In 2016, the Paper & Packaging Board hired Heart+Mind Strategies to study the emotional connection people have with paper. Researchers asked subjects to touch different types of paper and choose their favorite based on its tangible qualities. Subjects then were asked a series of questions designed to regress their decision-making process and reveal the emotions that triggered their selection. Seven triggers emerged, but security and confidence rose to the top.
“Paper represents a means of tangible proof and security that I can always have with me,” says Dee Allsop, CEO of Heart+Mind Strategies. “It creates a greater sense of security, less worry and less stress.”
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Test subjects said putting pen to paper enabled them to document their progress, achievement and mastery of a subject and approach tasks with confidence. They also preferred using paper over electronic media when it came to imparting gravitas and nurturing relationships with loved ones.
“If sending wedding invitations, a digital Evite just does not cut it,” Allsop says. “There was a real sense of, ‘I’ve got to print it because I want to do it right.’ There was also this idea of paper helps me connect on a personal level with people I care about.”
This was particularly true when it came to nurturing children, where people expressed a strong preference for reading printed books, letter writing and post cards.
The Paper & Packaging Board plan to incorporate its findings into a future marketing campaign.
This article appears in the new July/August 2017 issue of Connect magazine published by NextPage, which can be found online here. If you would like a free print subscription to Connect, please click here.