Winning Print Advocacy Campaign, "A Communicator's Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch," Announced at EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference

      Chicago, IL - Sappi North America's multi-media campaign promoting print to creative designers, printers, advertisers, and corporate communicators was selected as the 2015 winner of the annual Positively Print award. The two-part Communicator's Guide used printed brochures, six neuroscience video shorts, a micro-site, and live events with noted neurologist Dr. David Eagleman to showcase both advanced research on media and perception, and case studies from Apple, BMW, and the World Wildlife Fund on their use of print in integrated communications.

      "Sappi's campaign not only provides graphic communicators with the science behind the effectiveness of print, but also showcases real world success stories from major international companies that have effectively integrated print into their communications," said Ralph Nappi, President of the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), who co-presented the award at the close of the 2015 EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK conference, held immediately prior to the opening of GRAPH EXPO 15 and co-located CPP EXPO, that runs September 13 - 16, 2015 in Chicago's McCormick Place.

      The impetus for the Sappi campaign came from a 2009 study which established that print leaves a "deeper footprint" in the brain than do electronic communications. Meanwhile, research by Dr. Eagleman found results consistent with earlier studies: people learn and remember best what they read on paper. His research also broke exciting new ground, finding that paper quality significantly affects those responses.

      Sappi's campaign included a series of six "Neuroscience Shorts" videos that expanded on themes introduced in its Communicator's Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch.  Highlights of the research findings include:

• Brains are built to respond to touch;
• What we touch shapes what we feel, influencing perceptions both consciously and subconsciously about people, situations, companies, and brands; and,
• Tactile communications like paper cause people to exhibit a sense of ownership of the objects they read about, influencing buying decisions.

      This is the sixth year for the Positively Print award which recognizes an organization that promotes the power, sustainability, and effectiveness of print. "We want to showcase companies that effectively advocate for print," said award co-presenter Phil Reibel, President of Two Sides North America. "Sappi's Communicator's Guide campaign is an outstanding example of such advocacy."

More information on Sappi's campaign may be found at here

      Recent past Positively Print winners include: (2014) IKEA -- "Bookbook" Campaign; (2013) Sappi Fine Paper North America -- "PRINT &" Book; (2012) PrintCity -- "PRINT! Seen! Lean and Green"; and, (2011) Domtar -- "Paper Because" Campaign.

      For more information about the Positively Print program visit: www.positivelyprint.org.