Cheese is a conservative food category. The study of the most popular on-pack claims featured on new products launched in the last 5 years reveals an unsophisticated and unchanging innovation landscape. The leading claim – convenient packaging – is only featured on 13% of the products, suggesting that there is a lot of new products not bearing any on-pack marketing claim. Moreover, apart from the convenient packaging claim that gained 4% since 2009, shares of the leading claims have remained unchanged. Brands owners are obviously reluctant to any breakthrough innovation. Moreover, in some regions, strict regulation sets unnegotiable standards of quality and production, such as the European schemes known as Pdo (Protected designation of origin), Pgi (Protected geographical indication) and Tsg (Traditional speciality guaranteed) that promote and protect names of quality agricultural products and foodstuffs, including cheese. Cheese manufacturers are leveraging their heritage and know-how in marketing strategies. In Europe, consumers are emotionally attached to cheese producers with more than 7 in 10 French and Italian consumers who think that supporting smaller cheese producers is important. In the US, the so-called artisan cheeses are growing in popularity. Over a third (37%) of US cheese buyers now consider that artisan cheese brands are worth paying more for. Artisan cues, and their association to more naturalness, an important factor of choice for over half (56%) of the US cheeses buyers, are therefore a way to add value to cheese. (source: Mintel Global Market Research)
