Why Paper Encourages Virtuous Decision Making

By Erwin Busselot, Director Business Innovation & Solutions, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe

The pandemic and the shift to remote and hybrid work accelerated many changes in digitalisation and online communication.

Some will continue to drive growth while others could benefit from a return to more traditional ways according to research by academics Maferima Touré-Tillery and Lili Wang. They found that while digital communications have their place, those on paper can have a significant impact on the choices we make.

Their series of studies with more than 2,500 participants across America and China explored the impact of the medium used when making a decision, with a particular focus on options with a moral component, such as whether or not to make a donation to a charity. Participants were asked to make a variety of choices using either a paper form or a digital tablet.

They found respondents were more:

• Likely to make a virtuous choice when using pen and paper,
• Inclined to pick the healthier option from a printed menu,
• Persuaded to make a charitable donation when responding to a piece of print,
• And motivated to select an educational book, as opposed to an entertaining one, when presented with a printed list.

The research went on to show what was driving this effect was how ‘real’ the decision feels.

The participants consistently said making a choice on paper felt more real than on a digital device.

When a decision felt more real they were more likely to feel that it was representative of who they were. They were more likely to go with the virtuous or responsible option.

For marketers the research showed the medium through which customers make a decision can have a major impact on the choices they make.

Healthier options are more likely to do well on printed menus while a paper order form might encourage the choice of educational reading materials and charities may also benefit from paper forms and volunteer sign-up sheets, rather than relying on websites, emails, or apps.

Physical print engages more of the senses, too. Touch and smell come in to play with different substrates and finishes helping marketers stand out. Print Power recently highlighted how touching physical print prompts a more meaningful connection as my colleague John Blyth discusses here.

It drives greater effectiveness. For example 90% of campaigns that included door drops reported a rise in acquisition compared to 59% for those without and 21% of all addressed mail and door drop items went on to create a commercial action.

Where suitable, communications that had made the shift online to emails or to mobile phones with texts, can be recaptured for digital print that uses personalisation and customised content to make messaging feel more real. Recipients are more likely to positively interact with information that they are interested in or engaging content that recognises their individuality.

#modernplasticsindia #plasticmagazine #indianmagazine #indianplasticmagazine #modernplasticsaward #ginujoseph #modernplastic #plasticindia #plasticnews #plasticrecycling #modernplasticsglobalnetwork #modernglobalnetwok #modernplasticsaward2022 #PlasticIndustry

Connect at Xeikon Café Graphic Arts

Conference program, live demos and networking on digital print production

Xeikon, the leading supplier of digital production solutions, organises a dedicated event to showcase the wide range of graphic arts applications achievable with its digital toner printing technology. Xeikon Café Graphic Arts will take place on 5 and 6 October 2022, at the company’s headquarters near Antwerp, Belgium.

“To kick off the last quarter of the year, we want to offer all print professionals the unique opportunity to get inspired by what Xeikon has to offer” said Dimitri Van Gaever, Market Segment Director at Xeikon.

The event’s keynote will be hosted by online print guru and industry expert Bernd Zipper. He will discuss what challenges and opportunities commercial printers will face the next years. “The past has already shown that the printing industry is extremely resilient. Why? Because print plays a vital role in creating communication that lasts and sticks”, comments Bernd Zipper. “Digitalization of print will help printers to stay agile and develop new applications. On top of that, it will help them to meet their sustainability goals for the future.”

During the event, attendees can see live demos on:

• Xeikon SX30000 running a wide variety of commercial print applications,
• Full wall deco solutions built around the Xeikon CX500,
• Xeikon CX300 for promotional heat transfer,
• And Xeikon PX3300 for durable floor signage.

To top it all off, attendees will have the opportunity to see how Xeikon builds their presses in the factory and to browse through the booths of industry partners to stay informed on their latest developments. With its environmentally-friendly toner technology as the cornerstone, Xeikon has developed end-to-end solutions for many applications in the graphic arts markets which are at the forefront of the digital transformation of the industry.

During Xeikon Café, visitors can follow Tech-Talks on new innovations for:

• Book printing
• Point-of-sales and retail signage
• Direct mail
• Wall decoration
• Printing labels for commercial printers

“We have introduced several new innovations in the past two years, but of course, given the circumstances, we could not present them live so customers could touch and feel the print, and gain the confidence to invest,” continues Dimitri Van Gaever. “With this Café, Xeikon is enabling the printing industry to come together to see our solutions live in the spirit of our ‘discover, learn, connect’ vision, and experience the future of digital production in graphic arts.”

#modernplasticsindia #plasticmagazine #indianmagazine #indianplasticmagazine #modernplasticsaward #ginujoseph #modernplastic #plasticindia #plasticnews #plasticrecycling #modernplasticsglobalnetwork #modernglobalnetwok #modernplasticsaward2022 #PlasticIndustry

Covid-19 Pandemic Has Changed Hand Hygiene Practices Across Europe

People more aware of importance of regular hand washing and concerned about health risks associated with drying hands in public washrooms.

A survey has found that Europeans are more aware of the importance of proper hand washing and drying since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are washing their hands more frequently and demanding paper towels for hand drying due to their excellent hygiene properties.

The survey, carried out across 10 countries in Europe, and sponsored by ETS, probes people’s attitudes towards hand hygiene post pandemic and explores how habits and preferences had changed.

A whopping 86% of people report having washed their hands more often since the start of the pandemic – and in Spain and Italy the figure is over 90%. More than half of respondents also report that the pandemic had altered their preferred method of hand drying in public washrooms. This is particularly the case in Sweden and more generally among people in middle age – 35-50.

For the majority of people, the pandemic has increased the frequency with which they dry their hands with paper towels. In most countries, men have changed their habits more than women – notably in the Netherlands.

Covid has also served to heighten awareness about the potential health risks associated with using electric hand dryers due to the potential for bacteria to be blown into the air. Almost 60% of people confirm that they are concerned about this. Men are more concerned than women and younger people are significantly more concerned than older ones, with 70% of 18-34 year olds aware of possible risks or having read about them. The Spanish are the most concerned and the Italians and British the least.

The majority of respondents across all age groups believe that paper towels are the most hygienic method of hand drying and prefer them to any other method. But there is quite some difference in people’s responses when they find that their preferred hand drying method is not available: Belgians, Germans and Poles shake their hands instead, while the Spanish dry their hands with toilet tissue. Almost half of people will take action if their preferred hand drying method is not available – particularly in Finland (64%) and Poland (62%).

The survey confirms that the hand hygiene lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic have had a lasting impact on the habits of Europeans. They are more aware, more concerned and more vocal about having access to their preferred hand drying method: paper towels.

#modernplasticsindia #plasticmagazine #indianmagazine #indianplasticmagazine #modernplasticsaward #ginujoseph #modernplastic #plasticindia #plasticnews #plasticrecycling #modernplasticsglobalnetwork #modernglobalnetwok #modernplasticsaward2022 #PlasticIndustry