Dynamic selection of groups of outbound marketing events

• US 20060253315A1
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Selby, David A., Ramsey, Mark S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A database system and method for ordering marketing events for offering to candidates. The database system comprises a first database structure storing a first list identifying marketing events, a second database structure storing a second list of candidates, and a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium. The database manager software application comprises a grouping tool and an optimization tool. The marketing events from the first list are divided into a first plurality of groups. The grouping tool is for dividing candidates from the second list into a second plurality of groups and matching a first group from first plurality of groups with a second group from the second plurality of groups. The optimization tool is for optimizing and sorting the marketing events from the first group for all candidates from the second group.

Claims

1. A database system, comprising:

a first database structure storing a first list identifying marketing events, wherein each marketing event from said first list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating said marketing offer, and wherein said marketing events from said first list are divided into a first plurality of groups;

a second database structure storing a second list of candidates; and

a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database manager software application comprises a grouping tool and an optimization tool, wherein said grouping tool is for dividing candidates from said second list of candidates into a second plurality of groups and matching a first group from said first plurality of groups with a second group from said second plurality of groups, wherein candidates from said second group comprise a first specified candidate trait, and wherein said optimization tool is for optimizing and sorting, said marketing events from said first group for all candidates from said second group.

2. The database system of claim 1, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing event from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises a computing tool for computing a ranking score for each of said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group, and wherein said marketing events from said first group are optimized and sorted for all of said candidates from said second group by optimizing and sorting said ranking scores for each of said marketing events from said from said first group.

3. The database system of claim 2, further comprising a third database structure storing at least one data model, wherein said computing tool is for computing response probability scores for said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates within said second group, wherein each of said response probability scores are computed using said at least one data model, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group and a response probability score from said response probability scores for said associated marketing event.

4. The database system of claim 1, wherein said grouping tool is for matching a third group from said first plurality of groups with a fourth group from said second plurality of groups, wherein all candidates from said fourth group comprise a second specified candidate trait, wherein said first specified candidate trait comprises a different candidate trait than said second specified candidate trait, and wherein said optimization tool is for optimizing and sorting, said marketing events from said third group for all candidates from said fourth group.

5. The database system of claim 1, wherein said optimization tool is for generating a priority list comprising said sorted marketing events from said first group, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

6. The selection system of claim 1, wherein said optimization tool is for generating a priority list comprising a first set of marketing events from said sorted marketing events from said first group that fall within a specified set of constraints, and wherein said priority list is for prioritizing an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

7. The database system of claim 6, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all marketing events within said first group.

8. The database system of claim 6, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all marketing events within said first group.

9. The database system of claim 1, wherein said list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said plurality of marketing events.

10. The database system of claim 1, wherein said marketing events from said first group are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

11. The database system of claim 1, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

12. The database system of claim 1, wherein each identified channel means is selected from the group consisting of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and standard mail.

13. A selection method, comprising:

providing a database system comprising a first database structure storing a first list identifying marketing events, a second database structure storing a second list of candidates, and a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database manager software application comprises a grouping tool and an optimization tool, wherein each marketing event from said first list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating said marketing offer, and wherein said marketing events from said first list are divided into a first plurality of groups;

dividing by said grouping tool, candidates from said second list of candidates into a second plurality of groups;

matching by said grouping tool, a first group from said first plurality of groups with a second group from said second plurality of groups, wherein all candidates from said second group comprise a first specified candidate trait;

optimizing, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group; and

sorting, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing event from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises a computing tool, and wherein said method further comprises:

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score for each of said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group, and wherein said marketing events from said first group are optimized and sorted for all of said candidates from said second group by optimizing and sorting said ranking scores for each of said marketing events from said from said first group.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a third database structure storing at least one data model; and

computing by said computing tool, response probability scores for said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates within said second group, wherein each of said response probability scores are computed using said at least one data model, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group and a response probability score from said response probability scores for said associated marketing event.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

matching by said grouping tool, a third group from said first plurality of groups with a fourth group from said second plurality of groups, wherein all candidates from said fourth group comprise a second specified candidate trait, wherein said first specified candidate trait comprises a different candidate trait than said second specified candidate trait;

optimizing, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said third group for all candidates from said fourth group; and

sorting, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said third group for all of said candidates from said fourth group.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating by the optimization tool, a priority list comprising said sorted marketing events from said first group, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating by the optimization tool, a priority list comprising a first set of marketing events from said sorted marketing events from said first group that fall within a specified set of constraints, and wherein said priority list is for prioritizing an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all of said marketing events from said first group.

20. The database system of claim 18, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all of said marketing events from said first group.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said plurality of marketing events.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said marketing events from said first group are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein each identified channel means is selected from the group consisting of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and standard mail.

