System and method for providing targeted e-mail

• US 20030115272A1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sumpter, Ladonna, Muttitt, Norman
• Application Number:
  US10/014,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20030115272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

A targeted e-mail system and method for developing multiple pieces of targeted email content for patrons. The system includes a plurality of patrons and a number of subsystems that are integrated to provide the targeted e-mail. A merchant receives news items and special offers from internal and external content providers, and this content is targeted to the merchant'"'"'s patrons via a targeted e-mail application subsystem. The system may capture information regarding each patron at its web site, and this data may include the patron'"'"'s e-mail address, subscription flags, and other personal information. The merchant enters the content into the system using a content management subsystem. The targeting, or matching, of the content to the customers is accomplished by use of a datamart subsystem. The targeted e-mail application subsystem then prioritizes the content according to a predetermined display priority, and merges multiple matching pieces of content with each of the corresponding customers. The targeted e-mail application subsystem may also limit the number of offers provided in each e-mail. Furthermore, the targeted e-mail application subsystem may provide different categories of offers and limit the number of offers to be provided within each category. The resulting information is transferred to an e-mail vendor subsystem for delivery to the customers.

Claims

1. A method for providing different combinations of multiple pieces of content in a single e-mail to a plurality of patrons, the method comprising:

maintaining a database identifying each of the patrons and each patron'"'"'s corresponding interest;

matching the multiple pieces of content to each of the patrons based on each patron'"'"'s individual corresponding interest;

generating the single e-mail for each of the patrons, wherein the e-mail contains the multiple pieces of content; and

delivering the e-mail to each of the patrons.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising prioritizing the multiple pieces of content for placement in the e-mail.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising limiting the number of pieces of content to be provided in the e-mail.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising eliminating duplicate pieces of content.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising sorting the multiple pieces of content into defined categories.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising limiting the number of pieces of content to be provided within each of the defined categories.

7. A system for providing different combinations of multiple pieces of content in a single e-mail to a plurality of patrons, the system comprising:

means for maintaining a database identifying each of the patrons and each patron'"'"'s corresponding interest;

means for matching the multiple pieces of content to each of the patrons based on each patron'"'"'s individual corresponding interest;

means for generating the single e-mail for each of the patrons, wherein the e-mail contains the multiple pieces of content; and

means for delivering the e-mail to each of the patrons.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising means for prioritizing the multiple pieces of content for placement in the e-mail.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for limiting the number of pieces of content to be provided in the e-mail.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for eliminating duplicate pieces of content.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for sorting the multiple pieces of content into defined categories.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for limiting the number of pieces of content to be provided within each of the defined categories.

13. A system for providing multiple pieces of content in a single e-mail, the system comprising:

a plurality of patrons; and

a processor programmed to;

maintain a database identifying each of the patrons and each patron'"'"'s corresponding interest;

match the multiple pieces of content to each of the patrons based on each patron'"'"'s individual corresponding interest;

generate the single e-mail for each of the patrons, wherein the e-mail contains the multiple pieces of content; and

deliver the e-mail to each of the patrons.

14. The system of claim 13, the processor being further programmed to prioritize the multiple pieces of content for placement in the e-mail.

15. The system of claim 14, the processor being further programmed to limit the number of pieces of content to be provided in the e-mail.

16. The system of claim 15, the processor being further programmed to eliminate duplicate pieces of content.

17. The system of claim 14, the processor being further programmed to sort the multiple pieces of content into defined categories.

18. The system of claim 17, the processor being further programmed to limit the number of pieces of content to be provided within each of the defined categories.

19. A system for providing multiple pieces of content in a single e-mail, the system comprising:

a content management subsystem, wherein the content management subsystem is adapted to receive content as input and is adapted to deploy the content into a first database;

a datamart subsystem, wherein the datamart subsystem is adapted to extract content from the first database and one or more other databases and is adapted to match a plurality of patrons to a single piece of content, based on each patron'"'"'s corresponding interest;

a targeted e-mail application subsystem, wherein the targeted e-mail application subsystem is adapted to merge each single piece of content matched to each of the plurality of patrons, so as to provide a single e-mail having multiple pieces of content for each of the plurality of patrons; and

an e-mail vendor subsystem, wherein the e-mail vendor subsystem is adapted to distribute the targeted e-mail to each of the plurality of patrons.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the targeted e-mail application subsystem is further adapted to prioritize the multiple pieces of content for placement in the e-mail.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the targeted e-mail application subsystem is further adapted to limit the number of pieces of content to be provided in the e-mail.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the targeted e-mail application subsystem is further adapted to eliminate duplicate pieces of content.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the targeted e-mail subsystem is further adapted to sort the multiple pieces of content into defined categories.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the targeted e-mail subsystem is further adapted to limit the number of pieces of content to be provided within each of the defined categories.