Perceived Value Drivers of Willingness to Pay : Evidence from Generation Z Matcha Consumption in Western Café Markets

Sammanfattning

Social media's increasing influence has changed how customers see and assess food and beverage items, shaping not only what consumers buy but also how much they are willing to pay for it. Despite its unusual flavor, matcha, a traditional Japanese green tea, has recently become more well-known in Western markets and is frequently marketed as a high-end product. This study looks at how Generation Z consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for matcha beverages is influenced by perceived value dimensions shaped within social media environments. The study uses a mixed-method approach based on the Theory of Consumption Values (TCV), combining a netnographic analysis with a quantitative survey. In the first phase, 964 comments from TikTok and YouTube Shorts were analyzed to explore how consumers organically discuss and evaluate matcha online. The findings showed that taste polarization and customization were the most discussed topics, while social and health dimensions appeared less frequently than expected. In the second phase, a survey of 100 Generation Z consumers from Europe and North America was conducted to examine the relationship between perceived value dimensions and willingness to pay. The results show that while all five TCV dimensions positively correlate with willingness to pay, only emotional value emerged as a statistically significant predictor. Taste-related skepticism remains a barrier to price acceptance, while social media contributes indirectly by increasing perceived value through visual appeal and social validation. By connecting social media-driven value perceptions to willingness to pay, this study contributes to the existing literature on consumer behavior, digital marketing, and food and beverage consumption, and provides useful recommendations for marketing matcha as a premium product to Generation Z consumers.