From label to table: Can co-labeling boost trust and value in PDO cheese?

Abstract The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) plays a fundamental role in the territorial recognition and value of Grana Padano cheese. However, there are several factors that can influence consumer choices and consequently affect their willingness to pay for the product. Among these, ethical and sensory aspects can play a fundamental role that has yet to be thoroughly analyzed in the literature. This study has the overall objective of assessing the importance attributed by consumers to various attributes of Grana Padano cheese, including PDO certification, ethical aspects mediated by animal welfare claims, and sensory aspects, also considering the effect of consumers’ socio-demographic and psychometric characteristics. To achieve this objective, a conjoint experiment ranking was carried out using rank-ordered logistic regression as the estimation model, which made it possible to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) for these attributes and in relation to various drivers. The study showed that PDO certification is the attribute of greatest interest to consumers, although ethical and sensory aspects can be positively integrated to ensure the success and differentiation of the product.