Method and system for evaluating, reporting, and improving on-line promotion effectiveness

• US 20020161779A1
• Filed: 03/07/2000
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Research Now Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Research Now Group, Inc (Dynata)
• Inventors: Brierley, Harold M., Rothwell, John R., Hamlin, Frank M., Feiwus, Bernard D., Niemann, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/103R
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system and method for populating and analyzing a member consumer profile database for implementing an incentive driven targeted product marketing program is disclosed. To implement the targeted product marketing program, personal profile information is collected from several member consumers and stored in a profile database. A group of the member consumers are identified and selected, and the promotion operator provides a promotion to this group on behalf of a sponsor. During and/or after the promotion, information is solicited from the member consumer about the promotion in exchange for rewards. In addition, interactive behavior information of the member consumer is tracked. The solicited information and the interactive behavior information can then be used to enrich the profile database for future promotions.

Claims

1. A method for populating and analyzing a member consumer profile database for implementing an incentive driven targeted product marketing program, the targeted product marketing program having at least one promotion provided by a promotion operator on behalf of a sponsor, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting personal profile information of a member consumer and storing the personal profile information in a profile database;

providing the member consumer an opportunity to review a promotion;

soliciting information from the member consumer about the promotion in exchange for rewards;

tracking interactive behavior information of the member consumer concerning the promotion; and

enriching the profile database based upon the solicited information and the tracked interactive behavior information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the solicited information indicates an effectiveness of the promotion.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the effectiveness of the promotion is compared to effectiveness of other promotions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of collecting further includes conducting a survey containing questions regarding purchase interests of the member consumer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of soliciting further includes the steps of:

requesting the member consumer to evaluate the promotion through a website in an electronic communications network; and

obtaining updated personal profile information of the member consumer.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of requesting further includes the step of directing the member consumer to at least one website for evaluating the promotion for its relevance and richness to the member consumer.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of requesting further includes the step of directing the member consumer to at least one website for evaluating the promotion in comparison with other promotions received by the member consumer.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of requesting further includes the step of directing each member consumer to at least one website for evaluating the promotion in comparison with other promotions for comparable products received by the member consumer.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of requesting further includes the steps of:

dynamically requesting an evaluation of the promotion by the member consumer during the promotion;

periodically surveying the member consumer with regard to the promotion after the promotion has expired; and

selectively requesting an evaluation of the promotion by at least one selected member consumer who has expressed a negative interest in the promotion.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of obtaining further includes the steps of:

dynamically requesting the updated personal profile information from the member consumer during the promotion; and

periodically requesting the updated personal profile information from the member consumer after the promotion.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of tracking further includes tracking interactive behavior of the member consumer on at least one website operated by the promotion operator.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of tracking further includes obtaining behavior information of the member consumer from the sponsor of the promotion gathered on at least one website operated by the sponsor.

13. The method of claim 1 further includes the step of conducting a statistical study of the member consumer'"'"'s interests in the promotion based on the solicited information.

14. The method of claim 1 further includes the step of conducting a statistical study of the member consumer'"'"'s interests based on information solicited from two or more promotions.

15. The method of claim 1 further includes the step of utilizing the updated profile database to select future promotions to be offered to the member consumer.

16. The method of claim 15 further includes the step of segmenting the profile database into portions based on at least one predetermined selection criteria, each segmented portion representing at least one member consumer satisfying the selection criteria.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of segmenting further includes the step of identifying member consumers who satisfy two or more predetermined selection criteria by choosing an overlapping segment among two or more segmented portions of the profile database.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the behavioral information is collected during the first promotion.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of enriching further includes the steps of:

requesting the first group of member consumers to evaluate the first promotion through an electronic communications network; and

obtaining updated personal profile information of the first group of member consumers.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of requesting further includes the step of directing each member consumer of the first group to at least one website for evaluating the first promotion for its relevance and richness to the member consumer.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of requesting further includes the step of directing each member consumer of the first group to at least one website for evaluating the first promotion in comparison with other promotions received by that member consumer.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of requesting further includes the step of directing each member consumer of the first group to at least one website for evaluating the first promotion in comparison with other promotions for comparable products received by that member consumer.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of obtaining further includes the steps of:

