Parmigiano Reggiano invests in the brand: 'Exports in 10 years will reach 80%'.

Parmigiano Reggiano relies on brand value to grow abroad and consolidate its premium position. Nicola Bertinelli - reconfirmed in April at the helm of the Consortium for the Protection of PDO - makes a comparison that is as ambitious as it is clear in indicating the direction: "Usually you don't uncork a bottle of Champagne because you need a sparkling white, perhaps for cooking - he says - so Parmigiano must be something that goes beyond its function as a mere product, beyond the piece of cheese, albeit an excellent one. It must increase the emotional and value component that carries with it the wealth of an entire territory'.

The comparison also stems from a reflection on the market outlook: 'In Italy, in the long term, it will be difficult to maintain current consumption levels, if only for demographic reasons,' Bertinelli continues. 'Today, many families are struggling to make ends meet and there are cheaper alternatives to scrape by. Growth will therefore have to be abroad. Champagne 50 years ago produced about the same number of bottles, but exported 10%, now it sells most of its production outside France. We are already practically at half, but in ten years we could get to export 80% of the wheels of Parmigiano'.

On the one hand, the Consortium is aiming at a marked change of direction in the communication strategy, also thanks to the increase in resources allocated and the arrival of Carmine Forbuso, who has experience at Campari, Ferrero and Procter&Gamble, as marketing director. On the other hand, on the maintenance of a plan to adjust the offer in line with the objectives.
"We believe that the right growth rate not to inflate the product is about 2% per annum, which means reaching 4.7 million wheels in 2031 and 4.9 in 2035," explains Bertinelli. "On the marketing and communication front, we have been increasing the budget for a few years now. We will go from 27 million in 2024 to 30 million in 2025, 60% of which will go abroad. But the consortium members will be called upon in October to decide whether to raise the contributions allocated to this fundamental expenditure chapter'.

In the past, the emphasis has been on the qualitative excellence of the product, from the naturalness of Parmigiano to its nutritional richness. "These are indispensable prerequisites," Bertinelli points out, "but to become an iconic brand we need a further step from the point of view of exclusivity (which does not necessarily mean luxury) and belonging; we must convey all the richness of the territory, history and know-how that Parmigiano brings. We must then act in the creation of new moments of consumption, to be promoted beyond the traditional ones, for example Parmigiano can also become a savoury cuddle before going to sleep, instead of a chocolate. We also need to increase the loyalty of certain consumer categories, such as the 20-35 age group.

Finally, Parmigiano must become a tourist destination, also developing synergies with the other riches of the territory, from motor valley to music. We are investing in cheese factories that allow hospitality on the model of what wineries have done and are doing'. A concrete example of successful territorial marketing comes from Caseifici Aperti, an event on which the budget was tripled this year to 1.5 million euro with the involvement of influencers and specialised operators.
The success of Champagne, like that of many Italian wines abroad, has been contributed by individual labels, while Parmigiano is not linked to the individual producer: this is an element that could negatively affect the brand's growth path. "Cheese ripeners generally take over the product after the first twelve months, which complicates this type of path. The dairies that sell directly are only 15%," reflects the president of the Consortium, "but diversification has been taking place for some time, through, for example, different ageing processes, the type of breed the milk comes from, organic or mountain production.