UPM to Develop New Paper Selecting Tools Founded on Sense-based Properties

(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