ctr
- Vergennes Info Booth
- St. Johnsbury Info Center
- Randolph Info Booth
- Ludlow Chamber Info Ctr.
- Wells River Info Center
New York:
- Crown Point Info Ctr
- Warrensburg, Info Ctr
- Hague Info Booth
- Ticonderoga Rotary & Rt 74 Info Booths
- Plattsbugh Chamber
- Wilmington, NY Info Center
- Lake Placid Visitor's Center
- Whiteface Visitor's Center
- Willsboro Info Center
- Pottersville Info Center
Detailed Information will be available soon at PPDBrochure.com
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And Another Word From Another Customer: PP&D Brochure Distribution does an exceptional job of stocking, product distribution and fulfilling our rack cards. A very important and often minimized job; brochure distribution.
- Burr Morse, Morse Farm, Montpelier
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The
Vermont Travel Industry Conference is April 8 & 9 in Manchester, VT. As Vice Chair
and Silver Sponsor I invite you to participate as an exhibitor or
sponsor. Meet with fellow tourism professionals and learn what is happening in our industry. VTIC website for more details.
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Greetings!
For most of our clients contract season is here (Winter businesses; stop reading. Save this e-mail until the Fall). In this newsletter I will address the questions we hear most frequently asked from customers. You will also find info on other distribution networks that may interest you.
All our clients were sent (by e-mail and by post) a proposed contract based on last year's distribution, along with our new promotional info. Please let me know if you did not receive this vital communication.
For new clients, just let me know what regions and months interest you and we will be very happy to draft a proposed contract for your review.
As always, I welcome any feedback, questions, comments or praise. You can contact me at Bill@ppdbrochure.com or to hear my real voice call 802-862-4366.
Think Snow,
Bill Orleans
Owner, PP&D
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And a Word From a Customer: ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center has been utilizing the PP&D since its opening in 2003. Brochures have proven the ideal presentation format of our attraction. In 2006, we expanded our distribution and tested a discount coupon in the brochure. The results were extraordinary; it jumped to our #1 coupon. And there's no doubt that our attendance increase of 23% was due in part to the all-important brochure component of the overall marketing campaign.
- Steven Leibman, Director of Marketing and Communications, ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center.
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Question and Answer Time at PP&D
How does PP&D decide what to charge?
We charge monthly fees per region, based on the amount of
locations visited, displays owned, and time needed. We also
have additional fees for very thick brochures and magazines (2x brochure monthly rate) because they are so much more labor intensive.
Do you give discounts to non-profits?
No, sorry. More than 75% of our clients are non-profits. We do give 10% discounts for 12-month contracts, multi-region discounts and a 5% discount for having a PP&D Brochure display at your location.
What is the $30 Service Fee for?
We charge a service fee because PP&D does much more than simple brochure distribution to hotels and motels. As part of our service we've filled hundreds of orders for conferences, conventions, weddings, recruiters, realtors, festivals and fairs. If you are registered with the Vermont Info Center/Rest Stop Program we provide bulk orders to their warehouse at Maxham Warehousing. We also offer brochures to many Chambers, The Information Gallery and the Lake Champlain Ferry. This fee also covers free pick ups of three boxes or less.
What is the difference between a PP&D location and a serviced location?
We would love to place a custom made PP&D Brochure Display at all locations. Unfortunately some people do not want one (Can you imagine that?). They may have an old rack grandpa built or some crappy plastic thing they bought on-line. Unlike other distributors we believe it is still important to offer these establishments your brochures.
Can you guarantee we'll be in all locations?
Unfortunately the owners/managers of display locations have the last word. Some
hotels with restaurants do not want any other restaurants. Some ski
resort lodges won't take brochures from other Mountains. We could force them to take your brochure, but we've found that these unwanted brochures just mysteriously disappear from the display as our van pulls away from their driveway. I think these manager's decisions are very short sighted - but they don't allow me to make all the rules.
We are a VAA member. Are we in enough locations and is there an overlap?
