To give you an idea of the relative cost of brochures, let's start with the most expensive, a 16- pager with the works. Hiring a freelancer or a local writer–with minimal experience in financial services marketing–will cost a minimum of $2,000 for written copy. For an experienced advertising agency or marketing firm, expect to pay $4,000 to $5,000 (or more). Either route you choose, the cost of graphic design will run about $4,000 to $5,000, on top of the written copy cost.
Once the brochure is written and designed, the cost for printing 1,000 full color, 16-page brochures, with a 100-lb. cover stock, 80-lb. text stock, and a vellum title page, is likely to cost $7,000 to $10,000, depending on the printer. In total, you're talking about a $9,000 brochure if you use the lowest cost vendors, and a $15,000 brochure (or more) if you go to experienced professionals.
In contrast, the total cost of 1,000 full-color Slim Jims–which have only a quarter of the space of the 16-page brochure–will run about $1,400 to $3,200. (Approximately $500 to $1,000 for copy; $500 to $1,500 for graphic design; and $400 to $700 for printing.)
