Consequences of consumer trust in PDO food products: the role of familiarity

Purpose – This research proposes studying how the moderating role of consumers' familiarity with a food product with a protected denomination of origin (PDO) influences consumer behavior. Past research has ascertained that consumers confuse different brands and PDOs. For this reason, it is important to analyze whether the level of consumers' experience with PDO food products influences their decisions. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equations and multi‐sample models were applied to measure the effect of familiarity on the relations between perceived risk, trust, satisfaction, loyalty and buying intention in a PDO food product. The consumer was asked to indicate his/her level of agreement or disagreement with a series of statements based on a seven‐point Likert scale. After the completion of the fieldwork, an analytic process (exploratory and confirmatory reliability analysis) was performed and 414 valid questionnaires were obtained. Findings – Results indicate that all the relationships proposed in the structural equation model between perceived risk, trust, satisfaction, loyalty and buying intention of the air‐cured ham “Jamón de Teruel” were accepted. Multi‐sample model results suggest that there are significant differences between consumers with high and low levels of familiarity in the influence of trust on satisfaction, as well as in the influence of satisfaction on loyalty. In consumers with greater familiarity and experience with the PDO, the effects of trust on satisfaction and satisfaction on loyalty are higher. Research limitations/implications – As a result of the study's findings with respect to the moderating role of greater familiarity with the PDO, managers should design marketing strategies to emphasize two main factors, intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes, of PDO food products that make them unique. Originality/value – The study emphasizes the importance of investigating the moderating effect of familiarity with a food product certified with a PDO and provides new insight into the necessity of consumers being able to differentiate the PDO from other brands in the food market.