New Aid For Gauging Sense-Based Paper Decisions

UPM is developing new tools founded on sense-based properties that will help customers in the paper selection process.

UPM is developing new tools founded on sense-based properties that will help customers in the paper selection process.

The company said that whilst paper makers use technical terms, the customers employ sense-based properties to describe paper grades.

To close the gap, UPM conducted a research project to measure and develop qualitative testing methods for identifying properties such as visual appearance, sound, feel and the odour of the paper grades.

UPM's senior researcher, Matti Ristolainen, said: "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 the UPM Research Centre by professional panels." According to the study, some 60 per cent of the consumer panelists 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 Centre started in 2005 and was completed in January .

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