Sponsored promotions method

• US 20040243464A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bridgetree, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bridgetree, Inc.
• Inventors: Beck, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/447,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20040243464A1
• 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 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

A website facilitates a co-sponsorship program that facilitates provision of consumer opportunities to property consumers. A sponsor of the consumer opportunity receives useful information from property-related services providers that identifies clients that are likely to be appropriate and appreciate recipients of such consumer opportunities. The sponsor provides identifying and acknowledging information regarding the property-related services providers when offering such consumer opportunities to consumers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a sponsor website information regarding at least one property-related services provider;

receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property consumer as corresponds to the at least one property-related service provider;

providing a promotion that;

at least identifies the at least one property-related services provider; and

corresponds to a consumer opportunity as offered by a sponsor of the sponsor website.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sponsor of the sponsor website comprises a commercial enterprise.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the commercial enterprise provides at least one of goods and services.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the commercial enterprise at least includes the offering of goods for sale.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the commercial enterprise at least includes the offering of at least one of building materials, construction tools, repair tools, household appliances, landscaping tools, landscaping materials, and interior furnishings.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property-related services provider includes receiving the information regarding the at least one property-related services provider at the sponsor website via an Internet.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property-related services provider includes receiving a password that corresponds to a particular property-related services provider.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein receiving a password that corresponds to a particular property-related services provider includes receiving a password that corresponds to a particular property-related services provider which password was previously provided to the property-related services provider on behalf of the sponsor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property-related services provider includes receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one provider of realtor services.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property consumer as corresponds to the at least one property-related service provider includes receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one legal entity who comprises at least a potential customer of the provider of realtor services.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one legal entity who comprises at least a potential customer of the provider of realtor services includes receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one legal entity who comprises a recent purchaser of real estate property.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property-related services provider includes receiving at the sponsor website information regarding one of:

at least one provider of realtor services;

at least one provider of home inspection services;

at least one provider of home mortgage services;

at least one provider of home repair services;

at least one provider of home insurance services.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a promotion includes providing at the sponsor website an option to the at least one property-related services provider regarding delivery of the promotion to a recipient.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein providing an option regarding delivery includes providing at least an option regarding:

permitting local printing of information regarding the promotion as controlled by the property-related services provider; and

emailing information regarding the promotion to an identified recipient.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the identified recipient automatically comprises the at least one property consumer.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property consumer as corresponds to the at least one property-related service provider includes receiving at the sponsor website information regarding a plurality of property consumers as corresponds to the at least one property-related service provider.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein providing a promotion includes providing a promotion for a plurality of the plurality of property consumers.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a promotion includes providing a promotion that includes a unique identifier such that the promotion may only be used a predetermined number of times.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein providing a promotion that includes a unique identifier includes providing a promotion that includes a unique identifier such that the promotion may only be used a single time.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a promotion includes providing to the property-related services provider a plurality of promotions to select from for a given property consumer.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one property consumer as corresponds to the at least one property-related service provider includes receiving information regarding a property address that corresponds to the at least one property consumer.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein providing a promotion includes providing a promotion that:

at least identifies the at least one property-related services provider; and

corresponds to a consumer opportunity as offered by the sponsor at a particular identified location.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein providing a promotion that corresponds to a consumer opportunity as offered by the sponsor at a particular identified location includes automatically identifying the particular identified location as a function, at least in part, of the property address that corresponds to the at least one property consumer.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein providing a promotion that corresponds to a consumer opportunity as offered by the sponsor at a particular identified location includes providing a promotion that corresponds to a consumer opportunity as offered by the sponsor at a plurality of particularly identified locations.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a promotion that corresponds to a consumer opportunity includes providing a promotion that includes a monetary discount as regards at least one of goods and services.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at a sponsor website information regarding at least one property-related services provider includes:

receiving at the sponsor website identifying information regarding the property-related services provider;

receiving at the sponsor website a request from the property-related services provider that the property-related service provider be provided with a password to permit access to the sponsor website.

27. The method of claim 26 and further comprising forwarding at least some of the identifying information for the property-related service provider to other individuals who already have authorized access to the sponsor website and inquiring of the other individuals regarding the property-related service provider.

28. The method of claim 27 and further comprising providing a sponsor website access password to the property-related service provider upon receiving a sufficient response from the other individuals regarding the property-related service provider.

29. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

receiving information regarding a tendered coupon.

30. The method of claim 29 and further comprising:

determining whether to authorize acceptance of the tendered coupon.

31. The method of claim 30 and further comprising:

providing a message that corresponds to an acceptance of the tendered coupon.

32. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

at the sponsor website;

receiving information regarding a tendered coupon;

determining whether to authorize acceptance of the tendered coupon;

providing a message that corresponds to an acceptance of the tendered coupon.

33. A website comprising:

a log-in entry facility such that property-related services providers can log-in and gain access to at least certain areas of the website;

a new client entry facility operably coupled to the log-in entry facility such that information regarding a new client can be submitted to the website;

a client listing operably coupled to the new client entry facility;

a promotion selection facility operably coupled to the client listing such that at least one promotion selection as offered by a sponsor other than the property-related services providers can be correlated to at least one client in the client listing;

a consumer opportunity facility operably coupled to the promotion selection facility and having an output comprising a consumer opportunity delivery platform that includes both a consumer opportunity as offered by the sponsor for a client and at least identifying information regarding at least one of the property-related services providers.

34. The website of claim 33 wherein the consumer opportunity delivery platform comprises a coupon.

35. A method comprising:

receiving at a sponsor website information regarding at least one services provider;

receiving at the sponsor website information regarding at least one potential consumer as corresponds to the at least one service provider;

providing a promotion that;

at least identifies the at least one services provider; and

corresponds to a consumer opportunity as offered by a sponsor of the sponsor website.