If you make a Provocative Statement - be prepared to back it up.

[Mike Magan]

Local web marketing and "connections company" Media Sauce is a true gem. We are lucky to have innovate firms like them, along with Exact Target, Firebelly, RoudPeg, Brandswag and others who frequent SI and are at the vanguard of the social media revolution.

But just because you have successful visionaries plugged into the same surge suppressor doesn't mean your statements are correct. A friend of mine says "everyone has a right to be wrong," while this may be true, we also have the right to say their nuts.

Media Sauce held an event/seminar last February to announce to the world some tragic news: the brochure is dead. "Now is the time to stop wasting your marketing dollars on expensive, ineffective paper brochures that end up in the trash or never even make it out of the storage closet." While I do not agree with Media Sauce's claim that the brochure is dead, the point of this post is to question their reasoning on making provocative statements that are propped up by hot air.

If I would have held a seminar that stated the bicycle is dead the Segue rolled off the assembly line, I likely would have drawn a big crowd. But most in the crowd would have left thinking I'm a quack. Why? Because there were and still are plenty of reasons why a bike is better than a Segway. There would have been no way for me to realistically show the bike is so ineffective we ought to trade it in for a $5000 "personal transporter."

The bicycle has evolved while other modes of transportation have come on the scene to serve different transportation needs. I have no doubt Media Sauce's event drew a crowd. But did people really leave there thinking the brochure is dead? While ROI on a $10,000 brochure effort is tough to track, plenty of companies blow millions of dollars on ineffective web marketing too.

I counter Media Sauce with this statement: "Now is the time to ignore companies that prop up their products up with false hype and phony declarations." At the same time, Media Sauce disrespectfully back-hands those in the industry who still know how to craft an effective, tactile piece that connects with customers. I get it Media Sauce - web 2.0 is here to stay - the internet is a powerful way to communicate and connect with clients in new ways. And if anyone reading this has wasted money on brochures, let me point you in the direction of several agencies who can help you, then I'll swing by later to take your brochures to the recycle bin.

The brochure is a powerful tool if used correctly. It is also a platform for ground-breaking design as seen here.

SI member Duncan Alney also made powerful points about how awesome the brochure still is.

[Jennifer Anderson-Henry]

Very well said, Greg and Mike. This is why I tell every client of mine that every media vehicle has its place. It all depends on what one is trying to accomplish - and the right mix involves the ingredients of messaging and math (reach, frequency, cost per lead, etc) too. Before my career path evolved into account management/sales, I spent many years in media research, and I'm the first to say that print, outdoor, etc have their rightful places in resonating with consumers.

[Greg Hiatt]

I thought that you put that into words quite well. Day after day I receive input from people who believe that because they are passionate about one thing, that "the other thing" is dead. Experience will teach you that it's not a one-size-fits-all world. Only a small percentage of my customer base is "connected" and the small percentage who is, isn't as tech-savvy as the large population of web developers would hope.

Brochures aren't dead any more than pens and pencils are. Would it be nice if they were? Yes (unless you're a printer)! It's a much bigger world out there that some realize and not everyone is plugged in yet.

And by the way, I ignore as much electronic marketing as I throw junk mail in the trash recycling bin. Trash is trash. Unsolicited attempts to sell me something I'm not interested in are as unwelcome to me in html as they are on card stock. Every day I stop following people on Twitter because of their relentless selling. I delete dozens of emails without ever opening them. So, just make sure to mix a little of your best judgement and common sense in with your passion or you may not reach everyone you could and risk alienating those you need.