White papers and brochures: whats the difference?
White papers and brochures are almost complete opposites. Brochures are sales documents intended to create interest and desire. Brochures push “emotional buttons” such as fear, greed, envy or vanity. They are generally colorful, flashy and filled with promises. They use the techniques of copywriting and advertising. White papers, on the other hand, are persuasive essays about a certain product, service, technology or methodology. White papers appeal more to logic through irrefutable facts, iron-clad logic, impeccable statistics and quotes from industry opinion-makers. They are generally plain-looking, not flashy and filled with facts. They use the techniques of rhetoric and plain English. Some companies simply reformat a brochure and call the result a “white paper.” This is a dangerous waste of effort. Most readers become irritated when they discover that a vendor has done this. I have heard people urge vendors to make their white papers as flashy as brochures. This is not correct. A w