VAA is the Vermont Attractions Association, a membership organization of 70 of Vermont's attractions. Thirteen years ago I helped create their cross marketing member-to-member distribution program. Each member has a display that includes everyone's brochure. Details can be found on our website. I offer a 5% discount to VAA members because there is an overlap at some locations. But it is important to remember this program does not bring your brochure to any hotels, motels, inns, restaurants, non-VAA attractions or retail establishments.
How many brochures do we need? - See Upper Left Side Bar or visit our website
Why can't you deliver to the Vermont Highway Rest Stops?
We could, but since the required Vermont registration fee includes their delivery program as part of your charge, you would have to pay twice for that service. We do deliver client brochures to Maxham, the Vermont Warehouse in Worcester. We have also been known to deliver to a few rest stops on occasion. See article below for latest Rest Stop Info or Visit Vermont's Info Center Website
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Who Was That Brochure Distributor?
We rely on a great staff to keep your brochures fully stocked in all our displays. Joining Denise Bergman, Jerry Newton, James Plantier and Pat Blow (visit Team PP&D to  connect those names to a face) are our two newest service reps; Paul Hamilton (right)and Mo Hebert (left). Paul is a recent Saint Mikes graduate who is enjoying learning Vermont's  roads. He'll be covering Montpelier, Burlington, the Upper Valley, and New Hampshire. Mo lives in Vergennes. He'll be filling our displays in the Northeast Kingdom, Jay, Middlebury, Stowe & Waitsfield
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Overlapping Brochure Distributors
What is a Budget Conscious Business to do?
Oh, this is a delicate article to write. How does Sales School 101 tell you to discuss the competition? First, it is very important to be sure you are comparing apples to apples and where those apples are being delivered.
If I were you, I would be very hesitant to work with any distributor who won't provide a recent list of locations visited, the racks they own and how often they visit them. Don't be afraid to go and visit these locations. You should also ask for a list of current clients and references.
Unfortunately, all brochure distributors do not have the same regional divisions. For example, we may place Rutland and Killington in one region and another company may put Killington and Ludlow together. Keep this in mind when comparing lists. Also, we feel we do the best job in the Ticonderoga, Schroon Lake NY region, but we don't go to Lake George. If you are in Lake George with another company you may get Ticonderoga free. But are you getting the best possible distribution?
Sometimes two distributors have displays at different locations in the same region (they do not overlap). Since you understand how successful brochure distribution is, you might want to hire both companies. Is this really any different than advertising in two newspapers or radio stations in the same market?
I are so confident in our service that I have listed some of our competitors on the PP&D website for your review.
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What's New at VT Welcome and Information Centers
- Special guest contributor Cindy Roberts As
most of you are aware now through the media and chatter, due to budget
restrictions we have closed four of our welcome and information
centers statewide. In February, the following sites were closed or are
closing: Highgate, Randolph North, Sharon South and Hartford North.
This is with deep regret and we still stand beside each and every
business to support, promote and direct traffic to your place of
business.. Credits are being issued to all businesses appropriate for
the February, March, April term for brochure placement that was paid
for and not received because the buildings were closed. When you sign
back up again May 1, your credit will be reflected at that point on
your new invoice for 2009/2010. We welcome your input and if you have
any questions about brochure placement, inventory, or anything to do
with the brochure program at all, please contact me. I'm always
available to speak with you at any time. Meanwhile, if you need
further information, please feel free to contact Ed VonTurkovich,
Director of our Info Center Division, at 802-828-3648 or ed.vonturkovich@state.vt.us. Meanwhile,
it will soon be time to sign back up for brochure distribution for
2009/2010. If you are not currently a part of our program but would
like to be or would like to just talk about it, please contact me at
your convenience. Distributing your print literature through our
centers is a direct avenue to reaching almost 4,000,000 travelers
annually throughout the entire state. Cindy Roberts, VT Brochure Placement Coordinator802-265-2210, Cindy.roberts@state.vt.us |
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