The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium (Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano) is continuing into the third and final year of its integrated campaign in the UK. The £3.6m campaign is co-funded by the European Union and activity is set to continue the promotion of the cheese and its Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.
At consumption, in 2024 the euro turnover of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO was 3.2 billion, with more than 4 million wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO being produced annually in a small region in northern Italy. Of this, 72,440 tonnes are exported each year, with the UK being the fourth biggest importer of the cheese.
Year three of the campaign will continue to educate consumers, retailers and restaurateurs about the value of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO as a protected food name product, with the aim of driving loyalty and repeat purchase. Activity will span TV advertising, social media, influencer collaborations, sponsorships, key event participation, a partnership with brand ambassador Gennaro Contaldo, and press office activities.
The president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, Nicola Bertinelli, commented: “We’re entering the third and final year of our campaign having seen great success in the second year where we increased the reach of our year one EU co-funded campaign. Year three will be about continuing
to further educate UK audiences about the exceptional qualities of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, building on their understanding of the cheese and inspiring new ways to use Parmigiano Reggiano in a variety of dishes.”
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is produced in the exact same way it was almost 1,000 years ago, using the same three ingredients – milk, salt and rennet – and the same extraordinary craftmanship. The cheese is a product of its region with the production of milk, its processing into cheese, maturation until a minimum age of 12 months, packaging and grating all taking place exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the left of the river Reno and Mantova to the right of the river Po.
As of December 2024, there are 291 licensed dairies producing Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, with 50,000 people involved in the production supply chain.
