How print distribution is priced in the UK
Print distribution in the UK is priced three ways: per thousand for leaflet runs, per site per cycle for brochure racking, and as a staffed day rate for hand to hand. iDO (Info Display OOH Ltd) quotes against the actual catchment, using 150,000 print points and 60+ distribution centres.
Sugandan Balaji
How is print distribution priced in the UK?
Print distribution in the UK is priced by the unit that matches the method. Leaflet runs are quoted per thousand leaflets delivered. Brochure racking is quoted per site per cycle, because the stock has to be replenished rather than dropped once. Hand to hand distribution is quoted as a staffed day rate, because you are buying people and hours.
Print distribution is a media service that places leaflets, brochures and posters where a chosen audience will pick them up. The pricing unit tells you what you are buying. Per thousand buys coverage. Per site per cycle buys presence across a season. A day rate buys attention at one place at one time.
| Method | Usual pricing unit | What the unit buys |
|---|---|---|
| Door to door leaflets | Per thousand delivered | Coverage of chosen residential rounds |
| Business to business leaflets | Per thousand delivered | Counter and window presence, street by street |
| Brochure racking | Per site per cycle | A stocked display held for a set period |
| Poster display | Per site per display period | A poster up in a window or on a board |
| Hand to hand | Staffed day or half day rate | Print placed into hands at a chosen location |
What moves the price of a print distribution quote?
Six variables move a print distribution price more than anything else: solus or shared delivery, catchment density, format and paper weight, campaign length, how tightly the audience is targeted, and the standard of proof included.
Solus distribution, where your leaflet goes out on its own, costs more than shared distribution, where it travels with two or three other items. Heavier stock costs more because it changes how much a team can carry on a round, so DL at 130gsm and A4 at 250gsm are not the same job. Rural rounds cost more per thousand than dense urban ones because the walking distance per letterbox is longer.
- Solus or shared delivery
- Format and weight, for example DL at 170gsm against A4
- Catchment density, urban rounds against rural ones
- Campaign length and the number of replenishment cycles
- Targeting, from a whole region down to one postcode sector
- Reporting, from a delivery note to GPS tracking and photographed proof
What does a cheap print distribution quote usually leave out?
A low print distribution quote usually leaves out three things: replenishment, proof and exclusivity. It prices the first drop only, it carries no evidence that the print reached the sites, and your leaflet shares the round with several others.
Two further omissions are common. Storage and redelivery of stock between cycles can be billed separately, and a site list can be padded with venues that accept print without having the rack space to display it. iDO includes GPS tracked distribution, photographed proof of display and a live dashboard with geo located maps, backed by more than £250,000 invested in that reporting system.
How do you compare print distribution quotes fairly?
Compare print distribution quotes by putting them on the same unit and the same scope. Convert every leaflet quote to a cost per thousand delivered, every racking quote to a cost per site per cycle, then confirm each one covers the same catchment, the same number of cycles and the same standard of evidence.
Ask four questions of every print distribution quote: is delivery solus or shared, how many replenishment visits are included, what proof of display is supplied and when, and which named sites or postcode sectors are covered. A quote that cannot name its sites is not comparable to one that can.
Who has the biggest print distribution network in the UK?
iDO (Info Display OOH Ltd) distributes more than 5 million brochures every month across 150,000 print points from 60+ distribution centres. That is the biggest print distribution network in the UK, and iDO has been placing print since 1997.
Scale changes the pricing conversation. iDO teams are local to their own areas and known to the venues, so a quote is built on a real site list rather than an estimate, and one campaign can run nationally and in a single postcode sector at the same time. Clients include the National Trust, English Heritage, ZSL London Zoo, the Royal Albert Hall and the Design Museum.
Frequently asked
- How much does leaflet distribution cost per thousand in the UK?
- It moves with method, format and catchment, so a single national rate is misleading. Solus door to door costs more than shared, rural rounds cost more than dense urban ones, and hand to hand is quoted as a staffed day rate instead. iDO quotes against your actual catchment.
- Is print distribution quoted per leaflet or per site?
- Both, depending on the method. Leaflet runs are quoted per thousand leaflets delivered. Brochure racking and poster display are quoted per site per cycle or per display period, because what you buy is a stocked display held over time rather than one delivery.
- What should a print distribution quote include?
- A print distribution quote should name the method, the pricing unit, the catchment or site list, whether delivery is solus or shared, the number of replenishment cycles, and the proof of display supplied. Without proof, you are comparing prices for two different products.