Positioning of the high-quality food trademark in Hungary through consumer segmentation

Consumers’ focus on food quality is a growing trend. Certification schemes can guide conscious purchasing decisions and help navigate overlapping or misleading messages. The High-Quality Food (HQF; Hungarian acronym: KMÉ) trademark as a government-established certification plays an important role in fostering public trust, promoting food safety, quality control, and sustainability in Hungary. Despite its introduction in 2019 as a renewed and more structured certification scheme, consumer recognition remains significantly lower than that of its predecessor, the Excellent Hungarian Food (EHF) trademark. Comparable national food certification schemes exist across EU and non-EU countries, yet their recognition and influence vary widely, and academic research on their consumer-oriented development is scarce. This study addresses that gap by assessing consumer awareness and identifying key consumer segments for targeted positioning of the HQF trademark. A nationally representative questionnaire survey (N=1001) was conducted in 2024, followed by principal component and K-means cluster analyses using SPSS to segment consumers based on attitudes toward existing and non-existing certification schemes, health-conscious eating, and trust in brands and local food products. The results revealed six distinct consumer clusters, each exhibiting unique preferences in food choices attitudes and levels of recognition with HQF. Based on these findings, tailored communication strategies are proposed to address consumer skepticism, build trust, and strengthen HQF’s market positioning. The study demonstrates how targeted branding and consumer education can facilitate the transition from a legacy certification scheme to an enhanced food quality certification, providing practical guidance for policymakers and industry stakeholders. • Survey of 1,001 Hungarians examined food quality schemes HQF and predecessor EHF. • Six consumer clusters showed varying recognition, trust, and attitudes toward HQF. • Health-conscious traditionalists (25.8%) show HQF awareness and prefer local food. • Brand- and store-oriented buyers (22.5%) trust EHF most but lack HQF recognition. • Skeptical (17.1%), Entrepreneurs (15.0%), EHF loyalists (11.8%), Deniers (7.8%).