Foundation 9 of 20 · Reach
What Is Marketing Collateral? Examples for Small Business
Your Brochure Is Working All Day. Make Sure It Is Working for You.
"I have a brochure. It's a good brochure. Why would I need a new one?" If customers show up with old prices or ask for someone who is no longer there, your marketing materials are out of date. Here is what marketing collateral is, what each piece is for, and how to keep it current.
Last Updated: 10/25/2026 · Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA
The Short Answer
What Is Marketing Collateral?
Textbook Definition
Marketing collateral is the collection of media used to support the sale of a product or service, including brochures, business cards, signage, price lists, vehicle graphics, menus, and digital equivalents.
In Plain English
Marketing collateral is every printed or posted thing that speaks for your business when you are not there: your brochure, sign, card, price list, vehicle lettering, menu, and listing. Each piece has a job, and each one must tell the truth today.
Why It Matters
Why Is Old Marketing Material Worse Than None?
Collateral works around the clock in places you never see, and a stranger believes it completely, because it is all they have. An old brochure does not say "we have been here a long time." It says "this business stopped paying attention."
Wrong prices make you look dishonest when you quote the real ones. A name that is gone makes you look closed. Old photos show a business that no longer exists. Keeping materials current is as basic as keeping your tools in working order.
Signs you have this problem:
- Customers quote prices from your materials that you no longer charge.
- Your brochure shows work, people, or photos from years ago.
- People ask for someone who no longer works there.
- Your hours on the sign or listing are wrong.
- You do not have a business card at all.
- Nobody can say when your brochure was last updated.
What It Looks Like
What It Looks Like When the Brochure Is Twenty Years Old
From the Fabled Forest · Chapter 9
Doctor Owl took a Bella's Builders brochure from the library rack. It showed the old mill bridge, which fell in ten years ago. A young beaver with a hand saw and no sawdust. Prices from before the drought years. At the bottom: Ask for Bella's father. He had been gone eleven years.
Blueprint Bella kept putting her father's brochures in the rack because they were his. Her crew lead, Chuck, reported what they did: one customer asked for her father, and a heron thought Bella had doubled her prices. The heron hired a crew from the coast. Meanwhile, Bella's best work hung on the back wall of her barn, where nobody came.
They listed every piece with her name on it: who sees it, what it should make them do, and whether it was true today. Only one of five was true. The new brochure showed the new bridge, three finished jobs with dates and customer quotes, real prices, a promise-date guarantee, and the whole crew. Ask for Bella. The heron came back.
Bella's story is Chapter 9 of Marketing for Small Businesses, Book 4 of Dr. Paul's Fabled Forest Business School Series.
The Fix
How to Audit and Update Your Marketing Collateral in 5 Steps
Collect one of everything with your name on it. Lay it all out on a table.
List every piece with your name on it.
Sign, card, brochure, vehicle, price list, menu, listing, website. Collect one of each.
For each, write who sees it.
Strangers at a rack? Drivers on the road? Customers who already called?
Write what each piece should make them do.
A sign says "we are here." A card says "remember us." A brochure says "here is what we do and what it costs, trust us."
Check every line for truth today.
Prices, people, photos, work shown, hours, the name to ask for. Mark everything that is wrong.
Fix the one strangers see first, then the rest.
Put a review date on every piece and recheck it once a year, or any time prices or people change.
Dr. Paul's Insight
The most common mistake is treating collateral as a one-time job. It is a tool. Maintain it. Show recent work with dates, real prices, and the people customers will actually meet. And when an old piece has sentimental value, honor it somewhere that is not doing your selling. A framed original on your wall can tell your history while the new brochure gets you hired.
Sample: A Collateral Audit
Every piece, who sees it, its job, and whether it is true today.
| Piece | Who sees it | Its job | True today? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brochure | Strangers at the library rack | Get them to call | No: old prices, old photos |
| Barn sign | Anyone on the road | Show a builder is here | Yes, but hours wrong |
| Truck lettering | Drivers we pass | Remember the name | No: old owner's name |
| Price list | Anyone who asks | Build trust in the number | No: every price wrong |
| Business card | Anyone we meet | Remember us | Does not exist |
Sample for illustration. Do this for every piece with your name on it.
Watch
Video: How to Audit Your Marketing Materials in One Afternoon
What Is Marketing Collateral? Examples for Small Business
Dr. Paul lays out a small business's collateral and checks each piece for truth on screen.
From the Book
Ask for Bella's Father
Chapter 9 · Marketing Collateral
The Brochure from Twenty Years Ago: A Beaver's Pamphlet
"Who you were," said Doctor Owl. "Read me the price of a garden wall."
Bella read it. "A hundred and eighty."
"What do you charge?"
"Three hundred. Three-twenty with the crane." She stopped.
"Read me the last line."
She did not need to read it. "Ask for Bella's father."
What happened to the heron who thought Bella doubled her prices? Find out in Chapter 9. Book 4 of Dr. Paul's Fabled Forest Business School Series.
Get the Book on Amazon →FAQ
Marketing Collateral Questions
What are examples of marketing collateral?
How often should I update my marketing materials?
What should a small business brochure include?
Do small businesses still need printed collateral?
Keep Going
Related Foundations
Collateral connects four foundations. It is the part of your marketing that works when you are not in the room. New to a term on this page? Every one is in the marketing glossary.
Foundation 3 · Brand Awareness
Every piece of collateral builds awareness, or erodes it.
Foundation 7 · Brand Identity
Use the same name and mark on every piece.
Foundation 10 · Direct Marketing
A catalog is collateral that goes straight to your customer list.
Foundation 12 · Marketing Calendar
Put collateral reviews on your marketing calendar.
Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, business consultant and author who helps owners get found by the right customers. Want a fresh set of eyes on your brochure, card, and listing? See business growth plan options.
This page is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal, financial, or other professional advice. Trademark, privacy, and advertising rules vary, so talk with a qualified professional before registering a name, collecting customer data, or making claims about a competitor. Dollar figures are illustrations. The Fabled Forest and its characters are fictional. For decisions about your own business, consult a qualified professional.