Method and system of marketing using effectiveness metrics

• US 20070143325A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Head, Walter
• Application Number:
  US11/305,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143325A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system of marketing using effectiveness metrics includes a server hosting an internet application, a database capable of storing information received by the server, and a digital storage medium providing a user interface when inserted into a client device. The user interface includes at least one link to the internet application, a user being directed to the internet application by the link in the user interface and interacting with the internet application using the client device. Information relating to the user is transmitted and stored in the database. The internet application is changed based on an analysis of the transmitted information.

Claims

1. A system of marketing using effectiveness metrics comprising:

a server hosting an internet application;

a database capable of storing information received by the server;

a digital storage medium providing a user interface when inserted into a client device, the user interface comprising at least one link to the internet application;

a user being directed to the internet application by the link in the user interface and interacting with the internet application using the client device; and

information relating to the user being transmitted and stored in the database, the transmitted information including user activity information, wherein the internet application is changed based on an analysis of the transmitted user activity information.

2. The system of claim 1, further including an identifier assigned to the digital storage medium and stored in the database, wherein the transmitted information stored in the database is linked to the identifier.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is directed to the changed internet application using the link in the user interface provided by the digital storage medium.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted user activity information includes information relating to at least one of a purchase, a viewing of a webpage, and a request for a price quote using the internet application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the transmitted information includes distribution method information stored in the database, the distribution method information identifying how the user received the digital storage medium; and

the analysis determines a distribution method for a second digital storage medium based on the transmitted information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the transmitted information includes user information stored in the database, the user information identifying at least one of a functional role or an industry of the user; and

the analysis determines a target audience for the second digital storage medium based on the transmitted information.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a dealer who distributes the digital storage medium to the user, wherein the dealer stores at least a portion of the transmitted information in the database.

8. The system of claim 1, further including:

a salesman who distributes the digital storage medium to the user; and

a dealer who distributes the digital storage medium to the salesman, wherein the salesman stores at least a portion of the transmitted information in the database.

9. A method of marketing using effectiveness metrics including:

hosting an internet application on a server;

storing information received by the server in a database;

providing a user interface when a digital storage medium is inserted into a client device, the user interface including at least one link to the internet application;

directing the user to the internet application using the link in the user interface;

transmitting information relating to the user to the database, the transmitted information including user activity information;

storing the transmitted user activity information in the database;

analyzing the transmitted user activity information stored in the database; and

changing the internet application based on the analysis of the transmitted user activity information.

10. The method of claim 9, further including:

assigning an identifier to the digital storage medium;

storing the identifier in the database; and

linking the transmitted information stored in the database to the identifier.

11. The method of claim 9, further including directing the user to the changed internet application using the link in the user interface provided by the same digital storage medium.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitted user activity information includes information relating to at least one of a purchase, a viewing of a webpage, and a request for a price quote using the internet application.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the transmitted information includes distribution method information, the distribution method information identifying how the user received the digital storage medium; and

the analyzing of the transmitted information includes determining a distribution method for a second digital storage medium based on the transmitted information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining of the distribution method for the second digital storage medium includes determining which of the distribution methods used for the first digital storage medium generated a highest amount of activity.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the transmitted information includes user information, the user information identifying at least one of a functional role or an industry of the user; and

the analyzing of the transmitted information includes determining a target audience for a second digital storage medium based on the transmitted information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining of the target audience for the second digital storage medium includes determining which of the users using the first digital storage medium generated a highest amount of activity.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the transmitted information includes marketing message information, the marketing message information identifying at least one of an application promoted, a feature promoted, and an informational material; and

the analyzing of the transmitted information includes determining a marketing message for a second digital storage medium based on the transmitted information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining of the marketing message for the second digital storage medium includes determining which of the marketing messages provided in the first digital storage medium generated a highest amount of activity.

19. The method of claim 9, further including distributing the digital storage medium to the user using a dealer, wherein the dealer stores at least a portion of the transmitted information in the database.

20. The method of claim 9, further including:

distributing the digital storage medium to the user via a salesman; and

distributing the digital storage medium to the salesman via a dealer, wherein the salesman stores at least a portion of the transmitted information in the database.

21. A system of marketing using effectiveness metrics comprising:

a server hosting an internet application;

a database capable of storing information received by the server;

a first digital storage medium providing a user interface when inserted into a client device, the user interface comprising at least one link to the internet application;

a user being directed to the internet application by the link in the user interface and interacting with the internet application using the client device; and

information relating to the user being transmitted and stored in the database, wherein a distribution method for a second digital storage medium is determined based on an analysis of the transmitted information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the transmitted information includes distribution method information, the distribution method information identifying how the user received the first digital storage medium.

23. The system of claim 21, the analysis of the transmitted information determines which of the distribution methods used for the first digital storage medium generated a highest amount of activity.