Promotional data delivery system and method

• US 20020107739A1
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel R. Schlee
• Original Assignee: Daniel R. Schlee
• Inventors: Schlee, Daniel Roy
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement

Abstract

A promotional data delivery system and method are disclosed by which promoters input to a host computing system their preferred consumer criteria and define their promotional materials, customers provide profiling information and select promotional materials, and a host relates the data pertaining to the promoters and customers to provide or otherwise communicate, preferably in tangible form such as paper via mail or parcel delivery services, promotional information including coupons particularly targeted for and/or selected by the prospective customers.

Claims

1. A promotional data delivery system comprising:

(a) first interfacing means for providing interaction between a host computer and one or more promoters, the first interfacing means comprising;

(1) defining means for the one or more promoters to fashion one or more promotional materials;

(2) inputting means for the one or more promoters to enter one or more target consumer profiles corresponding the one or more of the promotional materials; and

(3) database means for accessibly storing a target consumer profile for each of the one or more target consumer profiles entered by the one or more promoters in a manner relatable with consumer profiles;

(b) second interfacing means for providing interaction between a host computer and one or more consumers subscribing to said system, the second interfacing means comprising;

(1) profiling means for each consumer to establish a consumer profile by responding to profiling queries provided by the host computer; and

(2) database means for accessibly storing a consumer profile for each of the one or more consumers in a manner relatable with the target consumer profiles;

(c) querying means for searching the database means with the consumer profiles according to the target consumer profiles to form a list of one or more consumers to receive promotional materials generated by the one or more promoters;

(d) establishing means for forming a list of one or more targeted consumers based on the querying means; and

(e) delivering means for providing to each of the targeted consumers the promotional materials.

2. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second interfacing means for providing interaction between a host computer and one or more consumers subscribing to said system further comprises registering means for enrolling each of the one or more consumers as subscribing consumers.

3. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the registering means for enrolling each of the one or more consumers as subscribing consumers further comprises means for each of the one or more consumers to affirmatively consent to receive one or more promoter-generated promotional materials without the affirming consumer:

(A) contemporaneously requesting specific promotional material; and

(B) necessarily authorizing each distribution of promotion material on a per-transaction basis.

4. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 1, the system further comprising tracking means for correlating successive coupon deliveries as made by the host.

5. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second interfacing means for providing interaction between a host computer and one or more consumers subscribing to said system further comprises selecting means for the consumer to request one or more of the promotional materials defined by the one or more promoters and thereby one or more identification numbers of the selected promotional material are transmitted to the host computer.

6. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the delivering means for providing to each of the targeted consumers the promotional materials provides promotional materials requested by the consumer.

7. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first interfacing means for providing interaction between a host computer and one or more promoters further comprises transmission means for generating and automatically forwarding to an entity designated by each of the promoters, an email or other type of notification as an acknowledgement of activity.

8. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the profiling queries are comprised of consumer identity and preference determining queries.

9. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivering means for providing to each of the targeted consumers the promotional materials provides promotional materials generated by the promoters is comprised of one or more printers electronically and securely connected to the host and postal packages carrying promotional materials printed by the host computers addressed to the targeted consumers.

10. A promotional data delivery system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivering means for providing to each of the targeted consumers the promotional materials provides promotional materials generated by the promoters is comprised of the transmission, by the host to each targeted consumer, of an electronic coupon available for verification by participating retailers and printable electronic coupons for targeted consumers to print locally and transport to participating retailers.

11. A promotional data delivery system comprising:

(a) first interfacing means for providing interaction between a host computer and one or more promoters, the first interfacing means comprising;

(1) defining means for the one or more promoters to fashion one or more promotional materials;

(2) inputting means for the one or more promoters to enter one or more target consumer profiles corresponding to one or more of the promotional materials;

(3) database means for accessibly storing a target consumer profile for each of the one or more target consumer profiles entered by the one or more promoters in a manner relatable with consumer profiles;

(b) second interfacing means for providing interaction between a host computer and one or more consumers subscribing to said system, the second interfacing means comprising;

(1) registering means for enrolling each of the one or more consumers as subscribing consumers

(2) profiling means for each consumer to establish a consumer profile by responding to profiling queries provided by the host computer;

said queries comprised of consumer data determining queries and consumer identity determining queries;

(3) selecting means for the consumer to request one or more of the promotional materials defined by the one or more promoters; and

(4) database means for accessibly storing a consumer profile for each of the one or more consumers in a manner relatable with the target consumer profiles;

(c) querying means for searching the database means with the consumer profiles according to the target consumer profiles to form a list of one or more consumers to receive promotional materials generated by the one or more promoters;

(d) establishing means for forming a list of one or more targeted consumers based on the querying means;

(e) one or more printers electronically and securely connected to the host for the printing of promotional materials for delivery to the targeted consumers by a service selected from a group consisting of US Postal Service and parcel delivery services; and

(f) tracking means for correlating successive coupon deliveries as made by the host.

