Leaflet distribution is an extremely effective method of getting a message directly to a market. Leaflet distribution places a message into the hands or letterboxes of a target market. It is an extremely popular form of marketing that is particularly effective for promoting services or products that are specific to particular regions. The process of getting the leaflets out is fairly rudimentary. The leaflets are delivery by hand to addresses that are supplied or alternatively are given by hand to people walking down a street.



The flyer distributor is likely to place their flyers into the hands of key demographic market groups. If the flyers promote a party event for young people the flyers will be handed to young people that look like they are up for a party whilst if the flyers promote female clothes then the distributors will pass the flyers on to women. Leaflet drops have in the past been very popular methods of distributing political messages.

Political messages are often difficult to get to their target audience. In many situations it has been the case that anti government political groups struggle to get press coverage for their messages - in fear of repercussions and as a result the most effective method of delivering messages to people was to distribute them through flyers and leaflets. This has been considered an extremely effective method of delivering a message and one of the more horrific examples of how successful it was is the use of leaflet distribution by the Nazi government during the Second World War.

The Nazi government used leaflet distribution to spread false information about the Jewish community. This is said to have contributed to a shift in public opinion and helped to facilitate the atrocities that followed.

There is also a long history of leaflet distribution taking place in a range of different wars and times of political instability.

It has been used in a wide variety of controversial situations including what is known as psychological warfare. The role of leaflets is to alter the behaviour of people in a war torn area to support the cause that a particular group are pursuing. In many of these cases the leaflets are dropped into the area through airborne leaflet drops.

These leaflets are then meant to be read by people in the area with a view of changing their opinions on a matter or encouraging them to perform a certain action. These leaflets are highly politicised and although they often attempt to appear like they are delivering a balanced message almost always have a strong emphasis on one side of an argument.

The role of leaflet propaganda has been defined into six different categories. These categories are said to be distinct from one another and they have been used in the past century. Leaflets have been used to threaten people or troops that they would be targeted. Leaflets have been sent out calling for people to surrender and give up their resistance.

They have also been sent out to offer rewards and have appealed for information that would show the opposition in a bad light. Leaflets have also been used to encourage communication between feuding groups and have expressed the need for peace. There have also been a number of examples of flyers that have been distributed in humanitarian programmes with the aim of informing people of how to find aid and support.