The Seduction of Printed Products

Even within the realm of print products there are sophisticated seducers. They make you want to touch, feel and smell. Contrary to the prophecies of doom, the printing industry is experiencing a true "sensory boom" and is reinventing itself in the process. But what exactly creates this irresistible power of attraction?

Hopefully no one is watching me. The waiting room is, after all, full to the brim. But I simply can't resist. The smooth coating - that velvety luster of the individual rows of chocolate which nearly pop out from the matte white background - is just too enticing. Not to mention the infatuating scent of the finest Criollo beans! My mouth is watering involuntarily. Inch by inch my head moves in the direction of the chocolaty brown promise. "Take a bite!" my brain hammers. But then the person sitting next to me flips the page of his magazine.

These kinds of responses occur on a daily basis. More than ever, print products such as packaging, magazines or brochures are emerging as subtle seducers that speak to our senses with the power to allure, provoke longing and elicit appetite. That's why the Viennese motivation researcher Dr. Helene Karmasin speaks of a product's "erotic" appeal. At focus is the question: How can brands, products and services be experienced in a sensory manner? "Packaging and print products are highly complex, encoded systems which relay a message through their shape, size, color, text, illustration and, very decisively, through the material. In addition to the rational functions like information or protection, users therefore always associate psychological and emotional expectations with retail packaging or a print product," explains Karmasin.

In the Customer's Head
Neurobiology shows that the left half of our brain is overridingly responsible for processing "logical" impulses while the right half of the brain registers emotional impulses first and foremost. The more senses a product appeals to, the higher the chance that it will sell. Thus, brand loyalty for products where consumers remember multiple sensory impressions is, at 60 percent, twice as high as for products that only convey one sensory impression. "Because many functional differences have been eliminated, products have to be appealing at the emotional level and make use of all sensory channels," emphasizes Karmasin. The name of the game is: sight, touch, sound, smell and taste.

Added Value with Emotional Triggers
Creating printed sensuality gives print shops the chance to distinguish themselves from other media as well as the competition and also offers buyers of print-related products a special experience with added value.

• Sight: The highest number of receptors in the human body is found in the eye which means that a correspondingly high percentage of all information received is taken in as images and spontaneously processed. This usually occurs within a few seconds if not fractions of a second. Products therefore have to stand out from the masses and draw the attention of customers through special effects as well as unusual formats and materials.
  Finishing possibilities include: Coating (for example, glitter, high-build, relief, drip-off or spot coating), cold and hot foils and lamination. The use of particular inks (such as highly pigmented or hexachrome) and screening. 
• Touch: Studies show that products with a pleasant surface feel are preferred to those without. A particular surface feel can be created through the choice of printing stock (paper, card, foil, foam, etc.), coatings, flock coating, die-cutting, embossing and perforation as well as with relief and high-build coating and thermo-chromic inks. The latter offers an increased surprise effect since the colors change according to different temperatures or touch.
• Sound: Also, the sound of the paper, for example utter silence or a rustling sound while leafing through, influences the way in which a print product is perceived. The luscious sound of opening a folded box, for example, gives consumers a feeling of freshness, stability and quality.
• Smell: In the case of scented coatings, scents are packed in microscopically small capsules that open when rubbed, scratched, or cut so that the aromas unfold and strengthen the print subject's message. The scent of freshly ground coffee has established itself as a successful "nose charmer" which - for example, as scented coating on advertisement flyers or calendars - lures you to buy or drink coffee. 
• Taste: Our taste buds can be activated by products made from edible paper or with scented plant-based adhesive materials, which, when licked, release taste particles onto the tongue and activate the sensory cells hidden there. The Swiss postal service thus planned to produce postal stamps that tasted like chocolate. The planned "sweet" coating was dropped, however, partly for reasons of hygiene, and partly because, from experience, no adhesive material would be left due to too much licking. Instead, the stamps were finished with a scented coating only. Calorie free enjoyment!

Sensible "Sensualizing"
If and how print products are "sensualized" is always a question of the target group's expectations and the type of product. In the case of packaging for cosmetics and individualized advertisement mailings, users expect high quality aesthetics and surprise effects. In packaging for detergent and cereal, on the other hand, consumers place a considerably higher value on functional aspects such as easy handling. The effect a print product has, that is to say, whether its impression, color or scent is perceived as appealing or repulsive, is of course dependent on individual and cultural-based values and experiences. Most Europeans, for example, find the durian fruit, which is so beloved in Asia, to be repulsive, while a strong stinky cheese is considered a special treat. Many Asians, in turn, can't understand why one should put foul milk in slices, in other words cheese, on bread. Thus even the power to appeal has its perils…