••• data privacy
Global views on sharing data differ
A global survey by application programming interface management firm Axway found regional – and perhaps cultural – differences in consumers’ embrace of data openness: 75% of Brazilians and 59% of Americans said it is worth giving companies access to their personal data if it means a better user experience, whereas the British are actually quite split – only 50% agreeing it’s worth giving access to their data – and Germans are slightly opposed to the notion, with only 48% agreeing. Overall, almost 60% of those surveyed are fine with sharing their personal data if it means a better user experience.
Even when the average consumer doesn’t necessarily grasp the technology underpinning it, principles of data openness seem to resonate with respondents. For example, three-quarters (76%) of people agree their health providers should have the same, most up-to-date information about a patient to help decrease miscommunication and human errors and provide better care. Meanwhile, 84% of respondents globally agree that they should have control of their financial data and banks should not prevent the movement of money between other financial services – principles that are basic tenets of open banking.
Brazilians are most wholeheartedly embracing open banking, with 79% of them saying they have a positive view a movement toward it. U.S. consumers are more split, with only slightly more feeling it’s a positive development (51%) and the rest worried about security and data privacy.
••• restaurant research
Color captures diners’ attention
An appealing photo of a menu item can help a restaurant increase sales – especially if the right filter is used, a new study suggests. Photos high in color saturation make food look fresher and tastier, increasing customer willingness to order the menu items, researchers found. How well color saturation works can even depend on whether consumers plan to dine alone or with others.
The study, “Marketing online food images via color saturation: A sensory imagery perspective,” was published in the Journal of Business Research. In one test of respondents browsing Instagram for a pizza restaurant, the food in the color-saturated photo was always seen as fresher and tastier and something people would be more likely to buy. But that effect was stronger for people who were told they would be eating alone and weaker for those who would be eating with family.
“When people are eating with others, the social experience is a big part of what people look forward to,” says Stephanie Liu, lead author of the study and associate professor of hospitality management at The Ohio State University. “But when they anticipate eating alone, they focus more on the food itself. They want the food to be fresher and tastier and that’s why color saturation is more important in this context.”