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Article

A Rising Tide of Green: Unpacking Predictors of New Zealand Consumers’ Willingness to Drink, Pay a Price Premium, and Promote Micro-Algae-Based Beverages

by
Meike Rombach
1 and
David L Dean
2,*
1
Department of Land Management and Systems, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
2
Department of Agribusiness and Markets, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Beverages 2025, 11(4), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11040120
Submission received: 10 July 2025 / Revised: 31 July 2025 / Accepted: 8 August 2025 / Published: 20 August 2025
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Abstract

In Australasian countries such as New Zealand, algae consumption is gaining in popularity within consumer markets. Beverages containing macro-algae, like kelp, and those containing micro-algae, such as spirulina, are considered novel products. While consumer preferences for algae-based products are well explored, less attention has been given to beverages, despite their importance for consumers, specifically those interested in health and well-being. The present study is dedicated to this research gap and investigates the key factors driving and hindering New Zealand consumers’ willingness to drink, pay a price premium, and spread word of mouth about micro-algae-based beverages, such as tea, smoothies, and cuppa soups. Theoretically, the present study is grounded in a seminal Australasian driver and barrier model of seaweed consumption. The current research design both confirms and extends the consumer behaviours previously examined. An online consumer study was distributed and collected via an opt-in panel provider, resulting in 437 responses. Consumers mirroring the NZ population in age, gender, and household income were the target sample, and descriptive statistics and a quantitative analysis via a partial least squares structural analysis served as the methodological foundation for the study. Food neophilia and involvement with algae were significant drivers for all three behavioural intentions investigated. Food neophobia was a significant inhibitor to the willingness to drink but not significantly related to the willingness to pay a price premium or spread word of mouth. Consumer perceptions of product attributes were a significant driver of New Zealand consumers’ willingness to spread word of mouth. The study provides best practice recommendations for marketers in Australasian beverage industries. In terms of its theoretical merit, two aspects stand out. Micro-algae beverages are an emerging beverage product category in Australasian markets, requiring wider exploration and complementary consumer research dedicated to algae-based food items. The focus on food neophobia and neophilia is original, as it helps to understand the barriers and drivers essential to beverages. In contrast to food items, beverages cannot hide novel ingredients such as micro-algae, making them simultaneously more appealing to food neophilic consumers and extremely challenging to food neophobic consumers.

1. Introduction

In the past decade, algae consumption has gained popularity in New Zealand and other Australasian countries [1,2,3,4,5]. Food retail and gastronomy are increasingly offering algae-based food products, or meals with algae as an ingredient [6]. Consumer markets offer crackers, chips, bread, and health supplements that include macro-algae and micro-algae, as they are known for their sustainability and health benefits [6,7,8,9]. Macro-algae are multicellular algae, commonly known as seaweeds, such as kelp, wakame, nori, and sea lettuce. Micro-algae, such as spirulina and chlorella, are unicellular algae organisms of microscopic size [10,11]. While macro-algae products are established within New Zealand consumer markets, micro-algae products are rather novel and are beginning to gain wider acceptance [1,12]. These market tendencies are also reflected in the recent body of literature, with marketing and consumer studies focusing on the acceptance and willingness of consumers to pay for macro-algae-based food products, framed in the context of sustainable lifestyles or alternative protein consumption [13,14,15,16,17,18]. Work on micro-algae is currently gathering interest, with some naming it an upcoming hot topic [19,20,21]. A current research gap that has yet to be more widely covered is micro- and macro-algae-based beverage consumption, as smoothies, tea, and cuppa soups are part of the wellness and health beverage segment. The New Zealand beverage market is projected to generate approximately NZD 1.74 billion in revenue, comprising NZD 1 billion from food retail chains and NZD 735.56 million from restaurants and bars in 2025 [22]. In terms of volume, the non-alcoholic beverage market is 466.98 million litres. Within the beverage market, the research findings suggest there is a steady shift towards healthier options, as consumers seek the health-related benefits associated with plant-based beverages [22]. These so-called functional beverages offer health benefits beyond simple hydration [22]. Functional beverages often include algae and other ingredients that are rich in minerals, protein, and vitamins that promote health and well-being [23,24]. Therefore, investigating algae-based beverages is a timely topic of originality and merit. This work aims to explore the key factors driving and hindering New Zealand consumers’ willingness to drink, pay a price premium, and spread word of mouth about micro-algae-based beverages, such as tea, smoothies, and cuppa soups.
The willingness to drink reflects consumer behaviour that does not require a major commitment but provides an initial indication of their acceptance of micro-algae-based beverages [25]. Paying a price premium and spreading word of mouth requires a higher commitment on the consumer’s part, and it is desirable to understand this commitment from a business and marketing perspective, as these behaviours indicate potential product attachment and the valuing of micro-algae-based beverages [26]. Food neophilia, food neophobia, algae involvement, the perceived importance of product characteristics for well-being and health, and sustainability were selected as the key drivers for investigation [6,7,26], and they will be justified, used, and discussed to develop hypotheses and ultimately a conceptual model underpinning this study.

