System to quantify consumer preferences

• US 20020087388A1
• Filed: 01/04/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Truechoice IP Holding Incorporated
• Original Assignee: True Chemical Solutions, LLC.
• Inventors: Wittink, Dick R., Keil, Sev
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

A system to determine preference information of part worth values associated with a consumer and a product includes determination of a plurality of attributes of the product, each of the plurality of attributes associated with a plurality of attribute levels, determination of a plurality of piles of attributes based on a first indication of the consumer, each of the plurality of piles comprising one or more of the plurality of attributes, determination of a ranked order of a plurality of attributes of one of the plurality of piles, determination of a relative importance of one or more of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a second indication of the consumer, determination of a scale value of one or more attribute levels of the one or more of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a third indication of the consumer, and determination of a part worth value associated with an attribute level of one of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a determined scale value of the attribute level and a determined relative importance of the one of the plurality of attributes.

Claims

1. A method for determining preference information of part worth values associated with a consumer and a product, comprising:

determining a plurality of attributes of the product, each of the plurality of attributes associated with a plurality of attribute levels;

determining a plurality of piles of attributes based on a first indication of the consumer, each of the plurality of piles comprising one or more of the plurality of attributes;

determining a ranked order of a plurality of attributes of one of the plurality of piles;

determining a relative importance of one or more of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a second indication of the consumer;

determining a scale value of one or more attribute levels of the one or more of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a third indication of the consumer; and

determining a part worth value associated with an attribute level of one of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles based on a determined scale value of the attribute level and a determined relative importance of the one of the plurality of attributes.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of piles are determined based on an indication that one or more of the plurality of attributes are more important to the consumer than another one or more of the plurality of attributes.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a ranked order of a plurality of attribute levels associated with one of the plurality of attributes.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of determining the ranked order of the plurality of attribute levels associated with one of the plurality of attributes comprises:

receiving an indication of the attribute level of the plurality of attribute levels associated with the one of the plurality of attributes that is most desirable to the consumer and an indication of the attribute level of the plurality of attribute levels associated with one of the plurality of attributes that is least desirable to the consumer.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of determining the ranked order of the plurality of attribute levels associated with one of the plurality of attributes comprises:

determining the ranked order of the plurality of attribute levels based on expected consumer preferences.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the ranked order of the plurality of attributes is determined based on a difference between an attribute level most desired by the consumer and an attribute level least desired by the consumer.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein an attribute of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles having a greatest difference between an attribute level most desired by the consumer and an attribute level least desired by the consumer is a highest ranked attribute of the one of the plurality of piles.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of determining a relative importance of one or more of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles comprises:

determining an importance to the consumer of a difference between an attribute level of the highest ranked attribute that is most desired by the consumer and an attribute level of the highest ranked attribute that is least desired by the consumer with respect to the difference between an attribute level that is most desired by the consumer and an attribute level that is least desired by the consumer of one or more of the other of the plurality of attributes of the one of the plurality of piles.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a relative importance of one or more of the plurality of attributes comprises:

determining a relative importance of only each of a threshold number of the plurality of attributes.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein a relative importance of each of the plurality of attributes other than the threshold number of the plurality of attributes is determined based on the ranked order.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the part worth value associated with the attribute level of the one of the plurality of attributes comprises:

determining the part worth value based on the relative importance of the one of the plurality of attributes multiplied by the scale value of the attribute level.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising eliminating an attribute level that is unacceptable to the consumer prior to determining a ranked order of one or more of the plurality of attributes.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an offer to the consumer based on the part worth value.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the offer is an offer to sell the product to the consumer.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether a number of the plurality of attributes is greater than a threshold.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the threshold is based on an amount of time in which questions may be asked to the consumer.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the threshold is based on a number of questions that may be asked to the consumer.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the consumer'"'"'s interest in the product.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein the offer is an offer to sell the product to the consumer.

18. A method for providing an offer to a consumer, comprising:

receiving an indication of a part worth value associated with the consumer and with an attribute level of an attribute of a product based on information provided by the consumer;

determining an offer based on the part worth value; and

transmitting the offer to the consumer.

21. A method for providing an offer to a consumer, comprising:

determining a part worth value associated with the consumer and with an attribute level of an attribute of a product based on information provided by the consumer;

determining an offer based on the part worth value; and

transmitting the offer to the consumer.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the consumer'"'"'s interest in the product.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein the offer is an offer to sell the product to the consumer.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the consumer'"'"'s interest in the product.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the offer is an offer to sell the product to the consumer.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the ranked order is based on a difference, for one or more of the plurality of attributes, between a most-desirable attribute level and a least-desirable attribute level.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the highest-ranked attribute is an attribute of the plurality of attributes having a greatest difference between a most-desirable attribute level and a least-desirable attribute level.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein the ranked order comprises a unique rank associated with each of the plurality of attributes.

31. A method according to claim 27, wherein the rating is based on an importance to the consumer of a difference between an attribute level of the highest-ranked attribute that is most desired by the consumer and an attribute level of the highest-ranked attribute that is least desired by the consumer with respect to the difference between an attribute level that is most desired by the consumer and an attribute level that is least desired by the consumer of the at least one of the plurality of attributes.

32. A method according to claim 27, further comprising determining whether the ranked order is inconsistent with the rating of the at least one of the plurality of attributes.

24. A method for providing an offer to a consumer, comprising:

determining preference information associated with the consumer and with an attribute level of an attribute of a product based on information provided by the consumer;

determining an offer based on the preference information; and

transmitting the offer to the consumer.

27. A method for determining preference information associated with a consumer and a product, comprising:

transmitting a first request for a ranked order of the consumer of a plurality of attributes associated with the product; and

transmitting a second request for a rating of the consumer of an importance of at least one of the plurality of attributes relative to a highest-ranked attribute of the ranked order.