Strategic communications systems and methods

• US 20060282379A1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wordekemper, Glen David, Hickox, William, Haugen, Sandra Sue, Stier, Robert Alan, Liberty, Kelly, Ellwanger, Michelle Marie
• Application Number:
  US11/152,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable mediums are disclosed for strategic communications. In one embodiment, the strategic communications system comprises a rules data store including a decision rule, a recipient data store including recipient data for a plurality of recipients, and decision logic configured to determine for each of the recipients whether to include a decision-based component on the correspondence for the respective recipient based at least on the decision rule and the data associated with the respective recipient. The strategic communications system further includes correspondence manager logic to format the correspondence for each of the recipients and a printer including a selective perforation module to selectively add the perforation to the correspondences including the decision-based component.

Claims

1. A strategic communications system comprising:

a rules data store including a decision rule;

a recipient data store including recipient data for a plurality of recipients of a correspondence;

decision logic, communicatively coupled with the rules data store and the recipient data store, to determine for each of the recipients whether to include a decision-based component on the correspondence for the respective recipient based at least in part on the decision rule and the data associated with the respective recipient;

correspondence manager logic, communicatively coupled with the decision logic, to format the correspondence for each of the recipients; and

a printer, communicatively coupled with the correspondence manager logic, the printer including a selective perforation module to selectively add a perforation to the correspondences including the decision-based component.

2. The strategic communications system of claim 1, wherein the correspondences comprise a bill.

3. The strategic communications system of claim 1, wherein the decision-based component comprises a coupon.

4. The strategic communications system of claim 1, wherein the decision-based component comprises a check.

5. The strategic communications system of claim 1, wherein the printer further includes a MICR component to selectively add MICR information to the correspondences including the check.

6. The strategic communications system of claim 1 wherein the rules data store further includes a rule for inserting a color component and wherein the decision logic is further configured to determine for at least a subset of the correspondences whether to include the color component.

7. The strategic communications system of claim 6, wherein the printer further comprises at least one color module to selectively apply color to each of the correspondences including the color component.

8. The strategic communications system of claim 1, wherein the decision rule includes a condition for one of a recipient credit limit, a recipient account balance, and a recipient account type.

9. The strategic communications system of claim 1, wherein the decision rule includes a condition for a purchase of a product, the recipient data indicating recipients that purchased the product.

10. The strategic communications system of claim 1, wherein the correspondence manager logic is further configured to create and format electronic correspondences for a second subset of recipients.

11. The strategic communications system of claim 10, further comprising an electronic messaging system to deliver the electronic correspondences.

12. The strategic communications system of claim 11, wherein the electronic messaging system includes tracking data indicating whether one or more of the recipients in the second set opened the respective electronic correspondence.

13. The strategic communications system of claim 12, wherein the correspondence manager logic is further configured to after a predetermined time period, format an associated correspondence in physical format for at least one of the unopened electronic correspondences.

14. The strategic communications system of claim 10, wherein the correspondence logic is further configured to determine at least one of the electronic correspondences satisfies a mail criteria and based at least in part on the determination, to format a physical correspondence for the recipient of the determined electronic correspondence.

15. A method comprising:

obtaining, with a strategic communications system, a decision rule for a correspondence;

obtaining, with the strategic communications system, data associated with a recipient of the correspondence;

determining, with the strategic communications system, whether to include a decision-based component on the correspondence based at least in part on the decision rule and the data;

formatting, with the strategic communications system, the correspondence to include a selective perforation if the decision-based component is included; and

transmitting the correspondence to a printer, the printer configured to selectively add perforations to correspondences.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adding, with the printer, the selective perforation if the decision-based component is included.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the decision-based component is included on the correspondence, the method further comprising formatting a correspondence for a second recipient, the correspondence for the second recipient not including the decision-based component.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the correspondence includes a first page and a second page, the first page formatted to include the selective perforation and the second page formatted to not include the selective perforation.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the correspondence comprises a bill.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the decision-based component comprises one of a check and a coupon.

21. A method comprising:

obtaining, with a strategic communications system, a decision rule for a correspondence;

obtaining, with the strategic communications system, data associated with a recipient of the correspondence;

determining, with the strategic communications system, whether to include a decision-based component on the correspondence based at least in part on the decision rule and the data;

formatting, with the strategic communications system, the correspondence to include a selective color component if the decision-based component is included; and

transmitting the correspondence to a printer, the printer configured to selectively add color components to correspondences.

22. A method comprising:

creating, with a strategic communications system, an electronic correspondence for a recipient;

determining, with the strategic communications system, whether to include a decision-based component on the electronic correspondence based at least in part on a decision rule and data associated with the recipient;

formatting, with the strategic communications system, the electronic correspondence in accordance with the determination; and

transmitting the electronic correspondence to the recipient.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the decision-based component comprises an offer including a hyperlink.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining, with the strategic communications system, the electronic correspondence satisfies a mail criteria;

creating, with the strategic communications system, an associated correspondence in physical format for the recipient.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein creating the associated correspondence comprises adding at least one decision-based component not included in the electronic correspondence.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

after a predetermined time, determining, with the strategic communications system, the recipient did not open the electronic correspondence; and

creating, with the strategic communications system, an associated correspondence in physical format for the recipient.