Method and system for turning virtual world participants into real life leads

• US 10,290,007 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maier, Albert, Nowak, Dirk, Oberhofer, Martin, Schwarz, Thomas, Yazbek, Baxter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, Folashade
• Application Number:
  US12/357,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185510A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,764 Days
• Field of Search: 705 729
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

The present disclosure details a method and system used for turning human participants who control avatars in a virtual world setting into real life marketing leads. In one embodiment, a virtual location is presented within a virtual world to facilitate interaction with an avatar. The avatar is identified within a master data management system, and a profile of the human behind the avatar is created or retrieved. To encourage the human user to provide real-world information through the avatar within the virtual world, an incentive is offered and awarded as necessary. The real-world information about the human user, such as address or demographic information about the human user is collected and stored in the profile, and eventually synchronized with a CRM system. As appropriate, the data collected and compiled in the CRM system may be used to launch marketing campaigns.

Claims

1. A method for turning virtual world participants into real life leads, comprising:

presenting, by a processor, a virtual location within a virtual world for access by an avatar, the avatar operated by a real-world human user;

performing, by a processor, an interaction with the avatar within the virtual world responsive to the avatar accessing the virtual location;

identifying, by a processor, the avatar based on characteristics of the avatar within the virtual world, including avatar ID and avatar name;

determining, by a processor, whether the avatar is associated with an existing customer registration, and determining whether the existing customer registration for the avatar identifies a real-world customer based on the identified characteristics of the avatar, the existing customer registration stored in a master data management (MDM) server tracking customer registrations for a plurality of human users and connected to a plurality of customer relationship management (CRM) terminals;

creating, by a processor, a customer registration within the MDM server responsive to determining the avatar is not associated with the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server;

locating, by a processor, the existing customer registration within the MDM server responsive to determining the avatar is associated with the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server;

collecting, by a processor, real-world information about the real-world human user operating the avatar through the interaction with the avatar;

storing, by a processor, the collected real-world information in association with the existing customer registration into a customer registration database within the MDM server; and

communicating, by a processor, the real-world information stored in the customer registration database within the MDM server to the plurality of CRM terminals,

wherein the existing customer registration in the MDM server identifying the real-world customer is associated with a plurality of avatars from a plurality of virtual worlds so the real-world information of each of the real-world customers is identified through the characteristics of the plurality of avatars from the plurality of virtual worlds,

wherein the plurality of avatars from the plurality of virtual worlds are connected to the MDM server by a plurality of virtual world connectors,

wherein the MDM server sends a CRM relevant customer information to one or more of the plurality of CRM terminals and initiates a create lead operation on the one or more CRM terminals;

wherein, the create lead operation comprises, in response to the determining indicating that a new avatar is registered, triggering a first dialog with the avatar offering a first incentive to the avatar through the respective one or more CRM terminals; and

in response to the determining indicating that the avatar is registered in the MDM server and the determining further indicating that none of the identified characteristics are available for the real-world customer, triggering a second dialog with the avatar offering a second incentive that is larger than the first incentive through the respective one or more terminals,

wherein the MDM server receives incoming data from the one or more CRM terminals, in response to one of the first and the second offering,

wherein the MDM server comprises a synchronization component which invokes an algorithm to;

standardize the incoming data from each of the one or more CRM terminals;

detect whether any information in the incoming data is duplicate of information corresponding to the new avatar or the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server; and

associate the incoming data with the existing customer registration stored in MDM server after removing the duplicate information, and

wherein the MDM server selectively pushes synchronized information stored in the MDM server to the plurality of CRM terminals such that any changes made to the CRM relevant customer information through the respective one or more CRM terminals is persisted in the respective one or more CRM terminals only after approval by the synchronization component of the MDM server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a marketing campaign directed towards the human user utilizing real-world information about the human user compiled within the plurality of CRM terminals.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the real-world information provided by the real world user operating the avatar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the offering incentives to the avatar is to obtain the real-world information about the human user operating the avatar;

and to provide the incentives responsive to the human user providing the real-world information through the interaction with the avatar.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the human user is associated with one or more avatars within the virtual world.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual world connectors use logic and data in the MDM server to determine whether the real life person behind the avatars are already known within the MDM server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the MDM server comprises a synchronization component which invokes an algorithm to verify the incoming data and to selectively push verified data from MDM server to the CRM terminal, the algorithm comprises name and postal address verification algorithm to verify whether provided name and address information is an existing real-world name and address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first incentive is a first certificate providing a first discount on a purchase and the second incentive is a second certificate providing a second discount on the purchase, which is larger than the first discount.

9. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions operable with the at least one processor for turning virtual world participants into real life leads, the instructions being executed for;

presenting a virtual location within a virtual world for access by an avatar, the avatar operated by a real-world human user;

performing an interaction with the avatar within the virtual world responsive to the avatar accessing the virtual location;

identifying the avatar based on characteristics of the avatar within the virtual world, including avatar ID and avatar name;

determining whether the avatar is associated with an existing customer registration, and determining whether the existing customer registration for the avatar identifies a real-world customer stored in a master data management (MDM) server based on the identified characteristics of the avatar, the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server tracking customer registrations for a plurality of human users and connected to a plurality of customer relationship management (CRM) terminals;

creating a customer registration within the MDM server responsive to determining the avatar is not associated with the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server;

locating the existing customer registration within the MDM server responsive to determining the avatar is associated with the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server;

collecting real-world information about the real-world human user operating the avatar through the interaction with the avatar;

storing the collected real-world information in association with the existing customer registration into a customer registration database within the MDM server; and

communicating the real-world information stored in the customer registration database within the MDM server to the plurality of CRM terminals,

wherein the existing customer registration in the MDM server identifying the real-world customer is associated with a plurality of avatars from a plurality of virtual worlds so the real-world information of each of the real-world customers is identified through the characteristics of the plurality of avatars from the plurality of virtual worlds,

wherein the plurality of avatars from the plurality of virtual worlds are connected to the MDM server by a plurality of virtual world connectors,

wherein the MDM server sends a CRM relevant customer information to one or more of the plurality of CRM terminals and initiates a create lead operation on the one or more CRM terminals;

wherein, the create lead operation comprises, in response to the determining indicating that a new avatar is registered, triggering a first dialog with the avatar offering a first incentive to the avatar through the respective one or more CRM terminals; and

in response to the determining indicating that the avatar is registered in the MDM server and the determining further indicating that none of the identified characteristics are available for the real-world customer, triggering a second dialog with the avatar offering a second incentive that is larger than the first incentive through the respective one or more terminals,

wherein the MDM server receives incoming data from the one or more CRM terminals, in response to one of the first and the second offering,

wherein the MDM server comprises a synchronization component which invokes an algorithm to;

standardize the incoming data from each of the one or more CRM terminals;

detect whether any information in the incoming data is duplicate of information corresponding to the new avatar or the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server; and

associate the incoming data with the existing customer registration stored in MDM server after removing the duplicate information, and

wherein the MDM server selectively pushes synchronized information stored in the MDM server to the plurality of CRM terminals such that any changes made to the CRM relevant customer information through the respective one or more CRM terminals is persisted in the respective one or more CRM terminals only after approval by the synchronization component of the MDM server.

10. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program for turning virtual world participants into real life leads, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

present a virtual location within a virtual world for access by an avatar, the avatar operated by a real-world human user;

perform an interaction with the avatar within the virtual world responsive to the avatar accessing the virtual location;

identify the avatar based on characteristics of the avatar within the virtual world, including avatar ID and avatar name;

determine whether the avatar is associated with an existing customer registration, and determining whether the existing customer registration for the avatar identifies a real-world customer based on the identified characteristics of the avatar, the existing customer registration stored in a master data management (MDM) server tracking customer registrations for a plurality of human users and connected to a plurality of customer relationship management (CRM) terminals;

create a customer registration within the MDM server responsive to determining the avatar is not associated with the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server;

locate the existing customer registration within the MDM server responsive to determining the avatar is associated with the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server;

collect real-world information about the real-world human user operating the avatar through the interaction with the avatar;

store the collected real-world information in association with the existing customer registration into a customer registration database within the MDM server; and

communicate the real-world information stored in the customer registration database within the MDM server to the plurality of CRM terminals,

wherein the existing customer registration in the MDM server identifying the real-world customer is associated with a plurality of avatars from a plurality of virtual worlds so the real-world information of each of the real-world customers is identified through the characteristics of the plurality of avatars from the plurality of virtual worlds,

wherein the plurality of avatars from the plurality of virtual worlds are connected to the MDM server by a plurality of virtual world connectors,

wherein the MDM server sends a CRM relevant customer information to one or more of the plurality of CRM terminals and initiates a create lead operation on the one or more CRM terminals;

wherein, in response to the determining indicating that a new avatar is registered, triggering a dialog with the avatar offering a first incentive to the avatar; and

wherein, the create lead operation comprises, in response to the determining indicating that the avatar is registered in the MDM server, triggering a first dialog with the avatar offering a first incentive to the avatar through the respective one or more CRM terminals; and

in response to the determining indicating that the avatar is registered in the MDM server and the determining further indicating that none of the identified characteristics are available for the real-world customer, triggering a second dialog with the avatar offering of a second incentive that is larger than the first incentive through the respective one or more terminals,

wherein the MDM server receives incoming data from the one or more CRM terminals, in response to one of the first and the second offering,

wherein the MDM server comprises a synchronization component which invokes an algorithm to;

standardize the incoming data from each of the one or more CRM terminals;

detect whether any information in the incoming data is duplicate of information corresponding to the new avatar or the existing customer registration stored in the MDM server; and

associate the incoming data with the existing customer registration stored in MDM server after removing the duplicate information, and

wherein the MDM server selectively pushes synchronized information stored in the MDM server to the plurality of CRM terminals such that any changes made to the CRM relevant customer information through the respective one or more CRM terminals is persisted in the respective one or more CRM terminals only after approval by the synchronization component of the MDM server.