White paper

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A white paper or whitepaper (originally English; based on the political white paper ) is a public relations tool that provides an overview of services, standards and technology, especially on IT topics. This also includes user descriptions, case studies and market research results. On at least two pages, white papers provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages, costs and savings potential of a specific problem solution.

Often a detailed statement is made on a clearly delimited topic by listing pros and cons. The language is kept more technical. Sales phrases are also often dispensed with. In addition to the IT environment, they are now also written in other specialist areas.

White papers as a communication tool

White papers are increasingly used as a communication and advertising tool in order to generate high-quality customer contacts through target group-specific campaigns ( lead generation ). A white paper is a document that deals with specific topics in a fluent language without marketing ballast: as a (case) study, user description, analysis or market research. The limited topic is dealt with on up to 15 pages, longer documents are rather rare. White papers differ from conventional advertising formats not only in terms of their size, but also in terms of their practical value. The reader needs a solution to a problem in a particular situation. A white paper should meet this expectation .

variants

There are different variants related to the white paper, the scope covers different commercial purposes:

  • Green Paper : This is a document used to initiate discussions. It cannot be viewed as an authoritative source but rather as draft paper. The next step would be the white paper.
  • Blue Paper: It is intended for companies that have a lot of technical details in their products and services. Because the blue paper lists technical specifications.
  • Yellow Paper: The Yellow Paper contains research that has not yet been published. Some studies are not included in the white paper.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. Whitepaper variants. Retrieved July 30, 2018 .