Method and system for viral marketing within a virtual world

• US 10,380,604 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, II, Rick A., Li, Jenny S., Pickover, Clifford A., Sand, Anne R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Van Bramer, John
• Application Number:
  US12/174,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,044 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141- 1473
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code, including generating one or more ad-avatars in a virtual universe (VU) and monitoring information from the VU. Additionally, the method includes directing the one or more ad-avatars to perform one or more viral advertisements in the VU based on the information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

generate one or more ad-avatars in a virtual universe (VU);

monitor and gather real-time information from the VU by listening and observing a surrounding VU environment including other avatars and attributes of the other avatars by concept matching to detect topics of conversations of potential customer avatars;

direct the one or more ad-avatars to perform one or more customized viral advertisements in the VU by modifying behaviors and scripts run by ad-avatars based on the real-time information by analyzing the real-time information against a database of target customers, locations, products, ad-avatar data, historical incidents, interactions between ad-avatars and a potential customer avatar and historical viral marketing results;

notify a customer service representative (CSR) when a response from the potential customer avatar is detected;

allow the CSR to take over control of the one or more ad-avatars to manage a dialog between the one or more ad-avatars and the potential customer avatars; and

provide the CSR with associated scripts to further carry on the dialog with the potential customer avatar.