Integration of Multiple Consumer Communications

• US 20080208676A1
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Eric N., Dolan, Kellie Katherine, Erickson, J. Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,177 B2
• 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 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0243 Comparative campaigns
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system, computer program product and method including delivering an initial promotion to a customer, determining a status of the initial promotion delivered, selecting a related promotion based on the status of the initial promotion determined, and delivering the related promotion to the customer. The related promotion is selected based on the status of the initial promotion determined by selecting a predetermined related promotion associated with the status of the initial promotion determined. Moreover, the initial and related promotions may be delivered through an electronic or hard delivery medium, and the status of the initial promotion delivered may be determined by determining a status of the initial promotion based on electronic feedback from the customer or based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the initial promotion. Promotions may be delivered primarily through an effective delivery medium for a particular customer which is determined by applying a predetermined effectiveness criteria which includes one of determining the number of occurrences of a predetermined status within a delivery medium and determining the frequency of the customer'"'"'s use of the delivery medium.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computer implemented method comprising:

delivering a plurality of promotions to a customer through a plurality of delivery mediums;

determining a status of each promotion delivered;

determining an effective medium for the customer based on the status of each promotion delivered; and

delivering promotions to said customer primarily through the effective medium determined.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of delivering a plurality of promotions to a customer through a plurality of delivery mediums comprises delivering said plurality of promotions through an electronic medium.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of delivering said plurality of promotions through an electronic medium comprises delivering said promotions to the customer through at least one of a kiosk, a point of sale (POS), an electronic transaction device, and a customer computer.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of delivering said plurality of promotions through an electronic medium further comprises delivering said initial promotion via the Internet.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of delivering a plurality of promotions to a customer through a plurality of delivery mediums comprises delivering said plurality of promotions through a hard copy medium.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said step of delivering said plurality of promotions through a hard copy medium comprises delivering said plurality of promotions to the customer through at least one of a direct mailing and hand delivery process.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of determining a status of each promotion delivered comprises determining a status of a promotion based on electronic feedback from the customer.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said step of determining a status of a promotion based on electronic feedback from the customer comprises receiving an explicit accept or reject indication from said customer.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said step of determining a status of a promotion based oil electronic feedback from the customer comprises receiving an explicit accept or reject indication from said customer based on the customer printing or downloading, or declining to print or download the initial promotion.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of determining a status of each promotion delivered comprises determining a status of a promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the promotion.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said step of determining a status of the promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on purchase information of the product promoted by the promotion.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said step of determining a status of the promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on redeeming information of the promotion.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein said step of determining a status of the promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on a delivery date of the promotion.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein said step of determining a status of the promotion based on predetermined status criteria assigned to the promotion comprises determining a status of the promotion based on an expiration date of said promotion.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of determining an effective medium for the customer based on the status of each promotion delivered comprises determining whether a delivery medium meets a predetermined effectiveness criteria.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of determining whether a delivery medium meets a predetermined effectiveness criteria comprises determining the number of occurrences of a predetermined status within a delivery medium.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of determining whether a delivery medium meets a predetermined effectiveness criteria comprises determining the frequency of the customer'"'"'s use of the delivery medium.

43. The computer implemented method of claim 26, comprising:

storing in a database a status criteria associated with an initial promotion;

storing in said database at least a first status value associated with said status criteria and a second status value associated with said status criteria, said first status value indicating acceptance of said promotion, and said second status value indicating rejection of said promotion;

delivering said initial promotion to a customer;

determining a status of said initial promotion delivered to said customer by monitoring customer transactions at a point of sale (POS) and by using said status criteria associated with said initial promotion;

selecting a related promotion for said customer based on said status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer; and

delivering said related promotion to said customer.

87. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a computer system, which when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to perform the steps in the method recited in claim 26.

119. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

selecting a related promotion based on said status of each of said promotions determined, wherein said step of selecting said related promotion based on said status of each of said promotions determined comprises selecting a predetermined related promotion associated with said status of each of said promotions determined;

delivering said related promotion to said customer; and

monitoring, customer transactions at a point of sale (POS) during said step of determining said status of said promotions delivered.

120. The method of claim 119, wherein said steps of delivering said plurality of promotions to said customer through said plurality of delivery mediums;

determining said status of each promotion delivered, determining said effective medium for said customer based on said status of each promotion delivery;

delivering promotions to said customer primarily through said effective medium determined;

selecting said related promotion based on said status of each of said promotions determined; and

delivering said related promotion to said customer are performed through a single medium in a single transaction with the customer;

wherein said single medium is said customer'"'"'s computer and said single transaction comprises an online shopping event.

121. The method of claim 119, wherein said steps of delivering said plurality of promotions to said customer through said plurality of delivery mediums;

determining said status of each promotion delivered, determining said effective medium for said customer based on said status of each promotion delivery;

delivering promotions to said customer primarily through said effective medium determined;

selecting said related promotion based on said status of each of said promotions determined; and

delivering said related promotion to said customer are performed in at least two transactions with the customer; and

wherein said at least two transactions with said customer are performed either through the same delivery method or at least two delivery methods.

125. The computer implemented method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining a defined status value for status of said initial promotion corresponding to one of (1) accepted, (2) rejected, and (3) unknown, wherein said determining comprises applying said status criteria to said transaction data; and

storing said defined status value.

