(UPM, Helsinki, March 7, 2007) - UPM is developing new tools founded on sense-based properties that will help customers in the paper selection process. While papermakers use technical terms, the customers employ sense-based properties to describe paper grades. To close the gap, UPM realised a research project to measure and develop qualitative testing methods for figuring out properties like visual appearance, sound, feel and odour of the paper grades.
"The study confirms that age, gender, nationality and occupation affect consumer preferences as well as the synergy effect between sense-based properties. Therefore, new tools will help publishers to select the right paper that best suits their target audience. The sense-based properties can be assessed nowadays at UPM Research Center by professional panels," says Senior Researcher Matti Ristolainen from UPM.
According to the study, some 60% of the consumer panellists agreed that the visual appearance had the highest impact on the overall pleasantness of the weekly magazine or newspaper. The second and third most important sense-based properties were browsing and posture.
The results were gathered by arranging several consumer panels during last two years, including one consumer panel at the IPEX 2006 Trade Fair. The findings were compared with the professional panel results. The research project conducted by UPM Research Center started in 2005 and was completed in January 2007.
For further information, please contact:
Mr Pekka Hurskainen, Vice President, R&D, UPM, tel. +358 204 15 4261