25. A process for integrating computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system comprises a database system comprising a first database structure storing a first list identifying marketing events, a second database structure storing a second list of candidates, and a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database manager software application comprises a grouping tool and an optimization tool, wherein each marketing event from said first list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating said marketing offer, wherein said marketing events from said first list are divided into a first plurality of groups, and wherein the code in combination with the computing system is adapted to implement a method for performing the steps of:

dividing by said grouping tool, candidates from said second list of candidates into a second plurality of groups;

matching by said grouping tool, a first group from said first plurality of groups with a second group from said second plurality of groups, wherein all candidates from said second group comprise a first specified candidate trait;

optimizing, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group; and

sorting, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group.

26. The process of claim 25, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing event from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises a computing tool, and wherein said method further comprises:

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score for each of said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group, and wherein said marketing events from said first group are optimized and sorted for all of said candidates from said second group by optimizing and sorting said ranking scores for each of said marketing events from said from said first group.

27. The process of claim 26, further comprising providing a third database structure storing at least one data model, wherein said method further comprises:

computing by said computing tool, response probability scores for said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates within said second group, wherein each of said response probability scores are computed using said at least one data model, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group and a response probability score from said response probability scores for said associated marketing event.

28. The process of claim 25, wherein said method further comprises:

matching by said grouping tool, a third group from said first plurality of groups with a fourth group from said second plurality of groups, wherein all candidates from said fourth group comprise a second specified candidate trait, wherein said first specified candidate trait comprises a different candidate trait than said second specified candidate trait;

optimizing, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said third group for all candidates from said fourth group; and

sorting, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said third group for all of said candidates from said fourth group.

29. The process of claim 25, wherein said method further comprises generating by the optimization tool, a priority list comprising said sorted marketing events from said first group, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

30. The process of claim 25, wherein said method further comprises generating by the optimization tool, a priority list comprising a first set of marketing events from said sorted marketing events from said first group that fall within a specified set of constraints, and wherein said priority list is for prioritizing an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

31. The process of claim 30, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all of said marketing events within said first group.

32. The process of claim 30, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all of said marketing events within said first group.

33. The process of claim 25, wherein said list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said plurality of marketing events.

34. The process of claim 25, wherein said marketing events from said first group are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

35. The process of claim 25, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

36. The process of claim 25, wherein each identified channel means is selected from the group consisting of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and standard mail.

37. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising an algorithm adapted to implement a method for ordering a first list identifying of marketing events within a database system, said database system comprising a database system comprising a first database structure storing said first list identifying marketing events, a second database structure storing a second list of candidates, and a database manager software application stored on a computer readable medium, wherein said database manager software application comprises a grouping tool and an optimization tool, wherein each marketing event from said first list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating said marketing offer, wherein said marketing events from said first list are divided into a first plurality of groups, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing by said grouping tool, candidates from said second list of candidates into a second plurality of groups;

matching by said grouping tool, a first group from said first plurality of groups with a second group from said second plurality of groups, wherein all candidates from said second group comprise a first specified candidate trait;

optimizing, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group; and

sorting, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said first database structure further stores a third list of value scores, wherein each value score from said third list is associated with a marketing event from said first list, wherein said database manager software application further comprises a computing tool, and wherein said method further comprises:

computing by said computing tool, a ranking score for each of said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates from said second group, wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function of a value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group, and wherein said marketing events from said first group are optimized and sorted for all of said candidates from said second group by optimizing and sorting said ranking scores for each of said marketing events from said from said first group.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising providing a third database structure storing at least one data model, wherein said method further comprises:

computing by said computing tool, response probability scores for said marketing events from said first group for all of said candidates within said second group, wherein each of said response probability scores are computed using said at least one data model, and wherein each of said ranking scores are computed as a function said value score from said third list with respect to it'"'"'s associated marketing event from said first group for said candidates from said second group and a response probability score from said response probability scores for said associated marketing event.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said method further comprises:

matching by said grouping tool, a third group from said first plurality of groups with a fourth group from said second plurality of groups, wherein all candidates from said fourth group comprise a second specified candidate trait, wherein said first specified candidate trait comprises a different candidate trait than said second specified candidate trait;

optimizing, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said third group for all candidates from said fourth group; and

sorting, by said optimization tool, said marketing events from said third group for all of said candidates from said fourth group.

41. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said method further comprises generating by the optimization tool, a priority list comprising said sorted marketing events from said first group, and wherein said priority list prioritizes an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

42. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said method further comprises generating by the optimization tool, a priority list comprising a first set of marketing events from said sorted marketing events from said first group that fall within a specified set of constraints, and wherein said priority list is for prioritizing an order in which to offer each of said marketing events from said first group to all of said candidates from said second group.

43. The computer program product of claim 42 wherein said specified set of constraints comprise timing conflicts related to offering all of said marketing events within said first group.

44. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein said specified set of constraints comprise budget constraints related to offering all of said marketing events within said first group.

45. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said list of candidates comprises existing customers of an entity that is offering said plurality of marketing events.

46. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein said marketing events from said first group are sorted and optimized essentially simultaneously.

47. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein each marketing offer is selected from the group consisting of a product offer and a service offer.

48. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein each identified channel means is selected from the group consisting of a telephone call, an email, a text message, and standard mail.