dynamically requesting updated personal profile information of the first group of member consumers during the first promotion; and

periodically requesting the updated personal profile information of the first group of member consumers after the first promotion.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of enriching further includes the steps of:

dynamically requesting an evaluation of the first promotion by the first group of member consumers during the first promotion;

requesting an evaluation of all promotions received by the first group of member consumers during a predetermined period; and

selectively requesting an evaluation of the first promotion by at least one of the member consumers in the first group who has expressed a negative interest in the promotion.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of enhancing further includes tracking interactive behavior of the first group of member consumers on at least one website operated by the promotion operator relating to the first promotion.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of enhancing further includes obtaining interactive behavior information of the first group of member consumers from the sponsor of the first promotion collected on at least one website operated by the sponsor.

28. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of selecting further includes the step of separating the profile database based on at least one predetermined selection criteria for creating subgroups of member consumers, each group representing at least one member consumer satisfying the selection criteria.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of separating further includes the step of identifying the second group of member consumers who satisfy two or more predetermined selection criteria by choosing an overlapping portion among two or more subgroups of the profile database.

18. A method for using a profile database being operated by a promotion operator, the profile database being initially populated during an enrollment process wherein a plurality of member consumers provide personal profile information to the promotion operator in exchange for a reward, the method comprising the steps of:

enriching the profile database by requesting information from a first group of member consumers concerning a first promotion;

enhancing the profile database by extracting behavioral information from the first group of member consumers; and

selecting a second group of member consumers for a second promotion based on an analysis of the enriched and enhanced profile database.

30. A computer software system for implementing an incentive driven targeted product marketing program, the program having an operator for providing a promotion to a member consumer through an electronic communications network, the system comprising:

instructions for providing rewards for encouraging the member consumer to interact with the program operator and to provide personal profile information through one or more communication opportunities;

a profile database for storing the personal profile information of the member consumer;

instructions for enriching the profile database based on updated personal profile information obtained from the member consumer through the communication opportunities;

instructions for enhancing the profile database by extracting behavioral information of the member consumer collected during the promotion;

means for reporting the effectiveness of the promotion to a promotion sponsor; and

means for selecting and designing a new promotion utilizing the enriched and enhanced database.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the instructions for enriching further include:

instructions for dynamically requesting an evaluation of the promotion by the member consumer during the promotion;

instructions for periodically requesting an update on the personal profile information from the member consumer; and

instructions for selectively requesting further evaluation of the promotion by the member consumer if the member consumer has expressed a negative interest in the promotion.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the instructions for dynamically requesting further include:

instructions for providing a survey containing one or more questions directed to the evaluation of the promotion on at least one website operated by the promotion operator.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the instructions for dynamically requesting further include:

instructions for evaluating a relevance and richness of the promotion to the member consumer.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the instructions for periodically requesting further include:

instructions for surveying the member consumer about a plurality of promotions offered during a predetermined period.

35. The system of claim 30 wherein the instructions for enhancing further include:

instructions for obtaining behavior information of the member consumer from the sponsor.

36. The system of claim 30 wherein the instructions for enhancing further includes:

instructions for tracking, in the communications network, interactive behavior of the member consumer on at least one website of the promotion operator concerning the promotion.

37. The system of claim 30 wherein the means for reporting further includes:

instructions for collecting rating information of the promotion provided by the member consumer; and

means for producing statistical information about the promotion.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the means for producing further includes:

means for comparing the rating information of the promotion to prior promotions received by the member consumer during a predetermined time period; and

means for comparing the rating information of the promotion with the prior promotions for comparable products.

39. The system of claim 30 wherein the means for selecting further includes:

means for segmenting the profile database for designing the new promotion; and

means for identifying at least one member consumer who satisfies two or more predetermined selection criteria, by choosing an overlapping segment among two or more segmented portions of the profile database.