2. Literature Review to Underpin the Conceptual Model and Hypothesis Development

The present study is grounded in the Australasian context and therefore builds primarily on consumer and marketing studies of Australia and the Pacific Islands. New Zealand’s food and beverage culture is influenced by its Pasifika population [27] and by its Australian neighbours. The food retail chain Woolworths is present in both Australia and New Zealand, selling the same products and brands in both countries [28,29,30,31]. This offers comparability and highlights New Zealand’s role as a consumer market and a multicultural society where transnational retail chains and shared consumption trends impact beverage consumption. In the absence of literature from other countries, research on the New Zealand context contributes to the wider body of literature, including that on functional foods and beverages. In terms of its theoretical underpinning, the present study builds on the work of Birch et al. (2019), who developed a driver and barrier model of seaweed consumption among Australian consumers [5,11]. Their exploration model investigated the consumption-related factors driving and hindering purchase intention and seaweed consumption frequencies [5]. Their Australian driver and barrier model of seaweed consumption is a suitable foundation for the present study, as its consumption aspects align with the willingness to drink within this work. Moreover, the present study includes the willingness to pay a price premium and to spread word of mouth, consumer behaviours that expand and complement their model [5].

2.1. Food Neophobia and Food Neophilia

Food neophobia is a characteristic of children and adults who refuse to eat unfamiliar food items, which has been widely researched across various food products, including algae-based products [4,11,32,33,34,35,36,37]. A recent study found that food neophobia and the green colour were major drivers of rejecting spirulina crackers [31]. An Indonesian consumer study dedicated to spirulina powder as an ingredient in shakes and spirulina cookies showed that lifestyle, food neophobia, and food technology neophobia negatively impacted consumers’ acceptance and willingness to try these products [38]. A work dedicated to novel plant-based beverages indicated food neophobia as a consumption barrier [39]. Sensory attributes, such as smell, texture, taste, and appearance, along with aspects of food preparation, are offered as reasons why neophobic consumers find products unappealing or choose to reject them [40]. On this ground, the following is hypothesised:
Hypothesis 1 (H1).
Food neophobia negatively impacts New Zealand consumers’ willingness to (a) drink, (b) pay a price premium, and (c) spread word of mouth about micro-algae-based beverages.
Food neophilia is the love and enthusiasm that consumers show for trying novel food products. Food neophiliac consumers are often described as “foodies” or as “adventurous eaters”, which includes the consumption of novel beverages. These consumers enjoy exploring different brands, products, and food cultures. Marketing studies have emphasised food neophilia as an enabler of acceptability and the liking of novel food and beverages [40,41]. Similar findings have been presented in studies dedicated to the phenol enrichment and fortification of beverages, as well as studies focused on macro-algae consumption [30,42,43,44,45,46]. At present, food neophilia appears to be more widely investigated in the macro-algae-based beverage context. It is hypothesised that
Hypothesis 2 (H2).
Food neophilia positively impacts New Zealand consumers’ willingness to (a) drink, (b) pay a price premium, and (c) spread word of mouth about micro-algae-based beverages.

2.2. Algae Involvement

Involvement with food and beverage-related activities, as well as a product itself, is important for consumers’ preferences and their behavioural intentions [47,48]. These include active forms of engagement, such as food and beverage preparation, cooking and processing, foraging, social media use [47,49,50], exchanging information with other consumers, and watching product-related videos [51]. Various studies related to plant-based beverages and algae consumption have highlighted the significance of this predictor in Australasian and global consumer studies [6,11,33,52].
Hypothesis 3 (H3).
Algae involvement positively impacts New Zealand consumers’ willingness to (a) drink, (b) pay a price premium, and (c) spread word of mouth about micro-algae-based beverages.