13. A method of promotional data delivery as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of interfacing between the host computer and the one or more subscribing consumers further comprises the steps of:

(a) selecting, by the one or more subscribing consumers, one or more the promotional materials defined by the promoters;

(b) transmitting, by the one or more subscribing consumers to the host computer, the selected one or more promotional materials; and

(c) storing, by the host computer in a database, the selections by the one or more subscribing consumers.

14. A method of promotional data delivery as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of interfacing between the host computer and the one or more subscribing consumers further comprises the steps of:

(a) registering, by the one or more subscribing consumers; and

(b) transmitting, by the one or more subscribing consumers to the host computer, consent to receive promotional materials as targeted consumers.

15. A method of promotional data delivery as claimed in claim 12, wherein the profiling queries are comprised of consumer identity and preference determining queries.

16. A method of promotional data delivery as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of interfacing between the host and the one or more promoters further comprises the steps of automatically generating and forwarding an email or other type of notification to an entity designated by each the promoters entity acknowledging the interfacing.

17. A method of promotional data delivery as claimed in claim 12, the method further comprising the step of tracking, by the host computer, the coupon deliveries as they are made by the host.

19. A method of promotional data delivery as claimed in claim 18, the method further comprising the step of tracking, by the promoters, scanned coupon redemptions.

12. A method of promotional data delivery, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) interfacing between a host computer and one or more promoters wherein the step of interfacing between the host and the one or more promoters further comprises the steps of;

(1) defining, by the one or more promoters, one or more promotional materials; and

(2) inputting one or more target consumer profiles corresponding to the one or more promotional materials by the one or more promoters into a database of the host;

(b) interfacing between the host computer and one or more subscribing consumers wherein the step of interfacing between the host computer and the one or more subscribing consumers further comprises the steps of;

(1) presenting one or more profiling queries, by the host computer and to the one or more subscribing consumers;

(2) transmitting, by the one or more subscribing consumers to the host computer, responses to the one or more profiling queries; and

(3) storing, by the host computer in the database, one or more subscribing consumer profiling queries and the selections by the one or more subscribing consumers;

(c) searching, by the host computer, of the database containing the one or more subscribing consumer profiles;

said searching based on target consumer profiles;

(d) identifying, by the host computer, subscribing consumer profiles satisfying said searching based on target consumer profiles;

(e) establishing, by the host computer, from the identified subscribing consumer profiles, targeted consumers to receive promotional materials defined by the one or more promoters;

(f) printing, by one or more printers attached to the host computer, promotional materials for the targeted consumers and one or more of the promotional materials both defined by the promoters and selected by the one or more subscribing consumers; and

(g) delivering to each subscribing consumer the printed promotional materials selected by each respective subscribing consumer and the promotional materials established for each as a targeted consumer.

18. A method of promotional data delivery, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) interfacing between a host computer and one or more promoters wherein the step of interfacing between the host and the one or more promoters further comprises the steps of;

(i) defining, by the one or more promoters, one or more promotional materials; and

(ii) inputting one or more target consumer profiles corresponding to the one or more promotional materials by the one or more promoters into a database of the host;

(b) interfacing between the host computer and one or more subscribing consumers wherein the step of interfacing between the host computer and the one or more subscribing consumers further comprises the steps of;

(1) presenting one or more profiling queries, by the host computer and to the one or more subscribing consumers;

(2) transmitting, by the one or more subscribing consumers to the host computer, responses to the one or more profiling queries;

(3) selecting, by the one or more subscribing consumers, one or more the promotional materials defined by the promoters;

(4) transmitting, by the one or more subscribing consumers to the host computer, the selected one or more promotional materials; and

(5) storing, by the host computer in the database, one or more subscribing consumer profiling queries and the selections by the one or more subscribing consumers;

(c) searching, by the host computer, of the database containing the one or more subscribing consumer profiles;

said searching based on target consumer profiles;

(d) identifying, by the host computer, subscribing consumer profiles satisfying said searching based on target consumer profiles;

(e) establishing, by the host computer, from the identified subscribing consumer profiles, targeted consumers to receive promotional materials defined by the one or more promoters;

(f) transmitting by the host computer, promotional materials for the targeted consumers and one or more of the promotional materials both defined by the promoters and selected by the one or more subscribing consumers in an electronic document;

(g) printing, by the subscribing consumer a hardcopy of the electronic document; and

(h) delivering to a sponsoring retailer the hardcopy for scanned redemption.