System, method and apparatus for membership retention and conversion

• US 20040010447A1
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takao Asayama
• Original Assignee: Takao Asayama
• Inventors: Asayama, Takao
• Application Number:
  US10/438,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010447A1
• 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 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to retention and conversion system for retaining existing members of a membership based program and encouraging new members to join the membership based program. In preferred embodiments, the system comprises an incentive program having an identifiable reward and an opportunity schedule, wherein the opportunity schedule sets forth the relationship between the membership type and extent of the opportunity to obtain the identified incentive Once a winning entry is selected, the identification of the winner is displayed in a restricted environment, wherein the winner must enter the restricted environment within a preset period of time to claim the incentive.

Claims

1. A membership retention and conversion method for maintaining preexisting members in a membership based program and recruiting non-members to join the program, wherein the membership based program offers at least one type of membership and is capable of recording the term of the membership, comprising:

offering an incentive program, wherein the incentive program is associated with the membership based program and wherein the incentive program includes a predefined reward;

displaying the predefined reward, wherein the reward can be viewed by members and non-members;

displaying an opportunity schedule, wherein the opportunity schedule defines the number of entries a type of membership is eligible to receive;

entering members into the incentive program in accordance with the opportunity schedule;

selecting a winning entry;

displaying, for a predefined time period, the winning entry in a restricted area of the membership based program, wherein members can access the restricted area; and

transferring the reward to the member having the winning entry upon the receipt of a claim of interest in the reward by the member possessing the winning entry;

or

if no member claims the reward, selecting a new winning entry.

2. A membership retention and conversion method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opportunity to acquire the incentive is dependent upon any of the following:

the length of time a user is a member or the type of membership.

3. A membership retention and conversion method as claimed in claim 1, wherein members are entered automatically at a predefined time.

4. A system for maintaining preexisting members in a membership based program and recruiting non-members to join the program, having a provider computer and at least one user computer, wherein the provider computer and the user computer are in communication therebetween, and wherein the membership based program offers at least one type of membership and is capable of recording the term of the membership, comprising:

an incentive program, wherein the incentive program includes a predefined reward and a predefined time period for the display of the reward;

a display means accessible to members and non-members for displaying the predefined reward;

an opportunity schedule, wherein the opportunity schedule defines the relationship between the types of memberships and the number of entries each type of membership is eligible to receive;

a entry means for entering members into the incentive program in accordance with the opportunity schedule;

a selection means for selecting a winning entry;

a restricted portion of the program, wherein the restricted portion is accessible to members and is configured to display the winning entry;

a means to receive a claim of interest in the reward by the member possessing the winning entry; and

a timer, wherein the timer determines whether the predefined time period for displaying the reward has elapsed.

5. A membership retention and conversion system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the opportunity to acquire the incentive is dependent upon any of the following:

the length of time a user is a member or the type of membership.

6. A membership retention and conversion system as claimed in claim 4, wherein members are entered automatically at a predefined time.

7. A membership retention and conversion method for rewarding a first user for referring a second user to a membership based program, wherein the membership based program offers at least one type of membership and is capable of recording the term of the membership, and wherein the second user joins a membership, comprising:

assigning a referring identification to the first user;

identifying a second user as being referred by the first user, wherein the second user joins a membership;

associating the referring identification with the second user;

storing the referring identification in a storage database and storing the second user identification in association with the referring identification in the storage database;

offering an incentive program, wherein the incentive program is associated with the membership based program and wherein the incentive program includes a predefined reward;

displaying the predefined reward, wherein the reward can be viewed by the first user and the second user;

displaying an opportunity schedule, wherein the opportunity schedule defines the number of entries a type of membership is eligible to receive;

entering the first user and the second user into the incentive program in accordance with the opportunity schedule, wherein the first user receives the same number of entries as the second user;

selecting a winning entry;

displaying, for a predefined time period, the winning entry in a restricted area of the membership based program, wherein the first user and second user can access the restricted area; and

transferring at least a portion of the reward to the first user if the second user has the winning entry and the first user or the second user identifies the first user as possessing the winning entry.

8. A membership retention and conversion method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the opportunity to acquire the incentive is dependent upon any of the following:

the length of time a user is a member or the type of membership.

9. A membership retention and conversion system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first user and the second user are entered automatically at a predefined time.