subject: Care must be taken with leaflet distribution [print this page] Care must be taken with leaflet distribution
Using leaflet distribution as a form of advertising or simply to raise awareness about particular facts or upcoming events can be an effective and cheap means of reaching the public.
However, a recent case has illustrated the need for those involved in the leaflet delivery and creation process to be careful.
Officials at Kirklees Council in Yorkshire had to withdraw a tourist information resource they had created because it contained a range of errors, the Sun reports.
Following a leaflet distribution campaign, 7,000 cycling maps had to withdrawn and pulped.
Among the problems with the document were a number of spelling mistakes, including the name of the district.
The material had been produced in colour on two sides of paper and, thanks to leaflet delivery services, had been sent to tourist information centres, libraries and town halls across the area.
One of the spelling mistakes involved using the word Kirtles, instead of the proper Kirklees that should have been written. This problem occurred a total of 20 times throughout the document.
Meanwhile, the town of Holmfirth became Holsworth, while Cleckheaton became Czechisation.
Also, the leaflet stated that anyone who wanted to contact British Waterways should email enquiries.manic-depressive@brutalisation's.co.uk.
According to the local authority, which is based in West Yorkshire, external printers were to blame for the problems. They suggested that an automated spell check ruined the document.
Angry councillor Martyn Bolt said: "When I saw the leaflet at first I thought to myself it was great that Kirklees was trying to encourage cycling. But what has happened is beyond the joke."
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the local authority remarked: "As soon as we became aware of the errors, distribution was immediately stopped, the leaflets withdrawn from circulation and destroyed."
He went on to apologise for any offence caused by the mistakes in the leaflet.
