Customer acquisition in a loyalty system

• US 20030187685A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Anton Bakker
• Original Assignee: Outsite Networks, Inc. (Professional Datasolutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bakker, Anton
• Application Number:
  US10/396,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187685A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Through determining one or more of the presence and attributes related to a customer, specific content is retrieved and presented to a customer. This content can be directed toward securing the customer as a member of a loyalty system. Alternatively, for example, the content can be dynamically chosen and delivered to a customer based on, for example, one or more preferences in a customer profile.

Claims

1. A customer acquisition system comprising:

a detector module;

a member determination module; and

a content determination module, wherein the content determination module determines content to be distributed to a presentation device based at least on the detector module and the member determination module.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a profile module, the content determination module further cooperating with the profile module to determine content to be distributed to the presentation device.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface module that allows one or more of a customer and administrator to interact with the customer acquisition system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector module is at least one of a proximity detector, an electrical detector, an electro-mechanical detector, a magnetic detector, an inductive detector, a capacitive detector, an optical detector, a credit card reader, a switch and an RFID detector.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the content to be distributed for a member customer is different than the content to be distributed to a non-member customer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein content is continuously streamed to the presentation device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein content is streamed to the presentation device if a customer is detected by the detector module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile module stores information about one or more member customers.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a content storage device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer acquisition system operates in a gas station environment.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically interacting with the user to secure membership.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising continuously presenting generic content until a user is detected.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented i association with a gas pump.

11. A method of acquiring customers comprising:

determining if a user is a member;

selecting content based on the determining step; and

presenting the content to the user, wherein the content at least one of member acquisition content and member content.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting the presence of the user.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising ceasing presentation of the content in the absence of a user.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the member content is based on a member profile.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the content is at least one of audio, video, multimedia and live streaming content.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein content is dynamically selected based on one or more of user presence, user identity and profile information.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the content switches from member acquisition content to member content upon determining the user is a member.