2.3. Perceived Importance of Product Characteristics for Well-Being, Nutrition, and Sustainability

Micro-algae-based food and beverages are marketed as nutritious, sustainable, and beneficial to well-being [53,54]. While studies have shown that consumers desire beverages with additional health benefits, they are susceptible to nudges toward sustainable products, and their awareness influences their consumption choices [55]. An Italian consumer study showed that younger and physically active consumers are willing to pay a price premium for spirulina-based products [56]. A recent conference paper dedicated to micro-algae-enhanced milk beverages presented three consumer groups, concerned with the sweetener type, flavour, and nutritional content [57]. Furthermore, a work focusing on kombucha green tea with micro-algae concentrations indicated consumer demand for the beverage were due it being seen as healthy and sustainable, using fermented products made from plant-based ingredients [58]. Ethiopian studies found that educated, younger consumers who participate in physical exercise have positive attitudes about and are more willing to consume sustainable food items fortified with spirulina [59,60].
Hypothesis 4 (H4).
The perceived importance of product characteristics related to well-being, nutrition, and sustainability positively impacts New Zealand consumers’ willingness to (a) drink, (b) pay a price premium, and (c) spread word of mouth about micro-algae-based beverages.
Figure 1 graphically depicts the proposed relationships in a conceptual model.

3. Methods

This research builds on a consumer survey, which was distributed via an opt-in panel provider in December 2023 [61]. Within the behavioural and social sciences, consumer research via opt-in panel providers is widely established [61]. The consumer survey explored behavioural intentions, namely the willingness to drink, pay a price premium, and spread word of mouth, and received 450 responses. However, thirteen responses had to be excluded from the sample because they were either mostly incomplete, had frequently repeated extreme responses, or had far quicker completion times compared to the average response time [62]. The extant literature identifies numerous potential response difficulties associated with online consumer surveys that require researchers’ attention, including deviant consumer responses, bot responses, and other gaming tendencies [62]. To be included in the consumer survey, the respondents had to be New Zealand residents, eighteen years or older, and the main grocery shopper in their household. Further, the consumers were required to be interested in and familiar with algae-based food and beverages. The respondents who did not fulfil these screening criteria were not permitted to take the survey. On the landing page, consumers were asked to give their informed consent and were introduced to the survey and specific terminology related to micro-algae species. The survey questions and items were derived from the extant literature. The survey questions used for the present analysis comprised four demographic questions related to age, gender, household income, and residential environment, and twenty-nine questions dedicated to consumer attitudes and behaviours. The questions related to food neophobia and food neophilia originated from Pliner and Hobden (1992) [63]. Those dedicated to product characteristics with a focus on well-being, nutrition, and sustainability were developed following Birch et al. (2019) and Young et al. (2022) [4,5]. The questions dedicated to algae involvement were derived from Wiedenroth and Otter (2021) [64]. The questions were measured on a five-point Likert scale and asked the survey participants to rate their agreement on a scale where 1 constituted strong disagreement and 5 strong agreement.
A sample description is provided in Table 1 and was designed to match the most recent New Zealand census in terms of age, gender, and income.
However, alignment with census statistics was not fully accomplished, as participants in income brackets below NZD 50,000 were underrepresented and those in brackets over NZD 50,000 were overrepresented compared to the census statistics. In terms of their residential environment, 83% of the respondents lived in urban areas and 17% in rural New Zealand.
In addition to the sample description, which was completed with IBM SPSS 28, a partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed, following the guidelines offered by Hair et al. (2022) [65]. The analysis was twofold. In the first step, a measurement model analysis was performed, which was followed by a structural model analysis. Hair et al. (2022) outlined how to best assess measurement and structural models (outer and inner models) using reliability, validity criteria, and model fit and performance indices [65]. The appropriateness of the PLS-SEM analysis is grounded in the approach’s suitability for smaller sample sizes and limited distributional requirements [65,66,67]. In Figure 2, the analyses of the outer model and inner model are illustrated. Their depiction includes the relevant concepts, tests and thresholds, and the performance results and interpretation.

