Pamphlet vs Brochure
Though pamphlet and brochure are similar and serve similar purposes, there are some differences between them. But, people often use the words interchangeably and, even if you check any online dictionary, it too uses one as the synonyms of the other. Before going further into the differences, first let us see where these two are used. Pamphlet and brochure are two of the most effective and widely used marketing techniques. In other words, many techniques are used by businesses to attract people to their products and services, and pamphlets and brochures are two tools that are very popular for this purpose. This article will present a brief introduction of pamphlet and brochure, their purposes, and then go on to discuss the differences between both.
What is a Pamphlet?
A pamphlet is a single piece of paper where information is printed on one or both sides to promote a product or service or to provide information about an event or a social issue. An unbound booklet without binding or a hardcover is also known as a pamphlet. These pamphlets are made by folding the few pages in half and saddle stapling them at the crease. To consider a publication as a pamphlet, UNESCO wants that publication (other than a periodical) to have at least five but not more than forty eight pages, without the cover pages. Pamphlets have a special use where brochures are found to be inefficacious. They are made of a thin piece of paper to allow a person to hold hundreds of them to handout to visitors outside a mall or a crowded place. Pamphlets are mainly used for informational purposes mainly though some people promote products and services through pamphlets. It is common to see a pamphlet inside a medication or a drug packing that contains all the information about the usage of the drug. When you look at those, you can see that they are designed to give information, not to attract the customers.
What is a Brochure?
A brochure contains more information than a pamphlet and has either several pages or a single page folded once or twice. A brochure is often a tool for advertising a product, but you also get user manuals in the form of a brochure when you buy a new product. Brochures are usually more attractive and use a glossy paper and beautiful photographs to attract the attention of a person. These brochures highlight a product or service and try to persuade the potential customer to buy it. Today brochures are being used in all sorts of industries from electronics to travel to many other types of businesses.
What is the difference between Pamphlet and Brochure?
• Brochures and pamphlets are tools for promotion and disseminating information.
• Brochures contain more information and are more attractive.
• Brochures normally use glossy paper and pictures to attract the attention of the customers. Pamphlets do not follow that method. They are usually printed on normal paper.
• Brochures contain folds while pamphlets are a single piece of paper that is cheaper in comparison. Even when pamphlets turn out to be simple booklets, they cost less as they are plain.
• Pamphlets can be non-commercial as well as commercial in nature whereas brochures are designed to lure prospective customers to a product or service.
• Pamphlets are used to announce social event, information about different causes so that people can be mobilized to support the cause, business communication, etc.
• Brochures are used to follow up after the first sales contact and to provide the customer with more details than a flyer. Brochures are also used in mail campaigns to give more information about a product.
Images Courtesy:
- Pamphlet via Wikicommons (Public Domain)
- Brochure by CC BY-SA 3.0)
