Methods of Influencing Buying Behavior with Directed Incentives and Compensation

• US 20080196060A1
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BrandPort, Inc. (Emergent Technology Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: BrandPort, Inc. (Emergent Technology Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Varghese, Kivin
• Application Number:
  US11/674,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20080196060A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for influencing buying behavior. The methods include obtaining purchase information for a particular user and obtaining a product indication, such as a universal product code or product description, from the user. Based on the purchase information, the product information, and other user traits, the methods and systems allow specific variants of advertisements and specific purchase incentives to be provided to the user.

Claims

1. A method of influencing buying habits, comprising:

collecting purchase information for one or more users;

based on the purchase information, selecting advertisements for at least some of the one or more users;

presenting the advertisements to the at least some of the users;

confirming that the at least some of the users have paid attention to the advertisements; and

compensating the at least some of the users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase information is collected at least in part from universal product codes or receipts supplied by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase information includes at least product identification and purchase frequency.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisements are advertisement variants, the content of which depend, at least in part, on the purchase information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the at least some of the users with one or more incentives.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising selecting the one or more incentives based on the purchase information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising creating customized shopping lists based on the purchase information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising presenting the one or more incentives with the customized shopping lists.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out, at least in part, by communicating over a network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising recommending one or more products based on the purchase information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing one or more incentives related to the one or more products.

12. A method of influencing purchasing behavior, comprising:

accepting purchase information for a user;

accepting a product indication from the user;

providing information to the user regarding the product to which the product indication pertains;

selecting one or more retailers from among a plurality of retailers based, at least in part, on available incentives for the product and the purchase information; and

presenting the user with information about the available incentives for the product at the one or more selected retailers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing information on complementary or competing products to the user based on the purchase information and the product indication.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the product indication is a universal product code.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting a particular advertisement variant for the user based on the purchase information and the product information;

providing the advertisement variant to the user; and

compensating the user for viewing the advertisement variant.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the product information is a universal product code.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is carried out, at least in part, while the user is shopping at one of the plurality of retailers.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises assembling customized shopping lists for the user based on the purchase information and the product indication.