Method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks

• US 20070100682A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Kazali
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Kazali
• Inventors: Kazali, Lawrence
• Application Number:
  US11/261,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls

Abstract

The present invention is a method for conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks that offer respondents various incentives for their participation. Respondents providing complete contact information are entered into a drawing for a prize, as well as, receive a coupon upon completing the market research questionnaire. The questionnaires then will be stored on a local sever that resides next to these kiosks. At the end of the day this server will start transmitting the information to a central sever using proprietary software to encrypt the data and transfer it via satellite to the central server. Once the central server receives the data it will decipher, analyze, and categorizes it and convert it into meaningful data separated by gender, age, location, and answers, then converts it into a desired format and sends it to the client as an email attachment before the end of the day. Results are available to the client over the Internet as each survey is completed due to cutting-edge technology. In addition to market research questionnaires, the present invention will generate income by selling contact lists and demographics to select clients as well as selling advertising in the form of coupon distribution and promotional giveaways. The present invention combines several desirable products or packages in one location. This combined effort exposes consumers to multiple advertising clients.

Claims

1. A method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks comprising:

providing a study that will seek out research locations where a large number of qualified consumers 10 are likely to be found;

one or more survey kiosks located at identified research locations comprising;

a hard drive for storing and controlling survey administration;

a monitor for displaying survey information;

a printer for issuing one or more coupons to participants upon successful completion of a survey;

a local server;

a connection for communicating and transmitting survey information from said local server to a remote location;

a central server located at a remote location for receiving survey information transmitted from said survey kiosks; and

wherein all information provided by participants is relayed by said central server to a client company by said connection for communicating and transmitting survey information to a remote location using a multi-user network; and

said central server retains said participant information, such as contact and demographic information for resale to third parties in a central database.

2. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein said survey information is shared locally from each of said kiosks to the local server and is encrypted and transmitted to the central server periodically or upon demand by a client.

3. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 2 wherein the database stored on the central server summarizes respondent answers in a report based on location, zip code, and median general household income of respondents.

4. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 3 wherein said file will contain detailed information of survey results for the reporting period such as gender, age, location, and answers by utilizing text, bars, and other graphical displays.

5. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 4 wherein the central server provides means for

allowing the client company to access the central database at any time from any remote location that can assess the network wherein said client company can make changes to the visual display, questionnaires or a plurality of other information displayed or requested by respondents through the kiosks.

6. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein said coupons are customized with respect to participant responses.

7. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 6 wherein the kiosk generates two coupons to a respondent upon successful completion of a survey.

8. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 7 wherein

the first coupon is valid for redemption in research location;

and

the second coupon is valid for placement in a single drawing box located within the research location.

9. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein simultaneous surveys are conducted at a plurality of research locations via a plurality of survey kiosks at each research location.

10. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 2 wherein after said information is transmitted to the central server, said central server receives the data and a database deciphers, analyzes, categorizes, and converts it into demographically sorted results.

11. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 4 wherein said database converts the results into an end-user compatible format file that is then transmitted to a client.

12. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 10 wherein, upon receipt of survey information from the central server, the client company may import the survey information file into a proprietary system containing means for distribution of the survey information file in its entirety or selected parts to one or more departments.

13. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 3 wherein said research locations include events and competitions that involve voting and immediate feedback from a plurality of people.

14. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 3 wherein said research locations include political exit polling conducted where individuals are voting.

15. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein each kiosk will be positioned so as to provide maximum privacy to the participant during interaction with a kiosk.

16. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein a kiosk'"'"'s appearance reflects the client'"'"'s image, products, and services.

17. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein a kiosk'"'"'s appearance reflect features or images of a product or service without disclosing the identity of the client.

18. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein prizes, designed to appeal to those individuals that the client company wants to participate in their research, are prominently displayed and given away in a drawing of all participants.

19. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein to be eligible to receive a coupon, participants must:

provide a verifiable email address which will immediately and automatically be verified by said hard drive by pinging the email address for a response; and

acknowledge and agree that collected information will be provided to the client company as well as be retained by the system of the present invention for sale to selected third parties.

20. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 18 wherein to be eligible for prizes participants must enter correct and complete information including:

name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and demographic information as requested.

21. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 19 wherein said participant information is used to ensure that the participant:

is qualified to take part in the study,

does not exceed desired quotas of participants eligible to win said prize;

does not participate the same survey repeatedly;

if participant has already completed one or more surveys before, said participant will take different surveys for different clients or different companies as available.

22. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein said central server retains said participant information, such as contact and demographic information for resale to third parties.

23. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 wherein said survey, said prize quotas, and coupons may be changed from a remote location for one or more kiosks located in different areas.

24. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 1 further comprising betting and contests.

25. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 24 wherein:

to place a bet or enter a contest, participants are required to pay a fee;

participants must also furnish their complete contact information;

said complete contact information then belongs to the system of the present invention for resale;

after payment and entry of contact information, participants guess the outcome of a future event or answer trivia questions;

once said prediction or answer has been received, it will be retained in said hard drive;

if the answer or prediction is correct the participant'"'"'s name will be entered into a drawing along with all of the other right answers for a prize on said central server;

the final winners are chosen at random from a correct participant database located on said central server.

26. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 25 wherein said fee depends on the prize value.

27. The method of conducting market research by means of strategically placed computerized kiosks of claim 25 the number of entries is limited to guarantee the minimum odds of winning.