Dear friends, Welcome to Opticom’s first newsletter! Whether it be in-depth analysis through market research, helping clients to build a successful communication strategy, evaluate customer satisfaction, test new products or service concepts, the insight we have gained from over 30 years in the forest industry value chain is unmatched. We’d like to share some of it with you.

Whether it be in-depth analysis through market research, helping clients to build a successful communication strategy, evaluate customer satisfaction, test new products or service concepts, the insight we have gained from over 30 years in the forest industry value chain is unmatched.

On #intlforestday , we celebrate the fact that forests provide employment, food, income, shelter and ecosystem services to at least 1.5 billion people (International Labour Organization, Decent Work in Forestry report).

Countdown to #intlforestday : Did you know that the iconic “Twin Peaks” actress Catherine E. Coulson, famously known as “Log Lady”, held onto her prop log and even took it on flights stored in the overhead compartment?

Countdown to #intlforestday : Did you know there are about 30 times more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way?

Countdown to #intlforestday : Did you know that 62% of Europe’s P&P mills’ energy comes from the forest?

Countdown to #intlforestday : Did you know that Europe’s forests grew by an area bigger than Switzerland from 2005-2020 – that’s more than 1,500 football pitches of new forest every day! (FAO data) We can help you spread the word.

Countdown to #intlforestday : Did you know that cartonboard packaging can be recycled up to 25 times and still perform as well as the first time it was used (Graz University of Technology)?

According to a recent McKinsey study, published in February 2022 - a vast majority of consumers are highly concerned about packaging sustainability and express a willingness to pay more for sustainable packaging, especially in large markets such as China, India, Indonesia and Brazil. More than 75% of the respondents are concerned and willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. In Europe and US the figure is lower, but still – over 50% are willing to pay more.

We are very excited to announce the launch of our new career site!

Better understanding customers and other important stakeholders is critical to become a market leader … but not as easy as it sounds if you are missing the step of making sure valuable learnings result in actions that are ready for implementation.

The event's theme is "Paper-based packaing: consumer preferences and perceptions".

In brief – Holmen Paper wanted quick confirmation that a new product concept had market potential and was commercially relevant. In order to test the new concept Holmen Paper launched an extensive market research project including in-depth interviews with potential customers in 15 European countries. “We have gained market knowledge and it has also been an excellent market temperature sensor, giving us guidance on the way forward and helping us in our strategic decision making” explains Tommy Wiksand, VP Business Development at Holmen Paper. The encouraging feedback gave Holmen Paper the necessary proof-of-concept to continue testing and fine-tuning the product offering. Read the full story of how Holmen Paper is utilizing this in-depth feedback from potential customers to drive new business development.

In brief - Results from a comprehensive study among key customers across 12 different countries in Europe, North Africa and Asia show that customers express a very positive attitude towards SCA Wood. “We want our customers to be heard and understood” explains Vanessa Pihlström, Marketing Communication Officer.

Can 445 million European be wrong?

Don't lose momentum, take this exceptional opportunity and reach out to your most important stakeholders. Meet, discuss, gain insights and inspire your target groups with our virtual meeting method. Mixing live broadcasting with interactive on-line discussions under the guidance of our experienced moderators.

EcoVadis is the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. Combining People, Process and Platform.

“Greatly appreciated by our customers and an invaluable tool to strengthen customer relations and further improve SCA’s market position”. Mikael Frölander has vast experience from the international forest industry, previously also holding positions at Grycksbo AB, Papyrus and Stora Enso.

On September 12, Mikael spoke at the Europulp/Utipulp seminar in Barcelona. Mikael’s speech focused on “The global consumer perspective on the environment and sustainable forestry”.

Since the first survey conducted in 2004, Opticom’s brand tracking survey has been the industry standard benchmark by which all virgin fibre cartonboard brands are evaluated.