44. A system associated with a retail store, comprising:

a memory device having embodied therein, data related to promotions; and

a processor in communication with said memory device, said processor configured to;

store in said memory a status criteria associated with an initial promotion;

store in said memory at least a first status value associated with said status criteria and a second status value associated with said status criteria, said first status value indicating acceptance of said promotion, and said second status value indicating rejection of said promotion;

deliver said initial promotion to a customer;

determining a status of said initial promotion delivered to said customer using said status criteria;

select a related promotion based on said status of said initial promotion delivered to said customer; and

deliver said related promotion to said customer.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said initial promotion through an electronic medium.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein said processor is configured to deliver said initial promotion to the customer through at least one of a kiosk, a point of sale (POS), an electronic transaction device, and a customer computer.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said initial promotion via the Internet.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said initial promotion through a hard copy medium.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said initial promotion to said customer through at least one of a direct mailing process and a hand delivery process.

50. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to determine a status of said initial promotion delivered to said customer based on electronic feedback from said customer.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein said processor is configured to receive and store in memory an explicit accept or reject indication from said customer.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein said processor is configured to receive and store in memory an implicit accept or reject indication from said customer based on the customer either (1) printing or downloading, or (2) declining to print or download the initial promotion.

53. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to determine said status of said initial promotion delivered to said customer based on status criteria assigned to the initial promotion.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein said processor is configured to determine said status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer based on purchase information associated with said customer and at least one product promoted by the initial promotion.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein said processor is configured to determine said status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer based on redeeming information associated with said customer and said initial promotion delivered to said customer.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein said processor is configured to determine said status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer based on a delivery date when said initial promotion was delivered to said customer.

57. The system of claim 53, wherein said processor is configured to determine said status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer based on an expiration date of said initial promotion delivered to said customer.

58. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to select a related promotion associated with the status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer.

59. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said related promotion through an electronic medium.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said related promotion to the customer through at least one of a kiosk, a point of sale (POS), an electronic transaction device, and a customer computer.

61. The system of claim 59, Wherein said processor is configured to deliver said related promotion via the Internet.

62. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said related promotion through a hard copy medium.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein said processor is configured to deliver said related promotion to the customer through at least one of a direct mailing process and a hand delivery process.

64. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to deliver an initial promotion, determine a status of the initial promotion, select a related promotion and deliver the related promotion through a single medium in a single transaction with said customer.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein said single medium is a customer computer and said single transaction comprises an online shopping event.

66. The system of claim 44, wherein said processor is configured to deliver an initial promotion to said customer, determine a status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer, select a related promotion and deliver the related promotion to said customer, wherein said initial promotion is delivered to said customer in a first transaction and said related promotion is delivered to said customer in a second transaction.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein said processor is configured to communicate with said customer during said first transaction and said second transaction through the same delivery medium.

68. The system of claim 66, wherein said processor is configured to communicate with said customer during said first transaction and said second transaction through at least two delivery mediums.

126. The system of claim 44, further comprising:

determining a defined status value for status of said initial promotion corresponding to one of (1) accepted, (2) rejected, and (3) unknown, wherein said determining, comprises applying said status criteria to said transaction data; and

storing said defined status value.

69-85. -85. (canceled)

86. A system associated with a retail store, comprising:

a memory device having embodied therein, data related to promotions;

a status criteria associated with an initial promotion stored in said memory device;

at least a first status value associated with said status criteria and a second status value associated with said status criteria stored in said memory device, said first status value indicating acceptance of said promotion, and said second status value indicating rejection of said promotion; and

a processor in communication with said memory device, said processor configured to;

deliver said initial promotion to a customer;

determine a status of the initial promotion delivered to said customer by monitoring customer transactions at a point of sale (POS) and applying said status criteria to customer transaction data from said customer transactions for said customer;

select a related promotion based on said status of said initial promotion delivered to said customer; and

deliver said related promotion to said customer.

122. The system of claim 86, further comprising:

said processor in communication with said memory device, said processor configured to;

deliver an initial promotion to a customer;

determine a status of the initial promotion delivered by monitoring customer transactions at a point of sale (POS);

select a related promotion based on said status of said initial promotion delivered;

deliver said related promotion to said consumer; and

select a predetermined related promotion associated with said status of said initial promotion determined.

123. The system of claim 122, wherein said processor configured to deliver said initial promotion, determine said status of said initial promotion, select said related promotion and deliver said related promotion through a single medium in a single transaction with said consumer;

and

wherein said single medium is said consumer'"'"'s computer and said single transaction comprises an online shopping event.

124. The system of claim 122, wherein said processor configured to deliver said initial promotion, determine said status of said initial promotion, select said related promotion and deliver said related promotion in at least two transactions with the consumer;

and

wherein said processor is configured to perform said at least two transactions with said consumer either through the same delivery medium or at least two delivery methods.

127. The system of claim 86, further comprising:

determining a defined status value for status of said initial promotion corresponding to one of (1) accepted, (2) rejected, and (3) unknown, wherein said determining comprises applying said status criteria to said transaction data; and

storing said defined status value.

88-118. -118. (canceled)