Consumer-stated preferences towards Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) labels in a traditional olive-oil-producing country: the case of Spain

This study investigates the relative importance that European origin labels (Protected Designation of Origin, PDO) associated with extrinsic (price and packaging) and intrinsic (colour) cues of Spanish olive oil has in consumer preferences. We conducted a survey through face-to-face interviews in Andalusia (southern Spain) with 439 consumers of olive oil. The consumers' preferences were estimated using the conjoint analysis (CA). Furthermore, market segmentation was also performed through a cluster analysis. The results indicate that price and origin labelling (PDO label) are the attributes that most affect consumers 'preferences. Four consumer segments were identified, two of which concern liking the origin label.