(UPM, Helsinki, September 27, 2006) - The Brand Equity Survey of Opticom International Research ranked UPM Finesse as the leading woodfree coated brand among heat set web offset printers. The results were announced in Stockholm on September 22, 2006.
"This ranking confirms the fact that we have in our hands a great quality paper with good availability, and the right promotional support. We must secure that we will become even more successful in selling this quality. We have reached the optimum. Now it is up to us to secure that this position will remain ours for many years to come", states Senior Vice President Ruud van den Berg, from UPM's Sales & Marketing Fine Papers.
UPM is the clear winner in this year’s survey as its main brand UPM Finesse, after having shown a consistently strong development since 2004 reached the largest increase in the BEI score of all brands in 2005.
"The leading brands have different strengths. Additionally, the reasons behind the improvements compared to the previous survey also vary. That UPM Finesse takes over the leading position is, for example, relatively most usage rather than pure marketing driven", says Jessica Tommila, responsible for the survey.
UPM was also ranked sixth as corporate brand at the list of nine after a year with no corporate brands qualifying.
The survey is composed of four different key drivers of brand equity; spontaneous brand awareness, top-of-mind, perceived brand performance in terms of a number of different product quality criteria as well as brand loyalty. The survey gives in-depth insight into the specific characteristics of each brand as well as the overall development over the last five years.
The Brand Equity Tracking Survey was conducted in March – April 2006 and is based on quantitative CATI-telephone interviews in seven countries.
For further information please contact:
Ms Martina Schürmann, UPM, Marketing Manager Graphic & Office Papers, Tel.: +49 4963 401 1865, e-mail: martina.schurmann@upm-kymmene.com
