TLMI highlights neuromarketing study with Kurz, UPM

During TLMI’s LLT Excursion, hosted by Kurz on June 23-24, 2026, members participated in an exercise that highlighted a recent neuromarketing study. In late 2025, UPM Adhesive Materials, Kurz, and Eurostampa released a neuromarketing study that took a deep dive into how tequila label design influences consumer perception and purchase behavior.

Attendees took part in two portions of the study – one involving tequila and the other involving chocolate. TLMI’s emerging leaders learned first-hand how the same product – but with different packaging and sensory experiences – can influence the brand experience.

Allan Quimby, head of marketing, Kurz, and Jarod Hernandez, product manager, UPM Adhesive Materials, detailed the findings. According to Quimby, 95% of all consumer decision-making happens completely subconsciously. Plus, the human eye takes 1.5 seconds to lock onto a product. Neuromarketing is used to measure hidden reactions when logic is turned off. Therefore, most of the purchasing decisions occur before the brain even factored into the process.

Touch can confirm quality and bypass logic, indicating a premium product, noted Quimby. The label and packaging can convey a 30-50% higher perceived value in the consumer’s mind because the brain tricks itself into thinking a product is more expensive because of touch.

In the chocolate experiment, Kurz and UPM presented attendees with the same chocolate but played different sounds during eating. The goal was to illustrate how outside factors affect the experience.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover because it’s neurologically impossible,” stated Quimby. “Different sounds with the same food are translating to smooth, soft, sugary versus bitter, salty, heavy feedbacks. With the same Hershey chocolate bar out of the same package, your mind makes decisions and can define behavior based on what you’re experiencing – smelling, tasting, touching.”

The tequila study presented the same spirit in three different bottles. 

AI’s impact in modern packaging

The goal of the neuromarketing study: identify how the consumer’s mind works at the point of purchase. The study also emphasized the growing role of AI in consumer purchasing habits, specifically when it comes to product research.

According to Hernandez, 42% of all consumers use AI as the first step of brand research. In this case, they are switching from Google to ChatGPT and Claude for research purposes. Meanwhile, 67% of Gen Z shoppers are making the most AI-dependent generation decisions. However, only 2% of consumers trust the algorithms to buy an unfamiliar brand.

“People are using AI for product research and then validation on the shelf,” said Hernandez. “The shelf is less about discovery – it’s a confirmation.”

Occurrences at the shelf

In conducting this study, the companies utilized three designs across 27 combinations, with 30 buyers. The tequila neuromarketing study took place in Texas. The three moments of truth included shelf, touch, and taste.

“You have to stand out,” stated Quimby. “83% of people in a study are using a second screen while they’re watching a movie. Think of how many things your mind processes. The average Gen Z consumer will see 10,000 ads today, through social, work, and programmatic marketing. How does your brand and your customer stand out, and how do you guide them in the right direction? You used to have 12 seconds to gain attention at the shelf – and now it’s 3 seconds.”

Heat mapping played a critical role in the study. The heat map is used to track the consumer’s eyes, with the most highly embellished products drawing the majority of the attention.

“If you give your product a different appearance, the eyes will be drawn to it,” added Quimby. “You want to get to the second moment of truth. The study showed 1.5 seconds of time until the consumer first recognizes the product.

“Everyone experienced something a little bit different,” he continued. “Every tequila is exactly the same, though. That’s what you were tasting. By engaging with the label you changed your perception of what that tequila was going to taste like.”

In addition to tequila, Kurz reproduced the study with red wine. “We did another study on red wine with a $15 bottle of wine, and the embellishments gave the impression it was a $60 bottle of wine,” remarked Quimby. “The science proves itself every time.”