Conjoint measurement of preferences for traditional cheeses in Lisbon

The study of consumers’ motivations, attitudes and preferences are of great importance for marketing strategy definitions when considering protected designation of origin (PDO) cheeses. Previous research, a survey on PDO cheese retailers, and in depth interviews with PDO cheese producers showed that: “price per kilo”, “cheese texture”, “unit of sale size” and “recognition as PDO” were the main attributes affecting preferences for cheeses in Greater Lisbon’s market. Conjoint analysis was used to estimate utilities for those attributes and to determine the existence of consumer groups with similar preference profiles. Results show that recognition as PDO is the most important attribute for the choice of traditional cheeses, followed by price, texture and unit of sale. Three groups of consumers were identified. The first accounts for 28 per cent of respondents who prefer creamy cheese and are not price-sensitive. A second group is particularly price-sensitive: it sums up to 16 per cent of respondents. Finally, representing 56 per cent, are those who value certification quality labels but are not willing to pay a premium price for it. The results found may encourage producers to adjust their marketing efforts to consider the different PDO cheese consumer segments.