Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium Unveils New Marketing Campaign

New York, NY – The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium is currently participating in the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York (June 25-27), the leading U.S. trade show dedicated to the food and beverage industry. The Consortium can be found at booth 2826-2832 in the New York Fairgrounds, located at the Javits Center. Activities primarily include one-on-one meetings with business partners to share 2023 strategy and activities. The show marks an opportunity to promote demand in the most relevant market in the world after Italy, which grew in 2022 by 8.7 percent in volume, importing more than 13,900 tons of Parmigiano Reggiano for an estimated value of 200 million euros. The U.S. market is also, in terms of development potential, one that offers the greatest opportunity for increased demand in the coming years. Consumption of "hard cheese" is, in absolute volumes, the largest in the world, and Parmigiano Reggiano's share is estimated at 5 percent. The strategic goal is to increase coverage in households expressing interest and appreciation for quality products, which could lead in the medium term to consumption not far from that of the Italian market (i.e., multiplying the current U.S. consumption by four). For the duration of the show, Chef Ambassador Michele Casadei Massari (of Lucciola Restaurant in Manhattan) will be on hand to showcase the fascinating versatility of Parmigiano Reggiano in traditional dishes from other countries around the world. The SFFS will also discuss PDO status, with a focus on the actions needed to protect transparency amongst consumers. Indeed, the distinctive marks of products of origin must be identified on the shelves and retailer counters more effectively. The Consortium's marketing policies are working in this direction. President Nicola Bertinelli met with importers, retail chains, and business partners at an aperitif on Sunday, June 25 at The Press Lounge, one of Manhattan's most striking rooftops. The event was an opportunity to showcase the value of the product and the Consortium's new initiatives to promote it in the States. Also in attendance were the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, and the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Stefano Bonaccini, as well as an appearance by Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis. Yesterday evening President Bertinelli also engaged face-to-face with the U.S. press at Il Buco restaurant, where he discussed issues including brand protection, traceability of the world's most awarded DOP, challenges posed by the U.S. market and differentiation from competitors, communicating to the U.S. public the unique values of Parmigiano Reggiano spanning biodiversity, history of production, versatility, and the area of origin. "Participating in the SFFS in New York represents for us a commitment-symbol of our presence in the United States which has become daily. In the most important market in the world after Italy for Parmigiano Reggiano consumption, our Consortium works every day to create the solid foundations of growth that must be able to meet the needs of at least 60 million potential consumers, according to research we presented in New York in 2022," says Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. "Our product, capable of expressing the unique values of a millennia-old process, must find the correct distinctiveness and distinguishability in every moment of research and purchase by customers in supermarkets around the world. We will devote all our efforts to this goal."