Promotional event tracking system

• US 20050192883A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cynthia Cook Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mass Connections Incorporated
• Inventors: Nakkan, Caroline, Cotten, Sandra
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,191 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

This invention relates to the methods of coordinating and tracking product and service demonstrations. An event coordinator directs event operators to conduct a product or service demonstration event. The event coordinator provides event operators with cards, such as debit cards, credit cards, or smart cards, to purchase items needed for the demonstration. The event operator contacts a card administration system to activate the card. The card administration system verifies that the provided card ID and event ID are valid, and associates an authorized budget of the demonstration event with the card. The event operator then purchases items with the card, and conducts demonstrations. Event data is provided to the parties involved in the demonstration such as a product manufacturer or service provider, the event coordinator, a staffing agency, the event operator, and a retail store. The event data includes, for example, items purchased for demonstration using the card, items purchased by customers during the demonstrations, and time information.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating promotional events, the method comprising:

receiving a request to organize a promotional event;

assigning an agency to staff the promotional event with an event operator, wherein the event operator is assigned an event card that uniquely identifies the event operator;

receiving data associated with the event card from the event operator, wherein the data includes time information verifying the event operator'"'"'s participation in the promotional event; and

providing the data to the agency through one or more first web pages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to organize the promotional event comprises:

providing one or more second web pages comprising selectable entries for a plurality of attributes associated with promotional events; and

receiving selections from a user of the one or more second web pages for one or more of the selectable entries.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the data to the user through the one or more second web pages.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing the selections to a card administration system;

providing the event card to the event operators; and

instructing the event operator to activate the event card by contacting the card administration system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprises instructing the event operator to use the activated card to purchase an item for conducting the event, wherein the time information comprises a start time when the event operator purchased the item using the activated event card.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising instructing the event operator to use the activated card to record a starting time and an ending time of the promotional event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the agency to staff the promotional event comprises notifying the agency of the promotional event through the one or more first web pages.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing instructions for executing the promotional event to the agency through the one or more first web pages.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving the identity of the event operator from the agency through the one or more first web pages.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing event information to the event operator through one or more second web pages, wherein the event information is selected from the group comprising instructions for executing the promotional event, store report forms, and payment information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing financial information to the agency through the one or more first web pages, wherein the financial information includes a first rate at which the agency is paid for the promotional event; and

receiving a request from the agency through the one or more first web pages to change the first rate to a second rate, wherein the second rate is based at least in part on the data provided to the agency.

12. A computer-implemented method of generating orders for promotional events, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface accessible over a computer network, wherein the graphical user interface comprises selectable entries for a plurality of attributes associated with promotional events;

receiving selections from a user for one or more of the selectable entries;

providing the selections to a card administration system;

providing event cards to event operators; and

instructing the event operators to use the event cards to conduct the promotional events.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving event data corresponding to the event operator'"'"'s use of the event card to conduct the promotional event; and

displaying the event data on a web page accessible to the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the event data includes a start time of the promotional event and an end time of the promotional event.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

comparing the selections received from the user with the event data;

adjusting a rate at which the user pays for the promotional event based at least in part on the comparison of the selections received from the user with the event data; and

displaying the adjusted rate on the web page.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the event data further includes product information comprising an amount of product distributed as free samples during the promotional event and an amount of the product sold during the promotional event.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

comparing the product information to an amount of the product sold prior to the promotional event to determine a percentage lift in sales of the product; and

displaying the percentage lift on the web page.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

adjusting a rate at which the user pays for the promotional event based at least in part on the percentage lift; and

displaying the adjusted rate on the web page.

19. A method for staffing a promotional event, the method comprising:

assigning an event operator having an event card to participate in a promotional event, wherein the event card uniquely identifies the event operator and the promotional event; and

tracking the event operator'"'"'s use of the event card to participate in the promotional event.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein assigning an event operator comprises:

receiving a request to staff the promotional event, wherein the request specifies at least one attribute that qualifies the event operator to participate in the promotional event;

comparing the at least one attribute to a plurality of event operators; and

in response to the comparison, providing instructions to the event operator for participating in the promotional event.

21. The method of claim 20, providing instructions to the event operator comprises:

directing the event operator to contact a card administration system to activate the event card;

directing the event operator to purchase items with the activated event card; and

directing the event operator to conduct the promotional event using the purchased items.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising directing the event operator to log in and log out of the promotional event using the event card.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein tracking the event operator'"'"'s use of the event card comprises:

receiving event data through a point-of-sale network, the event data comprising time information corresponding to when the event operator logged into the promotional event and logged out of the promotional event; and

displaying the event data on one or more web pages.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

compensating the event operator for participating in the promotional event;

adjusting the event operator'"'"'s compensation based at least in part on the event data; and

displaying the event operator'"'"'s compensation on the one or more web pages.

25. A method for coordinating promotional events, the method comprising:

receiving a request via a network to organize a promotional event;

assigning an agency to staff the promotional event with an event operator;

receiving event data from the event operator; and

providing the event data to the agency through one or more web pages.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising changing a status of the promotional event in response to receiving the event data from the event operator.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein receiving the event data comprises:

receiving report data from the event operator; and

in response to receiving the report data, changing from a pending status to a completed status.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the report data is received through a voice recognition unit.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving the event data comprises receiving information from an event card provided to the event operator, wherein the information uniquely identifies the event operator and the promotional event.