4. Results and Discussion

The two-stage PLS-SEM analysis included a number of concepts designed to evaluate the suitability of the items and scales from the data and the overall performance of the model. Each of these concepts, including the reliability, validity, multicollinearity, model fit, predictive accuracy, and predictive relevance, were tested, and the results compared to established criteria. The concepts and their descriptions, the tests, criteria, and results appear in Figure 2. As all of the tests were within the specified criteria, the scales, items, and model were considered to be suitable for hypothesis testing. Beyond this summary, the scale and item wording and the specific reliability and validity scores are presented in Table 2. Further, Table 3 provides the specific HTMT ratios used to confirm the discriminant validity of the scales. Finally, Table 4 shows the results of the hypothesis testing.
The associations between food neophobia and willingness to pay a price premium or spread word of mouth were not significant, so no support was found for hypotheses H1b and H1c. As hypothesised, the association between food neophobia and willingness to drink micro-algae-based beverages was a significant negative association, confirming support for hypothesis H1a. These results indicate that food neophobia is a hurdle to initial beverage acceptance in consumer markets but does not necessarily impact subsequent high-involvement behaviours, such as willingness to pay price premiums or make referrals. The non-significant hypotheses H1b and H1c lead to the assumption that once micro-algae beverages find their place in the market, neophobic consumers are unlikely to advocate or engage with these products and brands, as this psychological trait may prohibit these consumers from even trying the products. These findings are consistent with prior studies showing that food neophobia suppresses openness to unfamiliar food sources [30,31], but may not always extend to active resistance or negative promotion.
A positive significant association was found between food neophilia and a willingness to drink, pay a price premium, and spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages, supporting hypotheses H2a, H2b, and H2c. These results align well with the recent body of literature showing that food neophiliac consumers are open to alternative and novel beverages [68]. In addition, the results complement the extant literature as they demonstrates that food neophilia not only drives low-involvement behaviours, such as a willingness to drink, but also translates into high-involvement behaviours, such as a willingness to pay price premiums and spread word of mouth. Based on these findings, it can be assumed that food neophilia is an important predictor for the initial market development of micro-algae-based beverages [69], making neophilic consumers the ideal targets to build trust in and to advocate for products and brands. Further, they indicate that micro-algae beverages can be advertised as micro-algae-based beverages, and they can be positioned as premium beverages.
Furthermore, a significant positive association was found between algae involvement and a willingness to drink, pay a price premium, and spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages, supporting hypotheses H3a, H3b, and H3c. Consumers who are interested and involved in algae are more likely to support the uptake and dissemination of micro-algae-based beverages. These results support the notion of product and domain-specific involvement impacting New Zealand consumers’ behaviours. New Zealand consumers who are involved with algae are not only more inclined to try micro-algae-based beverages but also do not mind higher prices and are more likely to engage in product advocacy. While these findings are an addition to the micro-algae-based beverage literature, they confirm food-related studies involving functional foods and superfoods [70,71].
Finally, the association between the perceived importance of product characteristics to well-being, nutrition, and sustainability, and a willingness to drink and pay a price premium was not found to be significant, indicating no support for hypotheses H4a and H4b. However, the association between the perceived importance of product characteristics for well-being, nutrition, and sustainability and a willingness to spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages was positive and therefore supports hypothesis H4c. The findings indicate that consumers may appreciate these products’ characteristics, but this does not necessarily translate into a drinking intention or willingness to pay price premiums for micro-algae beverages. Yet, the significant positive association between the perceived importance of these products’ attributes and a willingness to spread word of mouth suggests that New Zealand consumers who place an emphasis on well-being, nutrition, and sustainability are more likely to support micro-algae-based beverages socially, despite an overall unwillingness to drink and pay for them. Generally, personal values persuade New Zealand consumers to champion food and beverage-related innovations that bring societal benefits, making them value-based influencers rather than ordinary consumers [72,73]. These results present a potential attitude–behaviour gap, where sustainability or well-being-based values drive social support more than purchase and consumption.

