Techniques for assigning promotions to contact entities

• US 20080021909A1
• Filed: 07/24/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Patrick, Chalimadugu, Sudhakar, Black, Andre B., Lee, Yuchun, Cheung, David F., Kennedy, Ruby
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A computer implemented method for target group management is described. The method includes producing a table including one or more group entries corresponding to one or more defined contact group entities with each of the entries having a first set of group attributes, and producing a visual representation of a marketing campaign, the representation including one or more instances of defined contact group entities, with the one or more instances having a second set of group attributes and with the representation linked to the table according to the second set of group attributes.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for target group management comprises:

producing a table including one or more group entries corresponding to one or more defined contact group entities with each of the entries having a first set of group attributes; and

producing a visual representation of a marketing campaign, the representation including one or more instances of defined contact group entities, with the one or more instances having a second set of group attributes and with the representation linked to the table according to the second set of group attributes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second set of group attributes correspond to the first set of group attributes, and with the table and the flowchart representing promotions assigned to contact group entities in a marketing campaign.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more first group attributes comprise:

a group name and a group code corresponding to a group of contact entities.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more first group attributes comprise one or more group-level custom attributes, the one or more group-level custom attributes corresponding to metadata associated with the group.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the group code is a first group code and each of the one or more flowchart instances comprise a second group code corresponding to a first group code of one or more group spreadsheet records.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the table is a spreadsheet and the visual representation is flowchart.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises:

updating the one or more first group attributes of one or more of the group spreadsheet records; and

mirroring the updating in the one or more second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances corresponding to the one or more first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the method further comprises:

updating the one or more second group attributes of one or more of the flowchart instances; and

mirroring the updating in the one or more first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records corresponding to the one or more second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein producing the group spreadsheet comprises:

linking one or more group spreadsheet records with one or more flowchart instances; and

populating the first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records from the second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein producing the campaign flowchart comprises:

linking one or more flowchart instances with one or more group spreadsheet records; and

populating the second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances from the first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the promotion instance comprises parameterized attributes and the method further comprises:

using the first group attributes for data-driven personalization of the parameterized attributes.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more first group attributes comprise:

a control group name corresponding to a control group assigned to the group; and

a promotion instance name corresponding to a promotion instance assigned to the group.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

using the first group attributes to define the one or more instances.

14. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for target group management, comprises instructions for causing a computer to:

produce a table including one or more group entries corresponding to one or more defined contact group entities with each of the entries having a first set of group attributes; and

produce a visual representation of a marketing campaign, the representation including one or more instances of defined contact group entities, with the one or more instances having a second set of group attributes and with the representation linked to the table according to the second set of group attributes.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the second set of group attributes correspond to the first set of group attributes, and with the table and the flowchart representing promotions assigned to contact group entities in a marketing campaign.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the one or more first group attributes comprise:

a group name and a group code corresponding to a group of contact entities.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the one or more first group attributes comprise one or more group-level custom attributes, the one or more group-level custom attributes corresponding to metadata associated with the group.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the group code is a first group code and each of the one or more flowchart instances comprise a second group code corresponding to a first group code of one or more group spreadsheet records.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the table is a spreadsheet and the visual representation is flowchart.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprises instruction for causing a computer to:

update the one or more first group attributes of one or more of the group spreadsheet records; and

mirror the updating in the one or more second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances corresponding to the one or more first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprises instruction for causing a computer to:

update the one or more second group attributes of one or more of the flowchart instances; and

mirror the updating in the one or more first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records corresponding to the one or more second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances.

22. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein instructions that produce the group spreadsheet further comprise instructions for causing a computer to:

link one or more group spreadsheet records with one or more flowchart instances; and

populate the first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records from the second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances.

23. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein instructions that produce the group spreadsheet further comprise instructions for causing a computer to:

link one or more flowchart instances with one or more group spreadsheet records; and

populate the second group attributes of the one or more flowchart instances from the first group attributes of the one or more group spreadsheet records.

24. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the promotion instance comprises parameterized attributes and further comprises instructions for causing a computer to:

use the first group attributes for data-driven personalization of the parameterized attributes.

25. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the one or more first group attributes comprise:

a control group name corresponding to a control group assigned to the group; and

a promotion instance name corresponding to a promotion instance assigned to the group.

26. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprises instructions for causing a computer to:

use the first group attributes to define the one or more instances.

27. An apparatus comprises:

a processor;

memory executing a computer program product for target group management, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to;

produce a table including one or more group entries corresponding to one or more defined contact group entities with each of the entries having a first set of group attributes; and

produce a visual representation of a marketing campaign, the representation including one or more instances of defined contact group entities, with the one or more instances having a second set of group attributes and with the representation linked to the table according to the second set of group attributes.