Network for distribution of re-targeted advertising

• US 20020082923A1
• Filed: 02/26/2002
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: OʼConnor, Kevin J., Merriman, Dwight A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A computer system for automatic replacement of advertisements includes an advertising server for selecting an advertisement based on criteria related to the individual viewer. In particular, advertisements are selected for a given user, based on the past behavior of that specific given user. Advertiser web sites on the network are configured to anonymously report back user activity such as visit dates, purchases, specific product pages visited and the like. Alternative reporting embodiments include email, file transfer protocol and spotlight tags. User activity lists are processed to select candidates for re-targeting. Candidates for re-targeted advertisements are identified based on their own individual past activity, and stored in a list of candidate user ID'"'"'s. When a candidate on the re-targeted list is identified at any network affiliate web site, a re-targeted advertisement is delivered to the candidate user.

Claims

1. A method for online re-targeted advertisement selection, comprising:

(a) receiving feedback on prior activities of a user at an advertiser Web site;

(b) receiving a request to display advertising content to the user; and

(c) selecting, in response to the request, advertising content for display based upon the received feedback on prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request to display advertising content is received from the user via a redirect message from an affiliate Web site.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is an email message received from the advertiser Web site, the email message providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is a file transfer protocol (FTP) message received from the advertiser Web site, the FTP message providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is a tag contained in a redirect message from the advertiser Web site, the tag identifying a specific advertiser Web page and indicating a prior activity of the user at the advertiser Web site.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is provided by a proxy server interposed between the user and the advertiser Web site, the proxy server providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the prior activities is which Web page was visited on the advertiser Web site.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the prior activities is whether the user made a purchase on the advertiser Web site.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the prior activities is whether the user has become registered on the advertiser Web site.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the prior activities are listed in a stored table.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a list of re-targeted advertisements are created from the stored table.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made more than one recent visit to the advertiser Web site to review a product, but did not purchase the product.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the re-targeted advertisement created for the user is a coupon to purchase the product at the advertiser Web site.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made a purchase prior to a predetermined time in the past at the advertiser Web site, but did not make a purchase subsequent to the predetermined time in the past at the advertiser Web site.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the re-targeted advertisement is a reminder message specifying the advertiser Web site.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made a predetermined amount of purchases within a predetermined time period in the past at the advertiser Web site.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the re-targeted advertisement is a message indicating appreciation to the best customers of the advertiser Web site.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the advertising content is an ad banner.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the request to display advertising content is received from the user via a redirect message from an affiliate Web site.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is an email message received from the advertiser Web site, the email message providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is a file transfer protocol (FTP) message received from the advertiser Web site, the FTP message providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is a tag contained in a redirect message from the advertiser Web site, the tag identifying a specific advertiser Web page and indicating a prior activity of the user at the advertiser Web site.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is provided by a proxy server interposed between the user and the advertiser Web site, the proxy server providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

25. The system according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the prior activities is which Web page was visited on the advertiser Web site.

26. The system according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the prior activities is whether the user made a purchase on the advertiser Web site.

27. The system according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the prior activities is whether the user has become registered on the advertiser Web site.

28. The system according to claim 19, wherein the prior activities are listed in a stored table.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein a list of re-targeted advertisements are created from the stored table.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made more than one recent visit to the advertiser Web site to review a product, but did not purchase the product.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the re-targeted advertisement created for the user is a coupon to purchase the product at the advertiser Web site.

32. The system according to claim 29, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made a purchase prior to a predetermined time in the past at the advertiser Web site, but did not make a purchase subsequent to the predetermined time in the past at the advertiser Web site.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the re-targeted advertisement is a reminder message specifying the advertiser Web site.

34. The system according to claim 29, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made a predetermined amount of purchases within a predetermined time period in the past at the advertiser Web site.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the re-targeted advertisement is a message indicating appreciation to the best customers of the advertiser Web site.

36. The system according to claim 19, wherein the advertising content is an ad banner.

38. The medium according to claim 37, wherein the request to display advertising content is received from the user via a redirect message from an affiliate Web site.

39. The medium according to claim 37, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is an email message received from the advertiser Web site, the email message providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

40. The medium according to claim 37, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is a file transfer protocol (FTP) message received from the advertiser Web site, the FTP message providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

41. The medium according to claim 37, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is a tag contained in a redirect message from the advertiser Web site, the tag identifying a specific advertiser Web page and indicating a prior activity of the user at the advertiser Web site.

42. The medium according to claim 37, wherein the received feedback on prior activities of the user is provided by a proxy server interposed between the user and the advertiser Web site, the proxy server providing a list of prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

43. The medium according to claim 37, wherein at least one of the prior activities is which Web page was visited on the advertiser Web site.

44. The medium according to claim 37, wherein at least one of the prior activities is whether the user made a purchase on the advertiser Web site.

45. The medium according to claim 37, wherein at least one of the prior activities is whether the user has become registered on the advertiser Web site.

46. The medium according to claim 37, wherein the prior activities are listed in a stored table.

47. The medium according to claim 46, wherein a list of re-targeted advertisements are created from the stored table.

48. The medium according to claim 47, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made more than one recent visit to the advertiser Web site to review a product, but did not purchase the product.

49. The medium according to claim 48, wherein the re-targeted advertisement created for the user is a coupon to purchase the product at the advertiser Web site.

50. The medium according to claim 47, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made a purchase prior to a predetermined time in the past at the advertiser Web site, but did not make a purchase subsequent to the predetermined time in the past at the advertiser Web site.

51. The medium according to claim 50, wherein the re-targeted advertisement is a reminder message specifying the advertiser Web site.

52. The medium according to claim 47, wherein a re-targeted advertisement is created for the user if the user made a predetermined amount of purchases within a predetermined time period in the past at the advertiser Web site.

53. The medium according to claim 52, wherein the re-targeted advertisement is a message indicating appreciation to the best customers of the advertiser Web site.

54. The medium according to claim 37, wherein the advertising content is an ad banner.

19. A computer system for online re-targeted advertisement selection, comprising:

a storage device configured to store advertising content associated with an advertiser Web site;

a communications device configured to communicate with the advertiser Web site and a user; and

an advertisement server configured to receive from the advertiser Web site via the communications device feedback on prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site, the advertisement server further configured to receive from the user via the communications device a request to display advertising content, the advertisement server further configured to select, in response to the user request, advertising content for delivery from the storage device to the user based upon the received feedback on prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

37. A machine-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to:

(a) receive feedback on prior activities of a user at an advertiser Web site;

(b) receive a request to display advertising content to the user; and

(c) select, in response to the request, advertising content for display based upon the received feedback on prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site.

55. A system for online advertisement selection, comprising:

(a) means for receiving feedback on prior activities of a user at an advertiser Web site;

(b) means for receiving a request to display advertising content to the user; and

(c) means for selecting, in response to the request and the received feedback on prior activities of the user at the advertiser Web site, advertising content for display based upon an activity list.