Flier

A flier, also called a handout, is a one-sheet printed form of collateral material. Like other communication tactics or tools used in public relations, a flier must appeal to a particular target audience, contain a key message, and attempt to achieve a specific objective. Some objectives might include increasing awareness about a service, educating a target audience about a program, or encouraging a key public to attend an event. Often 8½ × 11 inches in size, a flier must be succinct, have few words, and include type or graphics that appear in broad strokes. Since space is limited, uncomplicated graphics and clean typefaces are preferable. They are printed on one side of a sheet, have a short shelf life, and are not folded. Fliers, along with [Page 331]brochures, newsletters, and posters, are considered a form of direct media rather than mass media and are generally posted on bulletin boards, placed in information racks, and handed out interpersonally. Often they are used as miniposters, which means that the message should carry at a distance of 10 feet. If they are placed on counters or inserted into the fold of a newsletter, the information does not need to carry over a distance. As a tool of persuasion, fliers should adhere to publication principles. They should attract attention, stimulate interest, create a desire to act, and contain claims that are supported by facts.

Relatively inexpensive to produce, fliers are timely and disposable. Many have a single purpose, such as to announce an event or inform a specific target audience about something of interest. Whatever the method of distribution, fliers must be able to attract attention in a cluttered environment and should adhere to the principles of layout and design. An effective design should include a layout with proper balance, in which elements are arranged either symmetrically or asymmetrically along an implied axis; dominance, or an attention-getting element that stands out by its size, tone, or shape; unity, a sense that the message is an integrated and cohesive whole; proportion, the spatial relationship of elements similar in nature; and flow, which promotes eye movement and direction.

Since many public relations practitioners adhere to the writing style of the Associated Press, it is important to clarify terms. According to the Associated Press Stylebook, flier is the preferred name for a handbill. The word flyer, on the other hand, refers to the name associated with certain trains and buses.