5. Conclusions

In terms of its originality and merit, two aspects of this study stand out. Within a New Zealand and wider Australasian context, micro-algae-based beverages present a product category that has not been widely investigated, despite its steadily developing importance in consumer markets. The focus on beverages complements the well-developed literature branch on food products. Moreover, the dual framing of food neophobia and food neophilia allows for the study of consumer openness and resistance alike, which is of merit for investigations of novel product categories as they indicate opportunities and barriers for marketers. Despite previous research on the barriers to and opportunities for micro-algae-based food products, the complementary findings related to beverages adds an interesting facet to the discussion and understanding. In contrast to foods, where novel ingredients can be hidden to some extent, beverages tend to expose novel ingredients, such as micro-algae. This immediate transparency provides an appeal to neophilic consumers and a major challenge to neophobic consumers.
The results of the present study are of relevance to marketers in New Zealand’s beverage industry. The results related to food neophilia indicate the potential of targeting food neophiliac consumer segments for micro-algae-based beverage launches. Marketers may capitalise on their interest in food curiosity and novelty and their ability to direct word of mouth. Their willingness to pay a price premium suggests that this consumer segment may accept higher price points grounded in functionality, well-being, and sustainability. In contrast, the results dedicated to food neophobia emphasise the importance of overcoming initial consumer doubt or even resistance, particularly among consumers with food neophobic psychological traits. Marketers may use consumer familiarisation and educational tactics to overcome this obstacle. Measures may include product endorsement by trusted influencers, celebrities, or credibility certification through verification bodies. For taste testing, it would be worth mentioning products that are familiar in taste or widely established. It would be helpful to offer beverages with food products such as crackers, where algae are present in processed form. The micro-algae ingredient should not be emphasised, as this is the most likely reason for rejection. Consumer education could emphasise the nutritional and well-being aspects to mitigate perceived consumer risk and increase the exposure of the beverages. The findings dedicated to product characteristics and algae involvement provide further implications for segmentation and consumer messaging. Messaging may emphasise sustainability and nutritional advantages as well as the functionality and versatility of algae-based products. Such consumer messages may appeal to those interested and involved in algae and could spark interest among those who are less involved. By intensifying involvement through educational measures and storytelling, marketers may be able to build long-term relationships, enthusiasm, and ultimately loyalty among their beverage consumers. While the current research was conducted in New Zealand, it offers fresh insights into consumer acceptance of novel food technologies and may be generalisable to other contexts.
Future research may be dedicated to understanding consumers’ attribute preferences for micro-algae-based beverages. A real choice experiment may allow us to understand attribute bundles and the willingness to pay, and is therefore particularly interesting. In addition, longitudinal designs and cross-country comparisons will be of interest to retailers and researchers alike. This could overcome some of the limitations of the present study, as the present study is limited to New Zealand consumers and uses a cross-sectional design. Cross-sectional designs obtain consumer attitudes and behavioural intentions only at a specific point in time. A longitudinal design would allow for an investigation of causal relationships or longer-term trends, further building a more dynamic understanding of consumer behaviour changes, including the development of behavioural and attitudinal loyalty and changes in market trends.

Author Contributions

Conceptualisation, M.R. and D.L.D.; methodology, M.R. and D.L.D.; software, M.R.; validation, D.L.D.; formal analysis, M.R.; investigation, M.R. and D.L.D.; resources, M.R.; data curation, D.L.D.; writing—original draft preparation; M.R.; writing—review and editing, D.L.D.; visualisation, M.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Human Ethics Committee of Lincoln University, New Zealand, in June 2023 (HEC-2023-24).

Informed Consent Statement

All the participants gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in this study.

