Distributed system enabling integration and automation of marketing, sales and service

• US 20070083425A1
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innovative Information Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovative Information Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael, Vasara, Ivar, Ho, Jackie, Kan, Felix, Fillipozzi, Luca, Goard, Chris, Hildebrandt, Travis, Cousineau, John, Hawthorne, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/541,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20070083425A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.720
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation

Abstract

The present invention provides a distributed electronic management system enabling the creation, distribution and tracking of at least one electronic message to at least one predetermined potential customer, said system comprising: a data storage system for organizing and storing a plurality of content, selected portions of said content for insertion into the at least one electronic message; a production system for the creation of the at least one electronic message, said at least one electronic message having a predetermined theme, wherein content having the predetermined theme can be inserted into the at least one electronic message; a messaging system performing functions including transmission of the at least one electronic message to the at least one predetermined potential customer, said messaging system and the at least one predetermined customer being interconnected by at least one communication network; a tracking system for collecting and evaluating notifications based on interaction with the at least one electronic message by the at least one predetermined potential customer; wherein the data storage system, production system, messaging system and tracking system are electronically interconnected thereby enabling electronic information transfer therebetween.

Claims

1. A distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system enabling the creation, distribution and tracking of at least one electronic message to at least one predetermined potential customer, said system comprising:

a) a data storage system for organizing and storing a plurality of content, selected portions of said content for insertion into the at least one electronic message;

b) a production system for the creation of the at least one electronic message, said at least one electronic message having a predetermined theme, wherein content having the predetermined theme can be inserted into the at least one electronic message;

c) a messaging system performing functions including transmission of the at least one electronic message to the at least one predetermined potential customer, said messaging system and the at least one predetermined customer being interconnected by at least one communication network;

d) a tracking system for collecting and evaluating notifications based on interaction width the at least one electronic message by the at least one predetermined potential customer;

wherein the data storage system, production system, messaging system and tracking system are electronically interconnected thereby enabling electronic information transfer therebetween.

2. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of content within the data storage system can be associated with one or more descriptors, wherein the data storage system can be searched for content having predetermined descriptors.

3. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, wherein the production system provides a means for separating a previously created electronic message into component pieces, said production system further providing a means for replacing selected component pieces with content selected from the data storage system.

4. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, wherein the production system provides a means for separating a multimedia content item into component pieces and creating a semantic outline thereof, said production system further providing a means for presenting the semantic outline alongside the multimedia content item, said production system providing a means for modification of the multimedia content item through replacement of component pleces with alternate content selected from the data storage system producing an amended multimedia content item, said production system thereby enabling viewing of the amended multimedia content item simultaneously with the semantic outline for ease of amendment.

5. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, further comprising a targeting system providing a means for selecting the at least one predetermined customer or group of predetermined customers, wherein said selection can be made based on a predetermined criteria wherein the at least one predetermined customer or group of predetermined customers are associated with the predetermined criteria.

6. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined criteria provides a means for the targeting system to organise a plurality of customers into categories, wherein the at least one predetermined customer or group of predetermined customers can be assigned one or more categories based on notifications received by the tracking system.

7. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, wherein the messaging system includes a means for modifying a generic electronic message in order to personalize the generic electronic message for a selected predetermined potential customer, said modification providing a means for the tracking system to correlate notifications with the selected predetermined potential customer.

8. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 7, wherein the messaging system includes a means for electronically transmitting the at least one electronic message to an intermediate host, said intermediate host subsequently transmitting the at least one electronic message to the at least one predetermined customer, and said intermediate host being identified to the at least one predetermined customer as originator of the transmission of the at least one electronic message.

9. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring system for evaluating the functionality of the distributed electronic management system, said monitoring system providing a means for transmission of an alarm to a system manager upon detection of a potential problem.

10. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, further comprising a means for transmitting correspondence to a sales representative, said correspondence resulting from notifications received by the tracking system, said correspondence transmitted to the sales representative upon receipt of signal from the tracking system, thereby providing a means for the sales representative to timely respond to a request from the at least one predetermined customer.

11. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 10, wherein the correspondence is a SMS or cellular telephone call.

12. The distributed electronic marketing, sales and service management system according to claim 1, further comprising a data replication system enabling data transfers from a first database to a second database, wherein the first and second databases are each protected by a firewall type system.

13. A method for the creation, distribution and tracking of at least one electronic message to at least one predetermined potential customer, said method comprising the steps of:

a) organizing and storing a plurality of content, selected portions of said content for insertion into the at least one electronic message;

b) creating the at least one electronic message, said at least one electronic message having a predetermined theme, wherein content having the predetermined theme can be inserted into the at least one electronic message;

c) transmitting the at least one electronic message to the at least one predetermined potential customer;

d) collecting and evaluating notifications based on interaction with the at least one electronic message by the at least one predetermined potential customer;

wherein the collection and evaluation of the notifications enables incorporation of content relating to these previous notifications into a subsequently created and transmitted electronic message to the same predetermined potential customer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein prior to the step of organizing and storing the plurality of content each piece of content of the plurality of content can have at least one descriptor associated therewith thereby providing a means for organizing the plurality of content.

15. The method affording to claim 13, wherein the step of creating the at least one electronic message includes inserting at least one interaction point into the at least one electronic message, said interaction point including a means for transmitting notifications to a tracking system.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of collecting and evaluating notifications provides a means for determining a theme for an electronic message subsequently transmitted to the same at least one potential customer.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon for performing a method for the creation, distribution and tracking of at least one electronic message to at least one predetermined potential customer comprising the steps of:

a) organizing and storing a plurality of content, selected portions of said content for insertion into the at least one electronic message;

b) creating the at least one electronic message, said at least one electronic message having a predetermined theme, wherein content having the predetermined theme can be inserted into the at least one electronic message;

c) transmitting the at least one electronic message to the at least one predetermined potential customer;

d) collecting and evaluating notifications based on interaction with the at least one electronic message by the at least one predetermined potential customer;

wherein the collection and evaluation of the notifications enables incorporation of content relating to these previous notifications into a subsequently created and transmitted electronic message to the same predetermined potential customer.