Interest in the dairy world is evolving and becoming increasingly digital. This is confirmed by the recent Popularity Analysis realized by Nomisma, on behalf of the European campaign “Think Milk, Taste Europe, Be Smart”, promoted by Confcooperative and co-financed by European CommissionThe research, which examined the search activity of users on the web in Italy and Germany between April 2024 and March 2025, reveals how milk is now increasingly associated with key concepts such as health e technology.
We talked about it with Chiara Volpato, Head of Technical Consulting at Nomisma, and with John Guarneri of the dairy sector of Alliance of Agri-food Cooperatives, to understand how they are doing transforming Italians' digital behavior and what impact this trend could have on the sector's communication strategies.
Using Google Trends, you analyzed the widespread sentiment in online communications related to specific messages and products like milk, cheese, and dairy. What are the main insights that emerged from your analysis?
“We examined a set of keywords in the two target markets, Italy and Germany, comparing them with related words and observing search frequencies, time trends and associated values,” explains Chiara Volpato, Head of Technical Consulting at Nomisma. “Of all the terms analyzed, 'milk' had the highest search volume, especially when associated with the topic of health. This is a clear sign of consumers' growing attention to the health aspects of their diet.”
Are there significant regional differences in Italians' search behavior?
The analysis highlights marked geographical differences. In Southern Italy, in particular Calabria, Sicily, Campania, Basilicata and Puglia, there is a strong interest in the keyword "milk", often linked to concepts such as hay milk, raw milk, and tointake in children.
In Northern Italy, instead, users' attention is focused more on the cheese, with peaks in searches in regions such as Valle d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige, Liguria and Veneto. Here too, the central theme remains the health.
Is cheese retaining its appeal? How does it compare to milk in online searches?
Although the term "cheese" recorded a lower search volume than milk, it was observed a slight increase in user interest over the last twelve months. The research focuses mainly on nutritional and health aspects, with associated terms such as grasso, hypercholesterolemia e raw milk.
What do these data mean for the “Think Milk, Taste Europe, Be Smart” campaign and for the dairy sector as a whole?
“This analysis represents for us an additional information asset to support the evaluation of the media impact of our campaign – comments John Guarneri, of the dairy sector of Alliance of Agri-food CooperativesThe fact that users associate milk and cheese with health and the environment reinforces the belief that it is essential to continue investing in training and accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive communication.
Furthermore – adds Guarneri – these results tell us that consumers are more aware and eager for concrete information: a challenge we want to address with extreme transparency and continuity.
What will be the next steps to enhance this new digital landscape?
“We will continue to delve into the data and develop content in line with the real interests of users – concludes Guarneri – trying to strengthen consumer trust through a fresh and contemporary approach that valorises milk and its derivatives as precious resources for nutrition, society and the territory”.