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Beverages 11 00120 g001
Figure 1. Conceptual model.
Figure 1. Conceptual model.
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Figure 2. Model acceptability: Concepts, tests, thresholds, and results. Author’s own work based on [65,66,67].
Figure 2. Model acceptability: Concepts, tests, thresholds, and results. Author’s own work based on [65,66,67].
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Table 1. Sample demographics of New Zealand consumers.
Table 1. Sample demographics of New Zealand consumers.
FrequencyPercentage (%)NZ Census
Age Group
18–24 years old6214.212.2
25–34 years old7918.118.4
35–44 years old7216.516.3
45–54 years old7717.617.5
55–64 years old6214.215.7
65 years old and older8519.519.9
Total437100100
Household Income Group (per Year in NZD)
NZD 0 to NZD 24,9995011.419
NZD 25,000 to NZD 49,99912528.640
NZD 50,000 to NZD 74,99911626.524
NZD 75,000 to NZD 99,9996514.911
NZD 100,000 or higher8118.56
Total437100100
Gender Group
Female22451.350.7
Male21348.849.4
Prefer not to say000
Total437100100
Table 2. Reliability and convergent validity.
Table 2. Reliability and convergent validity.
Scales and ItemsFactor LoadingsCronbach’s AlphaComposite ReliabilityAverage Variance Extracted
Food Neophilia0.7270.8280.549
I like to try new ethnic restaurants.0.762
I like foods from different cultures.0.771
At dinner parties, I will try new foods.0.767
I will eat almost anything.0.838
Food Neophobia0.7920.8650.616
I don’t trust new foods.0.799
If I don’t know what a food is, I won’t try it.0.740
Ethnic food looks too weird to eat.0.779
I am afraid to eat things I have never had before.0.634
Algae Involvement0.7340.8350.567
I have been foraging for algae.0.801
I am committed to food processing and food preserving.0.608
I have watched YouTube videos about algae production.0.840
I know how to identify algae.0.814
Perceived importance of product characteristics for well-being, nutrition, and sustainability0.8720.8890.528
Healthfulness0.794
Nutritiousness0.683
Contains Omega-3 acids0.636
Calories (low)0.824
Contains iodine0.735
Sustainability0.649
Product from the seafood industry0.735
Contains protein0.735
Willingness to drink micro-algae-based beverages0.8060.8850.721
Micro-algae-based smoothy0.685
Micro-algae-based tea0.826
Micro-algae-based cuppa soup0.783
Willingness to pay a price premium for micro-algae-based beverages0.6460.8100.588
Micro-algae-based smoothy0.776
Micro-algae-based tea0.886
Micro-algae-based cuppa soup0.880
Willingness to spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages0.8130.8900.729
Micro-algae-based smoothy0.808
Micro-algae-based tea0.890
Micro-algae-based cuppa soup0.862
Table 3. Discriminant validity.
Table 3. Discriminant validity.
HTMTABCDEF
(A) Food neophilia
(B) Food neophobia0.663
(C) Algae involvement0.1630.254
(D) Perceived importance of product characteristics0.3320.1770.329
(E) Willingness to pay a price premium for micro-algae-based beverages0.2000.1180.5030.195
(F) Willingness to drink micro-algae-based beverages0.4440.3070.2840.2880.701
(G) Willingness to spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages0.3090.1000.4070.3380.7530.814
Table 4. Hypothesis testing results.
Table 4. Hypothesis testing results.
Hypothesised RelationshipCoefficientT Statisticsp Values
H1a. Food neophobia → Willingness to drink micro-algae-based beverages.−0.1382.3960.017
H1b. Food neophobia → Willingness to pay a price premium for micro-algae-based beverages.0.0871.5390.124
H1c. Food neophobia → Willingness to spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages.0.0020.0350.972
H2a. Food neophilia → Willingness to drink micro-algae-based beverages.0.1943.2120.001
H2b. Food neophilia → Willingness to pay a price premium for micro-algae-based beverages.0.1422.6000.009
H2c. Food neophilia → Willingness to spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages.0.1652.7550.006
H3a. Algae involvement → Willingness to drink micro-algae-based beverages.0.1592.8340.005
H3b. Algae involvement → Willingness to pay a price premium for micro-algae-based beverages.0.3527.1320.000
H3c. Algae involvement → Willingness to spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages.0.2494.7150.000
H4a. Perception of product attributes → Willingness to drink micro-algae-based beverages.0.1131.8070.071
H4b. Perception of product attributes → Willingness to pay a price premium for micro-algae-based beverages.0.0540.9060.365
H4c. Perception of product attributes → Willingness to spread word of mouth for micro-algae-based beverages.0.1843.0850.002
Note: Bold = p < 0.05.
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Rombach, M.; Dean, D.L. A Rising Tide of Green: Unpacking Predictors of New Zealand Consumers’ Willingness to Drink, Pay a Price Premium, and Promote Micro-Algae-Based Beverages. Beverages 2025, 11, 120. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11040120

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Rombach M, Dean DL. A Rising Tide of Green: Unpacking Predictors of New Zealand Consumers’ Willingness to Drink, Pay a Price Premium, and Promote Micro-Algae-Based Beverages. Beverages. 2025; 11(4):120. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11040120

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Rombach, Meike, and David L Dean. 2025. "A Rising Tide of Green: Unpacking Predictors of New Zealand Consumers’ Willingness to Drink, Pay a Price Premium, and Promote Micro-Algae-Based Beverages" Beverages 11, no. 4: 120. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11040120

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Rombach, M., & Dean, D. L. (2025). A Rising Tide of Green: Unpacking Predictors of New Zealand Consumers’ Willingness to Drink, Pay a Price Premium, and Promote Micro-Algae-Based Beverages. Beverages, 11(4), 120. https://doi.org/10.3390/beverages11040120

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