Tag

Personalization

All articles tagged with #personalization

Solo Dining Goes Mainstream as Menus Pivot for One
business18 days ago

Solo Dining Goes Mainstream as Menus Pivot for One

Solo dining is accelerating: solo orders account for 47% of fast-food visits (up from 31% in 2021), one-person reservations at full-service restaurants rose 22% in Q3 2025, and about 70% of solo diners skip discounts. Yum Brands notes menus are being redesigned for individuals, with personal-size pizzas appealing to Gen Z and millennials, signaling a shift toward personalization even as sharing remains common and solo bookings still represent a minority overall. The trend points to more customization in 2026.

business27 days ago

Starbucks Overhauls Rewards With Three-Tier Loyalty And Faster Rewards

Starbucks unveiled a reimagined Starbucks Rewards loyalty program with three levels—Green, Gold and Reserve—launching March 10, featuring faster Star earning, personalized benefits, and new redemption options (including a 60‑Star, $2‑off tier). Green Stars expire after six months (extendable by activity), while Gold and Reserve Stars never expire, and members can enjoy perks like a birthday reward, early access, and exclusive experiences, plus the option to link with Delta and Marriott programs to broaden rewards; the overhaul is designed to deepen engagement and drive purchases as part of the Back to Starbucks strategy.

Spotify expands Prompted Playlist beta to US and Canada, letting Premium users craft playlists with their own prompts
technology1 month ago

Spotify expands Prompted Playlist beta to US and Canada, letting Premium users craft playlists with their own prompts

Spotify is expanding its Prompted Playlist beta to Premium listeners in the United States and Canada after testing in New Zealand in December 2025. The feature lets users describe what they want to hear in their own words—moods, moments, or cultural moments—and Spotify generates a playlist drawn from their listening history and current trends. Users can edit prompts, set daily or weekly refreshes, and receive one-line explanations for each track. The idea is a more intuitive, collaborative approach to discovery, with editors providing inspiration prompts; the rollout is in beta and may evolve with usage limits as Spotify learns from feedback.

ChatGPT to Trial In-Chat Ads With Clear Labeling
technology1 month ago

ChatGPT to Trial In-Chat Ads With Clear Labeling

OpenAI will begin testing ads inside ChatGPT in the United States with a global rollout planned later. Ads will appear in separate, clearly labeled boxes beneath the assistant’s responses and will not influence what ChatGPT says. OpenAI says it won’t sell user data to advertisers, and advertisers will see aggregate metrics; some conversation data may be used for targeting, with an option to disable data for ads. Ads won’t appear in sensitive topics or to users under 18, and won’t be shown to Plus/Pro/Enterprise subscribers. More details on advertising programs are expected in the coming weeks.

Facebook Reels Refines Recommendations Using User Survey Feedback
technology1 month ago

Facebook Reels Refines Recommendations Using User Survey Feedback

Facebook Reels enhances personalization by deploying the User True Interest Survey (UTIS), a survey-driven alignment layer atop the main ranking model. Daily in-context surveys measure how well videos match user interests, boosting niche content and engagement. Offline metrics improve from 59.5% to 71.5% in accuracy, 48.3% to 63.2% in precision, and 45.4% to 66.1% in recall; online A/B tests show higher engagement and fewer integrity issues. UTIS is integrated in late-stage ranking and early-stage retrieval via a Perception Layer to handle sparse feedback, with future work focusing on bias reduction and more advanced modeling.

Instagram lets you shape your Reels in 2026 with new topic controls
technology1 month ago

Instagram lets you shape your Reels in 2026 with new topic controls

Instagram is rolling out a global English version of its Reels personalization controls, enabling users to highlight top topics for 2026, adjust what they see, and remove topics based on their activity. The feature also includes a “build your 2026 algorithm” option to spotlight three themes. It does not allow seeing fewer ads, and early tests show the algorithm can misclassify content, indicating continued need for refinement.

Instagram Expands Reels Customization with Global Algorithm Controls
technology1 month ago

Instagram Expands Reels Customization with Global Algorithm Controls

Instagram has rolled out its manual 'Your Algorithm' controls to all English-speaking users globally, allowing people to refine their Reels feed by adding or removing topics of interest and selecting three top interests for 2026, accessible via the top-right slider in the Reels feed. The feature aims to give users more control over what they see, though experts say many users may not actively use it, and Meta is expanding algorithm controls across its apps.

Google Finds Reduced AI Overviews When User Engagement Drops
technology1 month ago

Google Finds Reduced AI Overviews When User Engagement Drops

Google's AI Overviews appear selectively based on user engagement and usefulness, with the system learning when to show them and expanding search queries under the hood to provide relevant information. The feature is designed to assist with complex questions and is gradually incorporating limited personalization, but overall, it prioritizes consistency across users. Fluctuations in AI Overviews' presence may reflect user behavior rather than algorithm changes.