Expanding the PGI certification scheme as a marketing tool in the olive oil industry: a perspective on consumer behavior
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 29 April 2021
Issue publication date: 2 November 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, several regional protected geographical indications (PGI) have been introduced in Italy for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with the aim of coping with the substantial failure of protected designations of origin (PDO). This study aims to identify which characteristics consumers expect, in order to anticipate the market success.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a survey has been used on a sample of consumers from Sicily, one of the first regions which recently developed a regional PGI for EVOO. Data have been analyzed with a rank-ordered logit model.
Findings
Results yielded that consumers would accept this new product and their expectations correspond to a product with attributes such as: green color, not filtered, not with a sweet taste and with a known brand. A possible target can be represented by young men.
Practical implications
The results obtained anticipate whether this product would be accepted and provides direct indications for producers who wish to enter the market with a PGI EVOO.
Originality/value
This work focuses on consumer behavior toward products that are specifically certified with a recently introduced PGI label, and they still are not so common on the market.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported through the project “Economic assessments of the sustainability of agri-food systems” by UNICT 2016–2018 “Piano per la Ricerca. Linea di intervento 2 - Seconda annualità P7/WP2 (5A722192141)”. Project leader: Gaetano Chinnici
Citation
Di Vita, G., Cavallo, C., Del Giudice, T., Pergamo, R., Cicia, G. and D'Amico, M. (2021), "Expanding the PGI certification scheme as a marketing tool in the olive oil industry: a perspective on consumer behavior", British Food Journal, Vol. 123 No. 12, pp. 3841-3856. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2020-0597
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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